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Brown County, NE

Cattle prices near Brown County, Nebraska. The closest sale barn with a recent report is Bassett in Bassett, NE, about 25 miles away. On Nov 11, 5-weight steers (500–599 lb) averaged $459.16 per hundredweight on 1,183 head (USDA). Check a bid against your own costs with Ring Price.

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Drought Abnormally dryD0 · most of county Drought pay (LFP) Eligibleup to 4 payments Burn ban Checkcall the county Bassett 5-wt steers $459▲ $23 since last sale

Brown County rain, outlook and forecast

Most of Brown County, NE was abnormally dry (D0) on the Nov 10 U.S. Drought Monitor map; 0% of the county is in moderate drought (D1) or worse, down from 21% four weeks earlier. Rain has run 135% of normal over the last 90 days; Friday carries the week's highest rain chance at 60% (high 57°) and the 6-10 day outlook for Nov 20–24 leans wetter than normal (60% chance of above-normal rain). Brown County is on FSA's 2026 LFP list with up to 4 monthly payments, and Bassett is the closest USDA-reported sale barn at 25 miles.

Rain vs normal

  • Last 30 days not read yet
  • Last 60 days not read yet
  • Last 90 days 135% 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 (60% 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 53°, low 36°, 1% rain, wind 15–25 mph
  2. Monday Mostly Sunny, high 55°, low 38°, 0% rain, wind 15–25 mph
  3. Tuesday Partly Sunny, high 53°, low 41°, 0% rain, wind 20–30 mph
  4. Wednesday Mostly Sunny, high 59°, low 31°, 5% rain, wind 5–20 mph
  5. Thursday Sunny, high 52°, low 39°, 15% rain, wind 5–10 mph
  6. Friday Chance Rain Showers, high 57°, low 35°, 60% rain, wind 10–20 mph
  7. Saturday Chance Rain And Snow Showers, high 45°, low 25°, 52% rain, wind 10–25 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 Brown 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.

Brown County grass production

In 2025, grassland and pasture in Brown County grew about 2,030 pounds per acre of grass and forbs, 121% of the county's 1991-2020 normal of 1,675 pounds per acre. That was the 3rd best of 40 years on record (1986-2025). Best year: 2016 at 2,118 pounds per acre; worst: 2002 at 1,169.

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 Brown 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

Brown 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 Brown County

Forecast for the center point of Brown County.

  • Freeze on 2 nights
  • Windy on 4 days
  1. Today Sunny 53° 36° SSW 15–25 mph 1% rain
  2. Mon Mostly Sunny 55° 38° SSW 15–25 mph 0% rain
  3. Tue Partly Sunny 53° 41° S 20–30 mph 0% rain
  4. Wed Mostly Sunny 59° 31° WSW 5–20 mph 5% rain
  5. Thu Sunny 52° 39° S 5–10 mph 15% rain
  6. Fri Chance Rain Showers 57° 35° S 10–20 mph 60% rain
  7. Sat Chance Rain And Snow Showers 45° 25° NW 10–25 mph 52% 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
1.36 in 76% of normal
Last 12 months
22.32 in 92%
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 1.80 in; same month last year 2.07 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 Brown County. Frost = 32°F; hard freeze = 28°F.

Elsmere 9 Ene weather station (14 mi away)

Typical last spring frostTypical first fall frost
Frost (32°F)
150-day growing season
 May 6
1 year in 10 it's after May 19
 Oct 3
1 year in 10 it's before Sep 19
Hard freeze (28°F)
169-day growing season
 Apr 27
1 year in 10 it's after May 11
 Oct 13
1 year in 10 it's before Sep 30

Ainsworth weather station (14 mi away)

Typical last spring frostTypical first fall frost
Frost (32°F)
158-day growing season
 May 2
1 year in 10 it's after May 14
 Oct 8
1 year in 10 it's before Sep 25
Hard freeze (28°F)
178-day growing season
 Apr 22
1 year in 10 it's after May 5
 Oct 18
1 year in 10 it's before Oct 3

Source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Elsmere 9 Ene, Ainsworth), NOAA files as of Jun 27, 2023. Fetched Nov 11, 2026.

Text me Brown County changes

Nearest USDA-reported sale barns

  1. Bassett Livestock Auction Bassett, NE 25 mi · sells Wednesdays · latest USDA report Nov 11, 2026
  2. Valentine Livestock Auction Valentine, NE 48 mi · sells Thursdays · latest USDA report Nov 12, 2026
  3. Burwell Livestock Market Burwell, NE 57 mi · sells Fridays · latest USDA report Nov 13, 2026
  4. Ericson Livestock Market Ericson, NE 75 mi · sells Saturdays · latest USDA report Nov 14, 2026
  5. North Platte Stockyards North Platte, NE 95 mi · sells Tuesdays · latest USDA report Nov 3, 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 Brown County eligible for LFP in 2026?

Yes. Brown County is on FSA's 2026 Livestock Forage Disaster Program county list, with up to 4 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 Brown County this week?

On the Drought Monitor map of Nov 10, 2026, most of Brown County was in abnormally dry (D0), and the worst part was abnormally dry (D0) on 86% of the county. 0 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 Brown 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 Brown County?

The nearest USDA-reported sale barns: Bassett (25 mi), last report Nov 11, 2026; Valentine (48 mi), last report Nov 12, 2026; Burwell (57 mi), last report Nov 13, 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.