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Golden Valley County, MT

Cattle prices near Golden Valley County, Montana. The closest sale barn with a recent report is Billings MT (BLC) in Billings, MT, about 51 miles away. On Nov 9, 5-weight steers (500–599 lb) averaged $408.25 per hundredweight on 46 head (USDA). Check a bid against your own costs with Ring Price.

Check a bid with Ring Price

Change county
CRP emergency haying & grazing: Golden Valley County is on FSA's list (since Sep 1, 2026). Check with your FSA county office first. Details · FSA list as of Nov 5, 2026.
Drought Abnormally dryD0 · most of county Drought pay (LFP) Eligibleup to 4 payments Burn ban Checkcall the county Billings MT (BLC) 5-wt steers $408per cwt

Golden Valley County rain, outlook and forecast

As of the Nov 10 Drought Monitor, most of Golden Valley County, MT was abnormally dry (D0); four weeks earlier 36% of the county was in moderate drought (D1) or worse, now 0%. Rain has run 149% of normal over the last 30 days (above normal); the 6-10 day outlook for Nov 20–24 leans toward near-normal rain and the best rain chance this week is 68% on Tuesday (high 48°). FSA's 2026 LFP list includes Golden Valley County with up to 4 monthly payments, and the nearest USDA-reported sale barn is Billings MT (BLC), 51 miles away.

Rain vs normal

  • Last 30 days 149% 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 drier than normal (33% chance of below-normal rain)

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

Next 7 days

  1. Today Mostly Sunny, high 56°, low 31°, 0% rain, wind 5–9 mph
  2. Monday Mostly Cloudy, high 56°, low 35°, 4% rain, wind 2–6 mph
  3. Tuesday Mostly Cloudy then Rain Showers Likely, high 48°, low 30°, 68% rain, wind 2–10 mph
  4. Wednesday Mostly Sunny, high 44°, low 23°, 11% rain, wind 3–15 mph
  5. Thursday Mostly Cloudy then Slight Chance Snow Showers, high 41°, low 26°, 28% rain, wind 2–3 mph
  6. Friday Chance Snow Showers, high 41°, low 24°, 32% rain, wind 5 mph
  7. Saturday Mostly Sunny, high 40°, low 21°, 12% rain, wind 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 Golden Valley 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.

Golden Valley County grass production

In 2025, grassland and pasture in Golden Valley County grew about 1,032 pounds per acre of grass and forbs, 125% of the county's 1991-2020 normal of 823 pounds per acre. That was the 4th best of 40 years on record (1986-2025). Best year: 2023 at 1,243 pounds per acre; worst: 2000 at 507.

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 Golden Valley 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

Golden Valley 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 Golden Valley County

Forecast for the center point of Golden Valley County.

  • Freeze on 6 nights
  1. Today Mostly Sunny 56° 31° SW 5–9 mph 0% rain
  2. Mon Mostly Cloudy 56° 35° SW 2–6 mph 4% rain
  3. Tue Mostly Cloudy then Rain Showers Likely 48° 30° NE 2–10 mph 68% rain
  4. Wed Mostly Sunny 44° 23° WNW 3–15 mph 11% rain
  5. Thu Mostly Cloudy then Slight Chance Snow Showers 41° 26° ENE 2–3 mph 28% rain
  6. Fri Chance Snow Showers 41° 24° NW 5 mph 32% rain
  7. Sat Mostly Sunny 40° 21° NW 5 mph 12% rain

Forecast from the National Weather Service, updated Nov 15, 2026 old. 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
1.21 in 108% of normal
Last 12 months
13.78 in 91%
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 1.12 in; same month last year 1.50 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 Golden Valley County. Frost = 32°F; hard freeze = 28°F.

Ryegate weather station (7 mi away)

Typical last spring frostTypical first fall frost
Frost (32°F)
127-day growing season
 May 17
1 year in 10 it's after May 30
 Sep 23
1 year in 10 it's before Sep 10
Hard freeze (28°F)
149-day growing season
 May 5
1 year in 10 it's after May 19
 Oct 3
1 year in 10 it's before Sep 19

Ryegate 18 Nnw weather station (13 mi away)

Typical last spring frostTypical first fall frost
Frost (32°F)
112-day growing season
 May 26
1 year in 10 it's after Jun 13
 Sep 18
1 year in 10 it's before Sep 1
Hard freeze (28°F)
139-day growing season
 May 11
1 year in 10 it's after May 28
 Sep 29
1 year in 10 it's before Sep 14

Source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Ryegate, Ryegate 18 Nnw), NOAA files as of Jun 27, 2023. Fetched Nov 11, 2026.

Text me Golden Valley County changes

Nearest USDA-reported sale barns

  1. Billings Livestock Commission Billings, MT 51 mi · sells Mondays · latest USDA report Nov 9, 2026
  2. Public Auction Yards Billings, MT 51 mi · sells Wednesdays · latest USDA report Nov 11, 2026
  3. Miles City Livestock Commission Miles City, MT 159 mi · sells Tuesdays · latest USDA report Nov 10, 2026
  4. Winter Livestock Auction Riverton, WY 235 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 Golden Valley County eligible for LFP in 2026?

Yes. Golden Valley 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 Golden Valley County this week?

On the Drought Monitor map of Nov 10, 2026, most of Golden Valley County was in abnormally dry (D0), and the worst part was abnormally dry (D0) on 90% 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 Golden Valley 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 Golden Valley County?

The nearest USDA-reported sale barns: Billings MT (BLC) (51 mi), last report Nov 9, 2026; Billings MT (PAYS) (51 mi), last report Nov 11, 2026; Miles City MT (159 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.