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Cherokee County, NC

Cattle prices near Cherokee County, North Carolina. The closest sale barn with a recent report is Athens TN in Athens, TN, about 38 miles away. On Nov 10, 5-weight steers (500–599 lb) averaged $385.13 per hundredweight on 30 head (USDA). Check a bid against your own costs with Ring Price.

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CRP emergency haying & grazing: Cherokee 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 No droughtNone · most of county Drought pay (LFP) Eligibleup to 4 payments Burn ban Checkcall the county Athens TN 5-wt steers $385per cwt

Cherokee County rain, outlook and forecast

The Nov 10 U.S. Drought Monitor map shows most of Cherokee County, NC with no drought, though 41% at abnormally dry (D0); four weeks earlier 1% of the county was in moderate drought (D1) or worse, now 0%. Cherokee County has had 72% of its normal rain in the past 30 days and 88% over 90 days; no day in the 7-day forecast tops a 1% rain chance and the 6-10 day outlook for Nov 20–24 leans toward near-normal rain. FSA's 2026 LFP list includes Cherokee County with up to 4 monthly payments, and Athens TN is the closest USDA-reported sale barn at 38 miles.

Rain vs normal

  • Last 30 days 72% of normal
  • Last 60 days 92% of normal
  • Last 90 days 88% 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 toward near-normal rain
  • 8-14 day outlook (Nov 22–28) Leans wetter than normal (40% chance of above-normal rain)

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

Next 7 days

  1. Today Sunny, high 55°, low 27°, 0% rain, wind 0–5 mph
  2. Monday Sunny, high 59°, low 30°, 0% rain, wind 0 mph
  3. Tuesday Sunny, high 62°, low 32°, 0% rain, wind 0 mph
  4. Wednesday Sunny, high 65°, low 36°, 0% rain, wind 0 mph
  5. Thursday Sunny, high 67°, low 38°, 0% rain, wind 0 mph
  6. Friday Sunny, high 68°, low 39°, 0% rain, wind 0 mph
  7. Saturday Sunny, high 67°, low 41°, 1% rain, wind 0–5 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 Cherokee 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.

Cherokee County grass production

In 2025, grassland and pasture in Cherokee County grew about 2,906 pounds per acre of grass and forbs, 114% of the county's 1991-2020 normal of 2,557 pounds per acre. That was the 3rd best of 40 years on record (1986-2025). Best year: 2012 at 2,930 pounds per acre; worst: 1986 at 580.

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 Cherokee 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

Cherokee 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 Cherokee County

Forecast for the center point of Cherokee County.

  • Freeze on 3 nights
  1. Today Sunny 55° 27° NW 0–5 mph 0% rain
  2. Mon Sunny 59° 30° 0 mph 0% rain
  3. Tue Sunny 62° 32° 0 mph 0% rain
  4. Wed Sunny 65° 36° 0 mph 0% rain
  5. Thu Sunny 67° 38° 0 mph 0% rain
  6. Fri Sunny 68° 39° 0 mph 0% rain
  7. Sat Sunny 67° 41° SE 0–5 mph 1% 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 North Carolina; 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
2.09 in 53% of normal
Last 12 months
47.25 in 76%
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 3.95 in; same month last year 4.97 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

Nearest current perimeter: Cactus (Wildfire, TN), about 98 mi from the county center; 219 acres, 100% contained, perimeter of Nov 2, 2026.

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

Data pending. NCEI normals not loaded yet for this county
Text me Cherokee County changes

Nearest USDA-reported sale barns

  1. Athens Livestock Market Athens, TN 38 mi · sells Tuesdays · latest USDA report Nov 10, 2026
  2. East Tennessee Livestock Center, Inc. Sweetwater, TN 40 mi · sells Fridays · latest USDA report Nov 13, 2026
  3. Knoxville Livestock Auction Center Inc. Knoxville, TN 58 mi · sells Tuesdays · latest USDA report Nov 10, 2026
  4. Eastanollee Livestock Eastanollee, GA 62 mi · sells Mondays · latest USDA report Nov 9, 2026
  5. Calhoun Stockyard Calhoun, GA 66 mi · sells Tuesdays · latest USDA report Nov 10, 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

Printable county brief (PDF) · Everything on one page · Nearest USDA hay reports (none for North Carolina): Tennessee

Common questions and nearby counties

Is Cherokee County eligible for LFP in 2026?

Yes. Cherokee 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 Cherokee County this week?

On the Drought Monitor map of Nov 10, 2026, most of Cherokee County was in no drought, and the worst part was abnormally dry (D0) on 41% 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 Cherokee County?

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

What sale barns are near Cherokee County?

The nearest USDA-reported sale barns: Athens TN (38 mi), last report Nov 10, 2026; Sweetwater TN (40 mi), last report Nov 13, 2026; Knoxville TN (58 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.