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Etowah County, AL

Cattle prices near Etowah County, Alabama. The closest sale barn with a recent report is Kilpatrick AL in Kilpatrick, AL, about 15 miles away. On Nov 11, 5-weight steers (500–599 lb) averaged $410.00 per hundredweight on 1 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 1 payment Burn ban Checkcall the county Kilpatrick AL 5-wt steers $410▲ $21 since last sale

Etowah County rain, outlook and forecast

The Nov 10 U.S. Drought Monitor map shows most of Etowah County, AL abnormally dry (D0); 70% of the county is abnormally dry (D0) or worse, the same as four weeks earlier. Rain has run 23% of normal over the last 30 days (well below normal) and 60% over 90 days, so the past month has been drier than the season so far; 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. FSA's 2026 LFP list includes Etowah County with up to 1 monthly payment, and Kilpatrick AL is the closest USDA-reported sale barn at 15 miles.

Rain vs normal

  • Last 30 days 23% of normal
  • Last 60 days 54% of normal
  • Last 90 days 60% 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 (33% chance of above-normal rain)

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

Next 7 days

  1. Today Widespread Frost then Mostly Sunny, high 62°, low 31°, 0% rain, wind 0–5 mph
  2. Monday Widespread Frost then Sunny, high 63°, low 31°, 0% rain, wind 0–5 mph
  3. Tuesday Widespread Frost then Sunny, high 65°, low 31°, 0% rain, wind 5 mph
  4. Wednesday Widespread Frost then Sunny, high 68°, low 35°, 0% rain, wind 0–5 mph
  5. Thursday Patchy Frost then Mostly Sunny, high 71°, low 37°, 0% rain, wind 0–5 mph
  6. Friday Sunny, high 72°, low 38°, 1% rain, wind 0–5 mph
  7. Saturday Sunny, high 73°, low 43°, 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 Etowah 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.

Etowah County grass production

In 2025, grassland and pasture in Etowah County grew about 2,580 pounds per acre of grass and forbs, 97% of the county's 1991-2020 normal of 2,656 pounds per acre. That was the 20th lowest of 40 years on record (1986-2025). Best year: 1999 at 3,337 pounds per acre; worst: 1986 at 850.

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 Etowah 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

Etowah 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 Etowah County

Forecast for the center point of Etowah County.

  • Freeze on 3 nights
  1. Today Widespread Frost then Mostly Sunny 62° 31° NE 0–5 mph 0% rain
  2. Mon Widespread Frost then Sunny 63° 31° E 0–5 mph 0% rain
  3. Tue Widespread Frost then Sunny 65° 31° E 5 mph 0% rain
  4. Wed Widespread Frost then Sunny 68° 35° E 0–5 mph 0% rain
  5. Thu Patchy Frost then Mostly Sunny 71° 37° E 0–5 mph 0% rain
  6. Fri Sunny 72° 38° NE 0–5 mph 1% rain
  7. Sat Sunny 73° 43° E 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 Alabama; 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
3.15 in 88% of normal
Last 12 months
45.65 in 82%
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 3.56 in; same month last year 4.09 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 Etowah County. Frost = 32°F; hard freeze = 28°F.

Gadsden weather station (3 mi away)

Typical last spring frostTypical first fall frost
Frost (32°F)
240-day growing season
 Mar 19
1 year in 10 it's after Apr 7
 Nov 13
1 year in 10 it's before Nov 1
Hard freeze (28°F)
268-day growing season
 Mar 4
1 year in 10 it's after Mar 24
 Nov 27
1 year in 10 it's before Nov 9

Sand Mt Substn weather station (17 mi away)

Typical last spring frostTypical first fall frost
Frost (32°F)
217-day growing season
 Mar 31
1 year in 10 it's after Apr 16
 Nov 3
1 year in 10 it's before Oct 22
Hard freeze (28°F)
242-day growing season
 Mar 17
1 year in 10 it's after Apr 5
 Nov 14
1 year in 10 it's before Nov 1

Source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Gadsden, Sand Mt Substn), NOAA files as of Jun 27, 2023. Fetched Nov 11, 2026.

Text me Etowah County changes

Nearest USDA-reported sale barns

  1. Sand Mountain Stockyards Inc. Kilpatrick, AL 15 mi · sells Wednesdays · latest USDA report Nov 11, 2026
  2. Ashville Stockyard Ashville, AL 20 mi · sells Mondays · latest USDA report Nov 9, 2026
  3. Arab Livestock Market Arab, AL 33 mi · sells Tuesdays · latest USDA report Nov 10, 2026
  4. Cullman Stockyard Cullman, AL 47 mi · sells Tuesdays · latest USDA report Nov 10, 2026
  5. Clay County Livestock Auction Lineville, AL 53 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 · Hay prices in Alabama

Common questions and nearby counties

Is Etowah County eligible for LFP in 2026?

Yes. Etowah County is on FSA's 2026 Livestock Forage Disaster Program county list, with up to 1 monthly payment 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 Etowah County this week?

On the Drought Monitor map of Nov 10, 2026, most of Etowah County was in abnormally dry (D0), and the worst part was abnormally dry (D0) on 70% 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 Etowah County?

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

What sale barns are near Etowah County?

The nearest USDA-reported sale barns: Kilpatrick AL (15 mi), last report Nov 11, 2026; Ashville AL (20 mi), last report Nov 9, 2026; Arab AL (33 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.