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Box Butte County, NE

Cattle prices near Box Butte County, Nebraska. The closest sale barn with a recent report is Torrington WY in Torrington, WY, about 57 miles away. On Nov 11, 5-weight steers (500–599 lb) averaged $443.56 per hundredweight on 831 head (USDA). Check a bid against your own costs with Ring Price.

Check a bid with Ring Price

Change county
CRP emergency haying & grazing: Box Butte County is on FSA's list (since Sep 1, 2026). Check with your FSA county office first. Details · FSA list as of Nov 5, 2026.
Drought SevereD2 · most of county Drought pay (LFP) Eligibleup to 5 payments Burn ban Checkcall the county Crawford 5-wt steers $414▼ $38 since last sale

Box Butte County rain, outlook and forecast

On the Nov 10 U.S. Drought Monitor map, most of Box Butte County, NE was in severe drought (D2), and D2-or-worse drought has held there 47 weeks running. Over 90 days rain is at 149% of normal, and the last 30 days came in at 84% (below normal); Friday carries the week's highest rain chance at 51% (high 51°) and the 6-10 day outlook for Nov 20–24 leans wetter than normal (50% chance of above-normal rain). Box Butte County is on FSA's 2026 LFP list with up to 5 monthly payments, and the nearest USDA-reported sale barn is Crawford, 37 miles away.

Rain vs normal

  • Last 30 days 84% of normal
  • Last 60 days not read yet
  • Last 90 days 149% of normal

NOAA river forecast center rain (radar plus gauges) at the county center, Nov 15, 2026. Source.

Rain outlook

  • 6-10 day outlook (Nov 20–24) Leans wetter than normal (50% chance of above-normal rain)
  • 8-14 day outlook (Nov 22–28) Leans wetter than normal (33% chance of above-normal rain)

NOAA Climate Prediction Center precipitation outlook, issued Nov 14, 2026. Source.

Next 7 days

  1. Today Sunny, high 58°, low 33°, 0% rain, wind 10–15 mph
  2. Monday Mostly Sunny, high 61°, low 34°, 0% rain, wind 10–15 mph
  3. Tuesday Mostly Sunny, high 57°, low 34°, 2% rain, wind 10–15 mph
  4. Wednesday Mostly Sunny, high 53°, low 26°, 5% rain, wind 5–30 mph
  5. Thursday Mostly Sunny, high 50°, low 31°, 12% rain, wind 5–15 mph
  6. Friday Chance Rain And Snow Showers, high 51°, low 28°, 51% rain, wind 5–15 mph
  7. Saturday Slight Chance Snow Showers then Mostly Sunny, high 44°, low 24°, 21% rain, wind 5–15 mph

National Weather Service forecast for the county center, updated Nov 15, 2026. Wind, warnings and burn bans.

PRF pasture insurance: sign up by Dec 1, 2026

The 2027 Pasture, Rangeland, Forage (PRF) insurance sales closing date for Box Butte County is Dec 1, 2026, 16 days from today. PRF (Rainfall Index) pays on a rainfall index for your grid, not on your own rain gauge. You buy it through a crop insurance agent.

How PRF works · PRF 2027 sign-up · Find your grid on RMA's PRF tool

Date from USDA RMA's actuarial data, read Aug 28, 2026 · RMA dates map. Your agent confirms the date for your policy.

Box Butte County grass production

In 2025, grassland and pasture in Box Butte County grew about 1,418 pounds per acre of grass and forbs, 113% of the county's 1991-2020 normal of 1,252 pounds per acre. That was the 8th best of 40 years on record (1986-2025). Best year: 2023 at 1,694 pounds per acre; worst: 2002 at 665.

Pounds per acre of new grass and forbs each year on rangeland and pasture, from the Rangeland Analysis Platform (satellite-based estimates). See every year on the Land tab.

Open loss windows

No open loss windows in Box Butte County right now. A 30-day window opens when the county first hits severe drought (D2), jumps to D3 or D4, or after a blizzard, extreme heat or cold, flood or ice warning, a wildfire, or a USDA disaster designation. Keep a Drought Ledger.

Information only; not financial, tax or legal advice. FSA decides eligibility. Cownty sends nothing to FSA.

Drought-sale tax flag IRS list

Box Butte County is on IRS Notice 2026-54 (severe or worse drought, Sep 1, 2025 to Aug 31, 2026).

Why it matters: if you sold breeding, dairy or draft livestock because of drought, the tax code may let you put off the gain (more time to buy replacement animals, or report the extra-sale income a year later). Your tax preparer decides whether either applies.

Work out your numbers and print a page for your preparer

Information only; not financial, tax or legal advice. Ask your tax preparer. FSA decides program eligibility. IRS Notice 2026-54 (PDF)

Next 7 days · National Weather Service

Weather for Box Butte County

Forecast for the center point of Box Butte County.

  • Freeze on 4 nights
  • Windy on 1 day
  1. Today Sunny 58° 33° S 10–15 mph 0% rain
  2. Mon Mostly Sunny 61° 34° S 10–15 mph 0% rain
  3. Tue Mostly Sunny 57° 34° S 10–15 mph 2% rain
  4. Wed Mostly Sunny 53° 26° W 5–30 mph 5% rain
  5. Thu Mostly Sunny 50° 31° S 5–15 mph 12% rain
  6. Fri Chance Rain And Snow Showers 51° 28° WSW 5–15 mph 51% rain
  7. Sat Slight Chance Snow Showers then Mostly Sunny 44° 24° NW 5–15 mph 21% rain

Forecast from the National Weather Service, updated Nov 15, 2026. Wind arrows point where the wind is going; the letters say where it comes from. Windy = 25 mph or more; freeze = a low of 32°F or less. Open the full forecast.

