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Laurel County, KY

Cattle prices near Laurel County, Kentucky. The closest sale barn with a recent report is Somerset KY in Somerset, KY, about 27 miles away. On Nov 14, 5-weight steers (500–599 lb) averaged $368.12 per hundredweight on 9 head (USDA). Check a bid against your own costs with Ring Price.

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Drought Abnormally dryD0 · most of county Drought pay (LFP) Eligibleup to 3 payments Burn ban Checkcall the county Somerset KY 5-wt steers $368▼ $9 since last sale

Laurel County rain, outlook and forecast

Most of Laurel County, KY was abnormally dry (D0) on the Nov 10 U.S. Drought Monitor map, with 14% at moderate drought (D1); four weeks earlier 0% of the county was in moderate drought (D1) or worse, now 14%. Over 90 days rain is at 48% of normal, and the last 30 days came in at 50% (below normal); no day in the 7-day forecast tops a 6% rain chance and the 6-10 day outlook for Nov 20–24 leans toward near-normal rain. Laurel County is on FSA's 2026 LFP list with up to 3 monthly payments, and Somerset KY is the closest USDA-reported sale barn at 27 miles.

Rain vs normal

  • Last 30 days 50% of normal
  • Last 60 days 64% of normal
  • Last 90 days 48% 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 toward near-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 Partly Sunny, high 52°, low 27°, 3% rain, wind 1–6 mph
  2. Monday Sunny, high 56°, low 24°, 0% rain, wind 2–6 mph
  3. Tuesday Sunny, high 61°, low 26°, 0% rain, wind 1–2 mph
  4. Wednesday Sunny, high 65°, low 29°, 0% rain, wind 2–3 mph
  5. Thursday Mostly Sunny, high 66°, low 33°, 1% rain, wind 1–5 mph
  6. Friday Sunny, high 68°, low 34°, 1% rain, wind 1–2 mph
  7. Saturday Sunny, high 70°, low 39°, 6% rain, wind 1–5 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 Laurel 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.

Laurel County grass production

In 2025, grassland and pasture in Laurel County grew about 3,324 pounds per acre of grass and forbs, 119% of the county's 1991-2020 normal of 2,787 pounds per acre. That was the 3rd best of 40 years on record (1986-2025). Best year: 2012 at 3,500 pounds per acre; worst: 1986 at 1,062.

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 Laurel 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

Laurel 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 Laurel County

Forecast for the center point of Laurel County.

  • Freeze on 4 nights
  1. Today Partly Sunny 52° 27° NNW 1–6 mph 3% rain
  2. Mon Sunny 56° 24° ENE 2–6 mph 0% rain
  3. Tue Sunny 61° 26° E 1–2 mph 0% rain
  4. Wed Sunny 65° 29° SSE 2–3 mph 0% rain
  5. Thu Mostly Sunny 66° 33° SSW 1–5 mph 1% rain
  6. Fri Sunny 68° 34° SW 1–2 mph 1% rain
  7. Sat Sunny 70° 39° S 1–5 mph 6% 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 Kentucky; 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
2.14 in 64% of normal
Last 12 months
41.93 in 80%
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 3.32 in; same month last year 3.66 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: Cactus (Wildfire, TN), about 58 mi from the county center; 219 acres, 100% contained, perimeter of Nov 2, 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 Laurel County. Frost = 32°F; hard freeze = 28°F.

London Corbin Ap weather station (3 mi away)

Typical last spring frostTypical first fall frost
Frost (32°F)
192-day growing season
 Apr 15
1 year in 10 it's after May 3
 Oct 25
1 year in 10 it's before Oct 13
Hard freeze (28°F)
216-day growing season
 Apr 1
1 year in 10 it's after Apr 20
 Nov 3
1 year in 10 it's before Oct 22

Mt Vernon weather station (20 mi away)

Typical last spring frostTypical first fall frost
Frost (32°F)
189-day growing season
 Apr 18
1 year in 10 it's after May 6
 Oct 24
1 year in 10 it's before Oct 13
Hard freeze (28°F)
213-day growing season
 Apr 2
1 year in 10 it's after Apr 21
 Nov 4
1 year in 10 it's before Oct 22

Source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (London Corbin Ap, Mt Vernon), NOAA files as of Jun 27, 2023. Fetched Nov 11, 2026.

Text me Laurel County changes

Nearest USDA-reported sale barns

  1. Lake Cumberland Livestock Somerset, KY 27 mi · sells Saturdays · latest USDA report Nov 14, 2026
  2. Blue Grass South Stockyards Stanford, KY 41 mi · sells Mondays · latest USDA report Nov 9, 2026
  3. Blue Grass Stockyards Richmond, KY 44 mi · sells Fridays · latest USDA report Nov 13, 2026
  4. Russell Co. Stockyard Russell Springs, KY 53 mi · sells Wednesdays · latest USDA report Nov 11, 2026
  5. Blue Grass Stockyards Albany, KY 63 mi · sells Wednesdays · latest USDA report Nov 11, 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 Kentucky

Common questions and nearby counties

Is Laurel County eligible for LFP in 2026?

Yes. Laurel County is on FSA's 2026 Livestock Forage Disaster Program county list, with up to 3 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 Laurel County this week?

On the Drought Monitor map of Nov 10, 2026, most of Laurel County was in abnormally dry (D0), and the worst part was moderate drought (D1) on 14% 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 Laurel County?

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

What sale barns are near Laurel County?

The nearest USDA-reported sale barns: Somerset KY (27 mi), last report Nov 14, 2026; Stanford KY (41 mi), last report Nov 9, 2026; Richmond KY (44 mi), last report Nov 13, 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.