Ford County rain, outlook and forecast
On the Oct 27 U.S. Drought Monitor map, most of Ford County, KS was abnormally dry (D0), with 22% at moderate drought (D1); 22% of the county is in moderate drought (D1) or worse, down from 100% four weeks earlier. Ford County has had 99% of its normal rain in the past 30 days and 181% over 90 days, so the past month has been drier than the season so far; the best rain chance this week is 80% on today (high 65°) and the 6-10 day outlook for Nov 7–11 leans toward near-normal rain. FSA's 2026 LFP list includes Ford County (county seat: Dodge City) with up to 3 monthly payments, and Dodge City is the closest USDA-reported sale barn at 7 miles.
Rain vs normal
- Last 30 days 99% of normal
- Last 60 days 297% of normal
- Last 90 days 181% 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 Cloudy, high 65°, low 61°, 80% rain, wind 20–26 mph
- Monday Mostly Sunny, high 75°, low 46°, 54% rain, wind 13–28 mph
- Tuesday Partly Sunny, high 58°, low 39°, 12% rain, wind 6–25 mph
- Wednesday Sunny, high 62°, low 40°, 31% rain, wind 5–8 mph
- Thursday Mostly Sunny, high 57°, low 37°, 14% rain, wind 2–13 mph
- Friday Mostly Sunny, high 60°, low 40°, 5% rain, wind 5 mph
- Saturday Mostly Sunny then Slight Chance Rain Showers, high 63°, low 41°, 20% rain, wind 5–8 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 Ford 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
Ford 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 Ford County
Forecast for the center point of Ford County.
- Windy on 3 days
- Today Cloudy 65° 61° SSE 20–26 mph 80% rain
- Mon Mostly Sunny 75° 46° SSW 13–28 mph 54% rain
- Tue Partly Sunny 58° 39° NW 6–25 mph 12% rain
- Wed Sunny 62° 40° NW 5–8 mph 31% rain
- Thu Mostly Sunny 57° 37° N 2–13 mph 14% rain
- Fri Mostly Sunny 60° 40° SW 5 mph 5% rain
- Sat Mostly Sunny then Slight Chance Rain Showers 63° 41° NW 5–8 mph 20% 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
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 1.63 in; same month last year 4.78 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 Ford County. Frost = 32°F; hard freeze = 28°F.
Dodge City weather station (7 mi away)
| Typical last spring frost | Typical first fall frost | |
|---|---|---|
| Frost (32°F) 179-day growing season |
Apr 21 1 year in 10 it's after May 4 |
Oct 20 1 year in 10 it's before Oct 4 |
| Hard freeze (28°F) 199-day growing season |
Apr 11 1 year in 10 it's after Apr 26 |
Oct 28 1 year in 10 it's before Oct 15 |
Cimarron weather station (27 mi away)
farther away No station with freeze dates is close to the county center, so local dates can differ.
| Typical last spring frost | Typical first fall frost | |
|---|---|---|
| Frost (32°F) 182-day growing season |
Apr 20 1 year in 10 it's after May 3 |
Oct 20 1 year in 10 it's before Oct 7 |
| Hard freeze (28°F) 200-day growing season |
Apr 10 1 year in 10 it's after Apr 26 |
Oct 29 1 year in 10 it's before Oct 16 |
Source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Dodge City, Cimarron), NOAA files as of Jun 27, 2023. Fetched Oct 18, 2026.
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Printable county brief (PDF) · Everything on one page · Hay prices in Kansas · County seat: Dodge City
Common questions and nearby counties
Is Ford County eligible for LFP in 2026?
Yes. Ford County is on FSA's 2026 Livestock Forage Disaster Program county list, with up to 3 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 Ford County this week?
On the Drought Monitor map of Oct 27, 2026, most of Ford County was in abnormally dry (D0), and the worst part was moderate drought (D1) on 22% of the county. 0 straight weeks with some severe drought (D2) or worse.
Is there a burn ban in Ford 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 Ford County?
The nearest USDA-reported sale barns: Dodge City (7 mi), last report Oct 28, 2026; Pratt (66 mi), last report Oct 29, 2026; Beaver (70 mi), last report Oct 27, 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.