Burn ban

Data pending. Cownty doesn't read an official statewide burn-ban list for Nebraska; county commissions, sheriffs and fire districts post local fire restrictions, so check your county's own notices

No official ban list to check here, so Cownty shows the National Weather Service fire-weather alerts for the county instead: none right now.

Guide: Burn bans: where to check and what they mean

Weather warnings right now

None right now

National Weather Service active alerts for this county, as of Nov 15, 2026 (source). Fetched Nov 15, 2026.

Rainfall vs normal

Oct 2026
1.22 in 102% of normal
Last 12 months
14.88 in 85%
How to read this

Bars are the rain that fell each month; the dashed line is a normal month (1991-2020 average). Bars below the line = drier than normal.

County-average precipitation, Nov 2025 to Oct 2026. Normal = NCEI's own 1991-2020 average for each month (Oct 2026 normal 1.20 in; same month last year 0.65 in). NCEI posts each month around the 8th of the next and may revise recent months. Source: NOAA NCEI Climate at a Glance. Fetched Nov 14, 2026.

Wildfires

No current fire perimeter in the county

No current perimeter within 100 mi of the county center (48 mapped nationally).

See the fire map

Interagency fire outlines. Small or brand-new fires are often not mapped yet; call 911 for a fire you can see. Layer updated Nov 15, 2026. Source: National Interagency Fire Center. Fetched Nov 15, 2026.

Frost dates

Frost and freeze dates

30-year averages (1991–2020) from the weather stations nearest Box Butte County. Frost = 32°F; hard freeze = 28°F.

Hemingford weather station (8 mi away)

Typical last spring frostTypical first fall frost
Frost (32°F)
149-day growing season
 May 8
1 year in 10 it's after May 24
 Oct 5
1 year in 10 it's before Sep 23
Hard freeze (28°F)
169-day growing season
 Apr 28
1 year in 10 it's after May 11
 Oct 15
1 year in 10 it's before Sep 30

Alliance Muni Ap weather station (18 mi away)

Typical last spring frostTypical first fall frost
Frost (32°F)
122-day growing season
 May 22
1 year in 10 it's after Jun 5
 Sep 22
1 year in 10 it's before Sep 7
Hard freeze (28°F)
140-day growing season
 May 12
1 year in 10 it's after May 25
 Oct 1
1 year in 10 it's before Sep 16

Source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Hemingford, Alliance Muni Ap), NOAA files as of Jun 27, 2023. Fetched Nov 11, 2026.

Text me Box Butte County changes

Nearest USDA-reported sale barns

  1. Crawford Livestock Market Crawford, NE 37 mi · sells Fridays · latest USDA report Nov 13, 2026
  2. Torrington Livestock Commission Co. (feeder cattle) Torrington, WY 57 mi · sells Wednesdays · latest USDA report Nov 11, 2026
  3. Gordon Livestock Market Gordon, NE 61 mi · sells Tuesdays · latest USDA report Nov 10, 2026
  4. Ogallala Livestock Auction Ogallala, NE 103 mi · sells Thursdays · latest USDA report Nov 12, 2026
  5. Sterling Livestock Commission Sterling, CO 110 mi · sells Wednesdays · latest USDA report Nov 11, 2026

Miles are straight-line from the county center. Sale days come from the barns' recent USDA AMS reports; call the barn to confirm. All barns

Other barns nearby (not USDA-reported)

These barns are not in a USDA AMS report, so Cownty shows no prices for them. Sale days and phones come from the barns' own sites or public listings; call the barn to confirm. More barns

Printable county brief (PDF) · Everything on one page · Hay prices in Nebraska

Common questions and nearby counties

Is Box Butte County eligible for LFP in 2026?

Yes. Box Butte County is on FSA's 2026 Livestock Forage Disaster Program county list, with up to 5 monthly payments for some pasture types. FSA decides each operation's eligibility; apply at your county FSA office by March 1 after the loss year.

Source: FSA LFP county file of Nov 5, 2026

What is the drought level in Box Butte County this week?

On the Drought Monitor map of Nov 10, 2026, most of Box Butte County was in severe drought (D2), and the worst part was severe drought (D2) on 100% of the county. 47 straight weeks with some severe drought (D2) or worse.

Source: U.S. Drought Monitor, map of Nov 10, 2026

Is there a burn ban in Box Butte County?

No official statewide list to check: Cownty doesn't read an official statewide burn-ban list for Nebraska; county commissions, sheriffs and fire districts post local fire restrictions, so check your county's own notices.

What sale barns are near Box Butte County?

The nearest USDA-reported sale barns: Crawford (37 mi), last report Nov 13, 2026; Torrington WY (57 mi), last report Nov 11, 2026; Gordon (61 mi), last report Nov 10, 2026.

Source: USDA AMS Market News reports

What are the upcoming FSA and farm deadlines?

Next: Nov 20, 2026: Micro Farm 2027: last day to buy crop insurance; Nov 20, 2026: Whole Farm Revenue Protection 2027: last day to buy crop insurance. FSA program dates not posted officially are marked "confirm at source" on the calendar.

Source: official agency pages (see Calendar)

Information only; not financial or legal advice. FSA decides eligibility. Always check the linked official source.