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Gallatin County, MT

No sale barn with a published report is within 100 miles of Gallatin County, Montana. This page still has drought, programs and weather for the county when those are loaded.

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Drought No droughtNone · most of county Drought pay (LFP) Eligibleup to 2 payments Burn ban Checkcall the county Billings MT (BLC) 5-wt steers $408per cwt

Gallatin County rain, outlook and forecast

As of the Nov 10 Drought Monitor, most of Gallatin County, MT showed no drought, though 23% at abnormally dry (D0); 23% of the county is abnormally dry (D0) or worse, down from 27% four weeks earlier. Rain has run 97% of normal over the last 30 days (near normal); the 6-10 day outlook for Nov 20–24 leans toward near-normal rain and Tuesday carries the week's highest rain chance at 96% (high 41°). Gallatin County is on FSA's 2026 LFP list with up to 2 monthly payments, and Billings MT (BLC) is the closest USDA-reported sale barn at 127 miles.

Rain vs normal

  • Last 30 days 97% of normal
  • Last 60 days not read yet
  • Last 90 days not read yet

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 toward near-normal rain

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

Next 7 days

  1. Today Mostly Sunny, high 49°, low 34°, 0% rain, wind 8–13 mph
  2. Monday Mostly Cloudy, high 50°, low 36°, 25% rain, wind 2–9 mph
  3. Tuesday Light Snow Likely, high 41°, low 27°, 96% rain, wind 3–5 mph
  4. Wednesday Slight Chance Light Snow then Mostly Sunny, high 35°, low 25°, 19% rain, wind 3–9 mph
  5. Thursday Chance Light Snow, high 37°, low 26°, 55% rain, wind 1–5 mph
  6. Friday Light Snow Likely, high 34°, low 23°, 57% rain, wind 2 mph
  7. Saturday Slight Chance Light Snow then Mostly Sunny, high 35°, low 22°, 16% rain, wind 1–7 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 Gallatin 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.

Gallatin County grass production

In 2025, grassland and pasture in Gallatin County grew about 1,094 pounds per acre of grass and forbs, 118% of the county's 1991-2020 normal of 931 pounds per acre. That was the 2nd best of 40 years on record (1986-2025). Best year: 2023 at 1,128 pounds per acre; worst: 1988 at 767.

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 Gallatin 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

Gallatin 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 Gallatin County

Forecast for the center point of Gallatin County.

  • Freeze on 5 nights
  1. Today Mostly Sunny 49° 34° S 8–13 mph 0% rain
  2. Mon Mostly Cloudy 50° 36° S 2–9 mph 25% rain
  3. Tue Light Snow Likely 41° 27° WSW 3–5 mph 96% rain
  4. Wed Slight Chance Light Snow then Mostly Sunny 35° 25° SSW 3–9 mph 19% rain
  5. Thu Chance Light Snow 37° 26° SSW 1–5 mph 55% rain
  6. Fri Light Snow Likely 34° 23° WNW 2 mph 57% rain
  7. Sat Slight Chance Light Snow then Mostly Sunny 35° 22° SSW 1–7 mph 16% 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 Montana; 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
2.46 in 122% of normal
Last 12 months
23.31 in 95%
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 2.01 in; same month last year 3.16 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: Bobcat Lakes (Wildfire, MT), about 92 mi from the county center; 10,896 acres, 100% contained, perimeter of Sep 14, 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

30-year averages (1991–2020) from the weather stations nearest Gallatin County. Frost = 32°F; hard freeze = 28°F.

Bozeman 6 W Exp Farm weather station (11 mi away)

Typical last spring frostTypical first fall frost
Frost (32°F)
123-day growing season
 May 23
1 year in 10 it's after Jun 12
 Sep 23
1 year in 10 it's before Sep 4
Hard freeze (28°F)
153-day growing season
 May 2
1 year in 10 it's after May 18
 Oct 3
1 year in 10 it's before Sep 17

Bozeman Montana State Univ weather station (12 mi away)

Typical last spring frostTypical first fall frost
Frost (32°F)
116-day growing season
 May 26
1 year in 10 it's after Jun 14
 Sep 22
1 year in 10 it's before Sep 5
Hard freeze (28°F)
147-day growing season
 May 8
1 year in 10 it's after May 26
 Oct 3
1 year in 10 it's before Sep 18

Source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Bozeman 6 W Exp Farm, Bozeman Montana State Univ), NOAA files as of Jun 27, 2023. Fetched Nov 11, 2026.

Text me Gallatin County changes

Nearest USDA-reported sale barns

  1. Billings Livestock Commission Billings, MT 127 mi · sells Mondays · latest USDA report Nov 9, 2026
  2. Public Auction Yards Billings, MT 127 mi · sells Wednesdays · latest USDA report Nov 11, 2026
  3. Winter Livestock Auction Riverton, WY 220 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 Montana

Common questions and nearby counties

Is Gallatin County eligible for LFP in 2026?

Yes. Gallatin County is on FSA's 2026 Livestock Forage Disaster Program county list, with up to 2 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 Gallatin County this week?

On the Drought Monitor map of Nov 10, 2026, most of Gallatin County was in no drought, and the worst part was abnormally dry (D0) on 23% 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 Gallatin County?

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

What sale barns are near Gallatin County?

The nearest USDA-reported sale barns: Billings MT (BLC) (127 mi), last report Nov 9, 2026; Billings MT (PAYS) (127 mi), last report Nov 11, 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.