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Hamlin County, SD

Cattle prices near Hamlin County, South Dakota. The closest sale barn with a recent report is Mitchell SD in Mitchell, SD, about 79 miles away. On Nov 12, 5-weight steers (500–599 lb) averaged $438.21 per hundredweight on 41 head (USDA). Check a bid against your own costs with Ring Price.

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Drought No droughtNone · most of county Drought pay (LFP) Not listedFSA 2026 list Burn ban Checkcall the county Mitchell SD 5-wt steers $438▼ $4 since last sale

Hamlin County rain, outlook and forecast

The Nov 10 U.S. Drought Monitor map shows most of Hamlin County, SD with no drought; four weeks earlier 11% of the county was in moderate drought (D1) or worse, now 0%. Rain has run 329% of normal over the last 30 days (well above normal); the best rain chance this week is 62% on Friday (high 50°) and the 6-10 day outlook for Nov 20–24 leans wetter than normal (60% chance of above-normal rain). Hamlin County is not on FSA's 2026 LFP list yet, and Mitchell SD is the closest USDA-reported sale barn at 79 miles.

Rain vs normal

  • Last 30 days 329% 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 wetter than normal (60% chance of above-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 Sunny, high 52°, low 37°, 1% rain, wind 17–21 mph
  2. Monday Sunny, high 54°, low 40°, 1% rain, wind 13–18 mph
  3. Tuesday Partly Sunny, high 52°, low 42°, 1% rain, wind 16–22 mph
  4. Wednesday Partly Sunny, high 56°, low 35°, 15% rain, wind 14–21 mph
  5. Thursday Mostly Sunny, high 45°, low 34°, 15% rain, wind 3–13 mph
  6. Friday Light Rain Likely, high 50°, low 34°, 62% rain, wind 10–17 mph
  7. Saturday Chance Light Rain, high 41°, low 25°, 53% rain, wind 13–20 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 Hamlin 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.

Hamlin County grass production

In 2025, grassland and pasture in Hamlin County grew about 1,803 pounds per acre of grass and forbs, 108% of the county's 1991-2020 normal of 1,677 pounds per acre. That was the 13th best of 40 years on record (1986-2025). Best year: 2016 at 2,056 pounds per acre; worst: 1988 at 1,235.

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 Hamlin 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

A county next to Hamlin County is on IRS Notice 2026-54 (Brookings County, SD, Deuel County, SD, Kingsbury County, SD). The IRS counts your county plus every county touching it.

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 Hamlin County

Forecast for the center point of Hamlin County.

  • Freeze on 1 night
  1. Today Sunny 52° 37° S 17–21 mph 1% rain
  2. Mon Sunny 54° 40° SSW 13–18 mph 1% rain
  3. Tue Partly Sunny 52° 42° S 16–22 mph 1% rain
  4. Wed Partly Sunny 56° 35° SSW 14–21 mph 15% rain
  5. Thu Mostly Sunny 45° 34° NNW 3–13 mph 15% rain
  6. Fri Light Rain Likely 50° 34° ESE 10–17 mph 62% rain
  7. Sat Chance Light Rain 41° 25° NNW 13–20 mph 53% 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 South Dakota; 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
1.40 in 65% of normal
Last 12 months
22.08 in 87%
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 2.14 in; same month last year 0.92 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 Hamlin County. Frost = 32°F; hard freeze = 28°F.

Watertown Rgnl Ap weather station (16 mi away)

Typical last spring frostTypical first fall frost
Frost (32°F)
145-day growing season
 May 7
1 year in 10 it's after May 20
 Sep 30
1 year in 10 it's before Sep 19
Hard freeze (28°F)
164-day growing season
 Apr 29
1 year in 10 it's after May 11
 Oct 9
1 year in 10 it's before Sep 26

Castlewood #2 weather station (8 mi away)

Typical last spring frostTypical first fall frost
Frost (32°F)
145-day growing season
 May 6
1 year in 10 it's after May 20
 Oct 1
1 year in 10 it's before Sep 19
Hard freeze (28°F)
164-day growing season
 Apr 29
1 year in 10 it's after May 11
 Oct 11
1 year in 10 it's before Sep 27

short record Based on only 7 years of records here (30 is normal), so treat it as rougher.

Source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Watertown Rgnl Ap, Castlewood #2), NOAA files as of Jun 27, 2023. Fetched Nov 11, 2026.

Text me Hamlin County changes

Nearest USDA-reported sale barns

  1. Mitchell Livestock Mitchell, SD 79 mi · sells Thursdays · latest USDA report Nov 12, 2026
  2. Hub City Livestock Auction Aberdeen, SD 83 mi · sells Wednesdays · latest USDA report Nov 11, 2026
  3. Sioux Falls Regional Livestock Inc. Worthing, SD 96 mi · sells Mondays · latest USDA report Nov 9, 2026
  4. Ft. Pierre Livestock Auction Fort Pierre, SD 159 mi · sells Fridays · latest USDA report Nov 13, 2026
  5. Herried Livestock Market Herreid, SD 162 mi · sells Fridays · latest USDA report Nov 13, 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 South Dakota

Common questions and nearby counties

Is Hamlin County eligible for LFP in 2026?

Not on FSA's 2026 LFP county list as of Nov 5, 2026. FSA updates the list as drought changes.

Source: FSA LFP county file of Nov 5, 2026

What is the drought level in Hamlin County this week?

On the Drought Monitor map of Nov 10, 2026, most of Hamlin County was in no drought, and the worst part was no drought on 0% 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 Hamlin County?

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

What sale barns are near Hamlin County?

The nearest USDA-reported sale barns: Mitchell SD (79 mi), last report Nov 12, 2026; Aberdeen SD (83 mi), last report Nov 11, 2026; Worthing SD (96 mi), last report Nov 9, 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.