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Jefferson County, MT

No sale barn with a published report is within 100 miles of Jefferson 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

Jefferson County rain, outlook and forecast

Most of Jefferson County, MT showed no drought on the Nov 10 U.S. Drought Monitor map. Rain has run 137% of normal over the last 30 days (above 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 88% (high 35°). FSA's 2026 LFP list includes Jefferson County with up to 2 monthly payments, and Billings MT (BLC) is the closest USDA-reported sale barn at 170 miles.

Rain vs normal

  • Last 30 days 137% 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 Partly Sunny, high 40°, low 33°, 1% rain, wind 8–13 mph
  2. Monday Mostly Cloudy then Slight Chance Light Rain, high 41°, low 32°, 52% rain, wind 3–8 mph
  3. Tuesday Light Snow, high 35°, low 24°, 88% rain, wind 3–10 mph
  4. Wednesday Mostly Sunny, high 30°, low 24°, 26% rain, wind 2–9 mph
  5. Thursday Chance Light Snow, high 31°, low 26°, 41% rain, wind 1–8 mph
  6. Friday Chance Light Snow, high 30°, low 22°, 35% rain, wind 2–8 mph
  7. Saturday Mostly Sunny, high 30°, low 21°, 10% rain, wind 1–8 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 Jefferson 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.

Jefferson County grass production

In 2025, grassland and pasture in Jefferson County grew about 857 pounds per acre of grass and forbs, 119% of the county's 1991-2020 normal of 718 pounds per acre. That was the 3rd best of 40 years on record (1986-2025). Best year: 2023 at 965 pounds per acre; worst: 1986 at 544.

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 Jefferson 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

Jefferson 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 Jefferson County

Forecast for the center point of Jefferson County.

  • Freeze on 6 nights
  1. Today Partly Sunny 40° 33° SSW 8–13 mph 1% rain
  2. Mon Mostly Cloudy then Slight Chance Light Rain 41° 32° SSW 3–8 mph 52% rain
  3. Tue Light Snow 35° 24° NNW 3–10 mph 88% rain
  4. Wed Mostly Sunny 30° 24° SW 2–9 mph 26% rain
  5. Thu Chance Light Snow 31° 26° SSW 1–8 mph 41% rain
  6. Fri Chance Light Snow 30° 22° NW 2–8 mph 35% rain
  7. Sat Mostly Sunny 30° 21° SW 1–8 mph 10% 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
2.77 in 207% of normal
Last 12 months
19.65 in 110%
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 1.34 in; same month last year 1.72 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 58 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 Jefferson County. Frost = 32°F; hard freeze = 28°F.

Boulder weather station (8 mi away)

Typical last spring frostTypical first fall frost
Frost (32°F)
90-day growing season
 Jun 7
1 year in 10 it's after Jun 25
 Sep 8
1 year in 10 it's before Aug 25
Hard freeze (28°F)
121-day growing season
 May 21
1 year in 10 it's after Jun 5
 Sep 21
1 year in 10 it's before Sep 6

Butte Bert Mooney Ap weather station (24 mi away)

Typical last spring frostTypical first fall frost
Frost (32°F)
83-day growing season
 Jun 13
1 year in 10 it's after Jul 1
 Sep 5
1 year in 10 it's before Aug 24
Hard freeze (28°F)
117-day growing season
 May 21
1 year in 10 it's after Jun 10
 Sep 17
1 year in 10 it's before Sep 2

Source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Boulder, Butte Bert Mooney Ap), NOAA files as of Jun 27, 2023. Fetched Nov 11, 2026.

Text me Jefferson County changes

Nearest USDA-reported sale barns

  1. Billings Livestock Commission Billings, MT 170 mi · sells Mondays · latest USDA report Nov 9, 2026
  2. Public Auction Yards Billings, MT 170 mi · sells Wednesdays · latest USDA report Nov 11, 2026
  3. Winter Livestock Auction Riverton, WY 280 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 Jefferson County eligible for LFP in 2026?

Yes. Jefferson 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 Jefferson County this week?

On the Drought Monitor map of Nov 10, 2026, most of Jefferson 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 Jefferson 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 Jefferson County?

The nearest USDA-reported sale barns: Billings MT (BLC) (170 mi), last report Nov 9, 2026; Billings MT (PAYS) (170 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.