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Columbia County, GA

Cattle prices near Columbia County, Georgia. The closest sale barn with a recent report is Washington GA in Washington, GA, about 31 miles away. The latest report is dated Nov 10 (USDA). Check a bid against your own costs with Ring Price.

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Drought No droughtNone · most of county Drought pay (LFP) Eligibleup to 4 payments Burn ban Checkcall the county Saluda SC (Exchange) 5-wt steers $356per cwt

Columbia County rain, outlook and forecast

The Nov 10 U.S. Drought Monitor map shows most of Columbia County, GA with no drought, though 5% at moderate drought (D1); 5% of the county is in moderate drought (D1) or worse, down from 24% four weeks earlier. Over 90 days rain is at 73% of normal, and the last 30 days came in at 21% (well below normal); the 6-10 day outlook for Nov 20–24 leans toward near-normal rain and no day in the 7-day forecast tops a 2% rain chance. Columbia County is on FSA's 2026 LFP list with up to 4 monthly payments, and Washington GA is the closest USDA-reported sale barn at 31 miles.

Rain vs normal

  • Last 30 days 21% of normal
  • Last 60 days 72% of normal
  • Last 90 days 73% 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 Mostly Sunny, high 59°, low 35°, 0% rain, wind 0–3 mph
  2. Monday Sunny, high 62°, low 35°, 0% rain, wind 2–5 mph
  3. Tuesday Sunny, high 65°, low 37°, 0% rain, wind 2–6 mph
  4. Wednesday Sunny, high 69°, low 39°, 0% rain, wind 3–5 mph
  5. Thursday Sunny, high 73°, low 42°, 2% rain, wind 2–3 mph
  6. Friday Mostly Sunny, high 73°, low 43°, 2% rain, wind 2–3 mph
  7. Saturday Mostly Sunny, high 73°, low 44°, 2% 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 Columbia 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.

Columbia County grass production

In 2025, grassland and pasture in Columbia County grew about 2,077 pounds per acre of grass and forbs, 116% of the county's 1991-2020 normal of 1,791 pounds per acre. That was the 5th best of 40 years on record (1986-2025). Best year: 1994 at 2,393 pounds per acre; worst: 2014 at 1,364.

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 Columbia 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

Columbia 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 Columbia County

Forecast for the center point of Columbia County.

    1. Today Mostly Sunny 59° 35° N 0–3 mph 0% rain
    2. Mon Sunny 62° 35° NE 2–5 mph 0% rain
    3. Tue Sunny 65° 37° NE 2–6 mph 0% rain
    4. Wed Sunny 69° 39° NE 3–5 mph 0% rain
    5. Thu Sunny 73° 42° NE 2–3 mph 2% rain
    6. Fri Mostly Sunny 73° 43° NE 2–3 mph 2% rain
    7. Sat Mostly Sunny 73° 44° NE 0–5 mph 2% 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 Georgia; 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
    4.68 in 169% of normal
    Last 12 months
    32.20 in 71%
    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 2.77 in; same month last year 2.11 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

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

    Nearest USDA-reported sale barns

    1. Wilkes County Stockyard Washington, GA 31 mi · sells Tuesdays · latest USDA report Nov 10, 2026
    2. Saluda Stockyards Saluda, SC 41 mi · sells Mondays · latest USDA report Nov 9, 2026
    3. Saluda Livestock Exchange Saluda, SC 41 mi · sells Mondays · latest USDA report Nov 9, 2026
    4. Duvall Livestock Greensboro, GA 54 mi · sells Mondays · latest USDA report Nov 9, 2026
    5. Laurens Livestock Exchange Laurens, SC 67 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

    Printable county brief (PDF) · Everything on one page · Nearest USDA hay reports (none for Georgia): Alabama, Tennessee

    Common questions and nearby counties

    Is Columbia County eligible for LFP in 2026?

    Yes. Columbia 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 Columbia County this week?

    On the Drought Monitor map of Nov 10, 2026, most of Columbia County was in no drought, and the worst part was moderate drought (D1) on 5% 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 Columbia County?

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

    What sale barns are near Columbia County?

    The nearest USDA-reported sale barns: Washington GA (31 mi), last report Nov 10, 2026; Saluda SC (Stockyards) (41 mi), last report Nov 9, 2026; Saluda SC (Exchange) (41 mi), last report Nov 9, 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.