Decatur County rain, outlook and forecast
The Oct 27 U.S. Drought Monitor map shows most of Decatur County, KS with no drought, though 18% at abnormally dry (D0); 0% of the county is in moderate drought (D1) or worse, down from 18% four weeks earlier. Over 90 days rain is at 211% of normal, and the last 30 days came in at 75% (below 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 70% (high 63°). FSA's 2026 LFP list includes Decatur County with up to 4 monthly payments, and Dodge City is the closest USDA-reported sale barn at 143 miles.
Rain vs normal
- Last 30 days 75% of normal
- Last 60 days 204% of normal
- Last 90 days 211% of normal
NOAA river forecast center rain (radar plus gauges) at the county center, Nov 1, 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 Chance Drizzle, high 63°, low 58°, 70% rain, wind 20–25 mph
- Monday Mostly Sunny then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms, high 67°, low 44°, 60% rain, wind 15–30 mph
- Tuesday Chance Rain Showers then Partly Sunny, high 48°, low 35°, 32% rain, wind 10–30 mph
- Wednesday Sunny, high 53°, low 35°, 11% rain, wind 5–10 mph
- Thursday Mostly Sunny, high 50°, low 33°, 11% rain, wind 5–10 mph
- Friday Mostly Sunny, high 54°, low 37°, 5% rain, wind 5 mph
- Saturday Mostly Sunny then Slight Chance Rain Showers, high 55°, low 37°, 15% rain, wind 5–10 mph
National Weather Service forecast for the county center, updated Nov 1, 2026. Wind, warnings and burn bans.
Open loss windows
No open loss windows in Decatur 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
Decatur 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)
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Weather for Decatur County
Forecast for the center point of Decatur County.
- Windy on 3 days
- Today Chance Drizzle 63° 58° SE 20–25 mph 70% rain
- Mon Mostly Sunny then Chance Showers And Thunderstorms 67° 44° W 15–30 mph 60% rain
- Tue Chance Rain Showers then Partly Sunny 48° 35° NW 10–30 mph 32% rain
- Wed Sunny 53° 35° NW 5–10 mph 11% rain
- Thu Mostly Sunny 50° 33° NW 5–10 mph 11% rain
- Fri Mostly Sunny 54° 37° SW 5 mph 5% rain
- Sat Mostly Sunny then Slight Chance Rain Showers 55° 37° NW 5–10 mph 15% rain
Forecast from the National Weather Service, updated Nov 1, 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
Decatur County burning rules: Request permission to burn from the county fire chief at 785-475-8100. No burning is allowed during a burn ban.
From the county burning information page on the KDHE Flint Hills Smoke Management site (source), as of Nov 1, 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 1, 2026 (source). Fetched Nov 1, 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 1.73 in; same month last year 2.96 in). NCEI posts each month around the 8th of the next and may revise recent months. Source: NOAA NCEI Climate at a Glance. Fetched Oct 30, 2026.
Wildfires
No current fire perimeter in the county
No current perimeter within 100 mi of the county center (83 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 1, 2026. Source: National Interagency Fire Center. Fetched Nov 1, 2026.
Frost dates
Frost and freeze dates
30-year averages (1991–2020) from the weather stations nearest Decatur County. Frost = 32°F; hard freeze = 28°F.
Oberlin weather station (4 mi away)
| Typical last spring frost | Typical first fall frost | |
|---|---|---|
| Frost (32°F) 163-day growing season |
Apr 30 1 year in 10 it's after May 14 |
Oct 11 1 year in 10 it's before Sep 27 |
| Hard freeze (28°F) 184-day growing season |
Apr 19 1 year in 10 it's after May 4 |
Oct 20 1 year in 10 it's before Oct 7 |
Source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Oberlin), NOAA files as of Jun 27, 2023. Fetched Oct 18, 2026.
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Common questions and nearby counties
Is Decatur County eligible for LFP in 2026?
Yes. Decatur 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.
What is the drought level in Decatur County this week?
On the Drought Monitor map of Oct 27, 2026, most of Decatur County was in no drought, and the worst part was abnormally dry (D0) on 18% of the county. 0 straight weeks with some severe drought (D2) or worse.
Is there a burn ban in Decatur 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 Decatur County?
The nearest USDA-reported sale barns: Dodge City (143 mi), last report Oct 28, 2026; Sterling (155 mi), last report Oct 28, 2026; Salina (166 mi), last report Oct 29, 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.