Drought in Woodbury County, IA: 3.1 years in 10 since 2000

3.1 years in 10

Woodbury County, IA: 8 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. About as drought-prone as a typical US county.

20002025

Drought years: 2000 (52 wk), 2012 (42 wk), 2013 (26 wk), 2020 (24 wk), 2021 (22 wk), 2022 (51 wk), 2023 (43 wk) and 2024 (13 wk). Not a single drought week in 2004, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2015, 2016, 2018 and 2019.

Keep a lawn, but switch to drought-tolerant grass

Dry years come often enough to kill a thirsty lawn every few summers. Keep the lawn, reseed with a drought-tolerant mix, and put the beds on drip.

If you reseed, use a drought-tolerant mix and do it well clear of Aug, the month drought is most common here. Put beds on drip before the next dry year.

Drought has been more common in 2016-2025 (5 years in 10) than in 2000-2015 (1.9 in 10).

Against the rest of IA

77th most drought-prone of 99 IA counties; the IA middle is 3.8 in 10. Closest on the list: Jackson County (3.5 in 10) and Monona County (3.1 in 10). Driest in IA: Wapello County (5.4 in 10). Least drought: Howard County (2.3 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Aug (39% of weeks), then Jan (31%) and Feb (29%). Least in Jun (14%). May to September averages 25%.

31 Jan
29 Feb
29 Mar
25 Apr
19 May
14 Jun
25 Jul
39 Aug
28 Sep
24 Oct
23 Nov
23 Dec

The worst year: 2000

2000: 52 weeks in drought, peaking at D3 extreme. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 25.8% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 13.1% at D2, 4.4% at D3, 66 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 94 weeks, Jan 11, 2022 to Oct 24, 2023.

Lately

Last drought year: 2024, 13 weeks. 2016-2025: 5 in 10, against 1.9 in 10 for 2000-2015, drier lately. So far in 2026: 14 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.