Butler County rain, outlook and forecast
The Oct 27 U.S. Drought Monitor map shows most of Butler County, KS in moderate drought (D1); 51% of the county is in moderate drought (D1) or worse, down from 90% four weeks earlier. Over 90 days rain is at 75% of normal, and the last 30 days came in at 90% (near normal); the 6-10 day outlook for Nov 7–11 leans toward near-normal rain and today carries the week's highest rain chance at 81% (high 75°). Butler County is not on FSA's 2026 LFP list yet, and Salina is the closest USDA-reported sale barn at 83 miles.
Rain vs normal
- Last 30 days 90% of normal
- Last 60 days 98% of normal
- Last 90 days 75% of normal
NOAA river forecast center rain (radar plus gauges) at the county center, Nov 2, 2026. Source.
Rain outlook
- 6-10 day outlook (Nov 7–11) Leans toward near-normal rain
- 8-14 day outlook (Nov 9–15) Leans toward near-normal rain
NOAA Climate Prediction Center precipitation outlook, issued Nov 1, 2026. Source.
Next 7 days
- Today Showers And Thunderstorms Likely, high 75°, low 55°, 81% rain, wind 10–28 mph
- Tuesday Chance Rain Showers then Mostly Cloudy, high 64°, low 45°, 34% rain, wind 6–21 mph
- Wednesday Sunny, high 66°, low 44°, 5% rain, wind 3–10 mph
- Thursday Mostly Sunny, high 65°, low 42°, 13% rain, wind 3–8 mph
- Friday Sunny, high 65°, low 42°, 2% rain, wind 2–5 mph
- Saturday Mostly Sunny, high 68°, low 44°, 12% rain, wind 2–8 mph
- Sunday Sunny then Slight Chance Rain Showers, high 64°, low 42°, 15% rain, wind 6–15 mph
National Weather Service forecast for the county center, updated Nov 2, 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 Butler County is Dec 1, 2026, 29 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.
Butler County grass production
In 2025, grassland and pasture in Butler County grew about 2,964 pounds per acre of grass and forbs, 103% of the county's 1991-2020 normal of 2,875 pounds per acre. That was the 13th best of 40 years on record (1986-2025). Best year: 2016 at 3,437 pounds per acre; worst: 1986 at 1,797.
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 Butler 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
A county next to Butler County is on IRS Notice 2026-54 (Cowley County, KS, Elk County, KS, Harvey County, KS, Sedgwick County, KS, Sumner County, KS). The IRS counts your county plus every county touching it.
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)
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Weather for Butler County
Forecast for the center point of Butler County.
- Windy on 1 day
- Today Showers And Thunderstorms Likely 75° 55° S 10–28 mph 81% rain
- Tue Chance Rain Showers then Mostly Cloudy 64° 45° WNW 6–21 mph 34% rain
- Wed Sunny 66° 44° W 3–10 mph 5% rain
- Thu Mostly Sunny 65° 42° NNW 3–8 mph 13% rain
- Fri Sunny 65° 42° NNW 2–5 mph 2% rain
- Sat Mostly Sunny 68° 44° W 2–8 mph 12% rain
- Sun Sunny then Slight Chance Rain Showers 64° 42° NNW 6–15 mph 15% rain
Forecast from the National Weather Service, updated Nov 2, 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
Butler County burning rules: Burn Resolution
From the county burning information page on the KDHE Flint Hills Smoke Management site (source), as of Nov 2, 2026. That page says it may be incomplete; call the county before burning.
No official ban list to check here, so Cownty shows the National Weather Service fire-weather alerts for the county instead: none right now. State fire-restrictions page.
Weather warnings right now
None right now
National Weather Service active alerts for this county, as of Nov 2, 2026 (source). Fetched Nov 2, 2026.
Rainfall vs normal
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, Oct 2025 to Sep 2026. Normal = NCEI's own 1991-2020 average for each month (Sep 2026 normal 3.42 in; same month last year 3.68 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 2, 2026.
Wildfires
No current fire perimeter in the county
No current perimeter within 100 mi of the county center (82 mapped nationally).
Interagency fire outlines. Small or brand-new fires are often not mapped yet; call 911 for a fire you can see. Layer updated Nov 2, 2026. Source: National Interagency Fire Center. Fetched Nov 2, 2026.
Frost dates
Frost and freeze dates
30-year averages (1991–2020) from the weather stations nearest Butler County. Frost = 32°F; hard freeze = 28°F.
El Dorado weather station (3 mi away)
| Typical last spring frost | Typical first fall frost | |
|---|---|---|
| Frost (32°F) 193-day growing season |
Apr 13 1 year in 10 it's after Apr 27 |
Oct 25 1 year in 10 it's before Oct 11 |
| Hard freeze (28°F) 214-day growing season |
Apr 3 1 year in 10 it's after Apr 19 |
Nov 2 1 year in 10 it's before Oct 21 |
Smileyberg 1n weather station (17 mi away)
| Typical last spring frost | Typical first fall frost | |
|---|---|---|
| Frost (32°F) 185-day growing season |
Apr 18 1 year in 10 it's after May 2 |
Oct 21 1 year in 10 it's before Oct 5 |
| Hard freeze (28°F) 206-day growing season |
Apr 7 1 year in 10 it's after Apr 23 |
Oct 31 1 year in 10 it's before Oct 16 |
Source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (El Dorado, Smileyberg 1n), NOAA files as of Jun 27, 2023. Fetched Oct 18, 2026.
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Common questions and nearby counties
Is Butler County eligible for LFP in 2026?
Not on FSA's 2026 LFP county list as of Oct 29, 2026. FSA updates the list as drought changes.
What is the drought level in Butler County this week?
On the Drought Monitor map of Oct 27, 2026, most of Butler County was in moderate drought (D1), and the worst part was moderate drought (D1) on 51% of the county. 0 straight weeks with some severe drought (D2) or worse.
Is there a burn ban in Butler County?
No official statewide list to check: Kansas has no statewide official burn-ban list; county commissions set bans and announce them locally (county emergency management or sheriff).
What sale barns are near Butler County?
The nearest USDA-reported sale barns: Salina (83 mi), last report Oct 29, 2026; Pratt (101 mi), last report Oct 29, 2026; Tulsa (125 mi), last report Oct 26, 2026.
Source: USDA AMS Market News reports
What are the upcoming FSA and farm deadlines?
Next: Nov 20, 2026: Apply for NRCS conservation cost-share (EQIP, CSP, ACEP) to be considered for 2027 money; Nov 20, 2026: Micro Farm 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.