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Howard County, AR

Cattle prices near Howard County, Arkansas. The closest sale barn with a recent report is Hope in Hope, AR, about 37 miles away. On Nov 12, 5-weight steers (500–599 lb) averaged $385.32 per hundredweight on 24 head (USDA). Check a bid against your own costs with Ring Price.

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CRP emergency haying & grazing: Howard 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 ExceptionalD4 · most of county Drought pay (LFP) Eligibleup to 5 payments Burn ban Checkcall the county Hope 5-wt steers $385▲ $21 since last sale

Howard County rain, outlook and forecast

Most of Howard County, AR was in exceptional drought (D4) on the Nov 10 U.S. Drought Monitor map; week 11 in a row with some severe drought (D2) or worse. Rain has run 25% of normal over the last 30 days (well below normal); the 6-10 day outlook for Nov 20–24 leans wetter than normal (40% chance of above-normal rain) and the NWS forecast peaks at a 51% rain chance on Saturday (high 74°). Howard County is on FSA's 2026 LFP list with up to 5 monthly payments, and Hope is the closest USDA-reported sale barn at 37 miles.

Rain vs normal

  • Last 30 days 25% of normal
  • Last 60 days 25% of normal
  • 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 (40% 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 Chance Rain Showers, high 54°, low 41°, 26% rain, wind 0–10 mph
  2. Monday Sunny, high 63°, low 37°, 0% rain, wind 0–5 mph
  3. Tuesday Sunny, high 66°, low 39°, 0% rain, wind 0–5 mph
  4. Wednesday Sunny, high 71°, low 49°, 2% rain, wind 0–5 mph
  5. Thursday Partly Sunny, high 73°, low 50°, 9% rain, wind 0–5 mph
  6. Friday Sunny, high 75°, low 52°, 4% rain, wind 0–5 mph
  7. Saturday Mostly Sunny then Slight Chance Rain Showers, high 74°, low 53°, 51% 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 Howard 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.

Howard County grass production

In 2025, grassland and pasture in Howard County grew about 3,019 pounds per acre of grass and forbs, 114% of the county's 1991-2020 normal of 2,643 pounds per acre. That was the 5th best of 40 years on record (1986-2025). Best year: 2020 at 3,233 pounds per acre; worst: 1986 at 1,852.

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 Howard 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

Howard 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)

Drought pasture pay (LFP)

On FSA's 2026 list for 6 pasture types. Up to 5 monthly payments.

Bring head counts, grazing leases and pasture acres to your county FSA office.

How to read this

Each bar is a pasture type; the number is how many monthly payments it qualifies for (1 to 5).

Pasture table
Pasture typeGrazing periodQualifying datePayments
Full Season Improved2026-01-15 to 2026-11-152026-02-105
Native Pasture2026-03-15 to 2026-11-152026-03-155
Annual Ryegrass2025-11-01 to 2026-03-312026-02-094
Forage Sorghum2026-04-01 to 2026-10-312026-04-014
Long Season Small Grains2025-11-01 to 2026-03-312026-02-094
Short Season Small Grains2025-11-01 to 2026-03-152026-02-094

FSA "Counties & Pasture Types Eligible for 2026 LFP", file dated Nov 5, 2026 (download). FSA decides eligibility. Fetched Nov 9, 2026.

Guide: How LFP works and who qualifies

Guide: ELAP and LIP basics

USDA disaster declarations

  • Apr 10, 2026 · Drought
    Howard declared · crop year 2026
  • Mar 25, 2025 · Drought
    Howard declared · crop year 2025

"Declared" means USDA named this county. "Neighboring" means it touches a declared county. Either way, FSA emergency loans can open for about 8 months. FSA designation files (dated Jan 28, 2026, Oct 19, 2026). Fetched Nov 9, 2026.

Guide: What a disaster designation means

CRP emergency haying and grazing

Open Howard County is on FSA's emergency haying and grazing list, starting Sep 1, 2026. Trigger: D2 (severe) drought on the Drought Monitor. Get an updated conservation plan from FSA before cutting or turning out.

Before haying and grazing, contact your FSA county office to see if your county remains eligible and/or obtain a modified conservation plan. This list is cumulative for the year and current local conditions may have changed.

Source: FSA eligible-county table posted Nov 5, 2026 · map · FSA program page. FSA posts a new file every Thursday. Fetched Nov 9, 2026.

Guide: CRP emergency haying and grazing rules

Screwworm (Texas Animal Health Commission)

Data pending. animal-health alerts are read for Texas (TAHC) and Oklahoma, Kansas and New Mexico (state ag departments); Arkansas's state veterinarian isn't read yet

Guide: Screwworm: what to know

New FSA programs: watch list
DateScopeReleaseFlag
Nov 4, 2026MississippiUSDA Designates one Tennessee Counties as Natural Disaster Areas
Nov 4, 2026Hawaii and Pacific IslandsUSDA Extends Application Deadline for Emergency Conservation Program Assistance for Guam and CNMI Counties for Typhoon Bavi Impacts
Nov 4, 2026NebraskaUSDA Authorizes Deadline Extension for Emergency Conservation Program in Several Wildfire-Impacted Counties
Nov 4, 2026FloridaUSDA Designates 9 Alabama Counties as Natural Disaster Areas
Nov 3, 2026AlabamaUSDA Designates 9 Alabama Counties as Natural Disaster Areas
Text me Howard County changes

Nearest USDA-reported sale barns

  1. Hope Livestock Auction Hope, AR 37 mi · sells Thursdays · latest USDA report Nov 12, 2026
  2. County Line Sale Ratcliff, AR 85 mi · sells Wednesdays · latest USDA report Nov 11, 2026
  3. I-40 Livestock Ozark, AR 98 mi · sells Thursdays · latest USDA report Nov 12, 2026
  4. McAlester Union Stockyards McAlester, OK 117 mi · sells Tuesdays · latest USDA report Nov 10, 2026
  5. Benton County Sale Barn Siloam Springs, AR 148 mi · sells Thursdays · latest USDA report Nov 12, 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

Other barns nearby (not USDA-reported)

These barns are not in a USDA AMS report, so Cownty shows no prices for them. Sale days and phones come from the barns' own sites or public listings; call the barn to confirm. More barns

Printable county brief (PDF) · Everything on one page · Nearest USDA hay reports (none for Arkansas): Missouri, Oklahoma

Common questions and nearby counties

Is Howard County eligible for LFP in 2026?

Yes. Howard County is on FSA's 2026 Livestock Forage Disaster Program county list, with up to 5 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 Howard County this week?

On the Drought Monitor map of Nov 10, 2026, most of Howard County was in exceptional drought (D4), and the worst part was exceptional drought (D4) on 99% of the county. 11 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 Howard County?

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

What sale barns are near Howard County?

The nearest USDA-reported sale barns: Hope (37 mi), last report Nov 12, 2026; Ratcliff (85 mi), last report Nov 11, 2026; Ozark AR (98 mi), last report Nov 12, 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.