Drought in Young County, TX: 4.6 years in 10 since 2000

4.6 years in 10

Young County, TX: 12 of 26 full years had 13+ weeks in drought. More drought-prone than most US counties.

20002025

Drought years: 2000 (24 wk), 2006 (49 wk), 2007 (13 wk), 2008 (13 wk), 2009 (27 wk), 2011 (41 wk), 2012 (37 wk), 2013 (53 wk), 2014 (52 wk), 2015 (23 wk), 2018 (14 wk) and 2022 (37 wk). Not a single drought week in 2002 and 2016.

Plan for drought as normal: shrink the lawn, go drip and natives

Drought is the normal state of things here. Most of the yard goes to natives and gravel on drip; any grass that stays is a small, tough patch.

If you are replacing turf, plant natives in fall so roots set before the Feb peak, and check your water utility for a turf-removal rebate before you dig.

Against the rest of TX

205th most drought-prone of 254 TX counties; the TX middle is 5.8 in 10. Closest on the list: Roberts County (4.6 in 10) and Fannin County (4.6 in 10). Driest in TX: Uvalde County (7.7 in 10). Least drought: Jasper County (2.3 in 10).

When in the year it hits

Most often in Feb (41% of weeks), then Sep (41%) and Aug (40%). Least in Jun (25%). May to September averages 34%.

38 Jan
41 Feb
39 Mar
28 Apr
32 May
25 Jun
33 Jul
40 Aug
41 Sep
38 Oct
29 Nov
35 Dec

The worst year: 2013

2013: 53 weeks in drought, peaking at D4 exceptional. Across 1,401 weekly maps: 34.8% of all weeks at D1 or worse, 19.7% at D2, 10.4% at D3, 100 weeks with some of the county in D4. Longest unbroken spell: 132 weeks, Nov 13, 2012 to May 19, 2015.

Lately

Last drought year: 2022, 37 weeks. 2016-2025: 2 in 10, against 6.3 in 10 for 2000-2015, wetter lately. So far in 2026: 24 of 44 weeks in drought, through Nov 3, 2026.