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La Plata County, CO

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

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CRP emergency haying & grazing: La Plata 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 No droughtNone · most of county Drought pay (LFP) Eligibleup to 5 payments Burn ban Checkcall the county Belen 5-wt steers $364▼ $11 since last sale

La Plata County rain, outlook and forecast

Most of La Plata County, CO showed no drought on the Nov 10 U.S. Drought Monitor map; 0% of the county is in moderate drought (D1) or worse, down from 69% four weeks earlier. Over 90 days rain is at 194% of normal, and the last 30 days came in at 380% (well above 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 99% rain chance on Tuesday (high 50°). FSA's 2026 LFP list includes La Plata County with up to 5 monthly payments, and Belen is the closest USDA-reported sale barn at 183 miles.

Rain vs normal

  • Last 30 days 380% of normal
  • Last 60 days not read yet
  • Last 90 days 194% of normal

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 Sunny, high 49°, low 28°, 1% rain, wind 0–5 mph
  2. Monday Patchy Fog then Mostly Sunny, high 52°, low 30°, 6% rain, wind 0–5 mph
  3. Tuesday Showers And Thunderstorms, high 50°, low 33°, 99% rain, wind 0–10 mph
  4. Wednesday Slight Chance Snow Showers then Mostly Sunny, high 45°, low 25°, 16% rain, wind 0–5 mph
  5. Thursday Mostly Sunny then Chance Rain Showers, high 50°, low 32°, 85% rain, wind 0–10 mph
  6. Friday Slight Chance T-storms, high 45°, low 25°, 85% rain, wind 0–10 mph
  7. Saturday Sunny, high 44°, low 22°, 11% 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 La Plata 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.

La Plata County grass production

In 2025, grassland and pasture in La Plata County grew about 405 pounds per acre of grass and forbs, 75% of the county's 1991-2020 normal of 543 pounds per acre. That was the 3rd lowest of 40 years on record (1986-2025). Best year: 1999 at 721 pounds per acre; worst: 2002 at 309.

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 La Plata 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

La Plata 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 La Plata County

Forecast for the center point of La Plata County.

  • Freeze on 6 nights
  1. Today Sunny 49° 28° S 0–5 mph 1% rain
  2. Mon Patchy Fog then Mostly Sunny 52° 30° E 0–5 mph 6% rain
  3. Tue Showers And Thunderstorms 50° 33° ESE 0–10 mph 99% rain
  4. Wed Slight Chance Snow Showers then Mostly Sunny 45° 25° W 0–5 mph 16% rain
  5. Thu Mostly Sunny then Chance Rain Showers 50° 32° E 0–10 mph 85% rain
  6. Fri Slight Chance T-storms 45° 25° SSW 0–10 mph 85% rain
  7. Sat Sunny 44° 22° SSW 0–5 mph 11% 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 Colorado; 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
6.77 in 356% of normal
Last 12 months
25.47 in 118%
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 1.90 in; same month last year 5.47 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 La Plata County. Frost = 32°F; hard freeze = 28°F.

Durango La Plata Co Ap weather station (11 mi away)

Typical last spring frostTypical first fall frost
Frost (32°F)
116-day growing season
 Jun 1
1 year in 10 it's after Jun 15
 Sep 27
1 year in 10 it's before Sep 15
Hard freeze (28°F)
140-day growing season
 May 18
1 year in 10 it's after Jun 4
 Oct 6
1 year in 10 it's before Sep 24

Lemon Dam weather station (12 mi away)

Typical last spring frostTypical first fall frost
Frost (32°F)
122-day growing season
 May 28
1 year in 10 it's after Jun 10
 Sep 30
1 year in 10 it's before Sep 15
Hard freeze (28°F)
150-day growing season
 May 12
1 year in 10 it's after May 30
 Oct 10
1 year in 10 it's before Sep 27

Source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Durango La Plata Co Ap, Lemon Dam), NOAA files as of Jun 27, 2023. Fetched Nov 11, 2026.

Text me La Plata County changes

Nearest USDA-reported sale barns

  1. Cattlemen's Livestock Belen, NM 183 mi · sells Fridays · latest USDA report Nov 13, 2026
  2. La Junta Livestock Commission La Junta, CO 235 mi · sells Wednesdays · latest USDA report Nov 11, 2026
  3. Winter Livestock (Tuesday) La Junta, CO 241 mi · sells Tuesdays · latest USDA report Nov 10, 2026
  4. Producers Livestock Salina, UT 247 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

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 · Hay prices in Colorado

Common questions and nearby counties

Is La Plata County eligible for LFP in 2026?

Yes. La Plata 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 La Plata County this week?

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

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

What sale barns are near La Plata County?

The nearest USDA-reported sale barns: Belen (183 mi), last report Nov 13, 2026.

Source: USDA AMS Market News reports

What are the upcoming FSA and farm deadlines?

Next: Nov 20, 2026: Colorado EQIP/CSP/RCPP/ACEP application ranking cutoff (FY 2027); 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.