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Lawrence County, MO

Cattle prices near Lawrence County, Missouri. The closest sale barn with a recent report is Joplin in Carthage, MO, about 23 miles away. On Nov 9, 5-weight steers (500–599 lb) averaged $386.08 per hundredweight on 159 head (USDA). Check a bid against your own costs with Ring Price.

Check a bid with Ring Price

Change county
CRP emergency haying & grazing: Lawrence 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 ExtremeD3 · most of county Drought pay (LFP) Eligibleup to 4 payments Burn ban Checkcall the county Springfield MO 5-wt steers $404▲ $42 since last sale

Lawrence County rain, outlook and forecast

On the Nov 10 U.S. Drought Monitor map, most of Lawrence County, MO was in extreme drought (D3), and D2-or-worse drought has held there 12 weeks running. Rain has run 23% of normal over the last 30 days (well below normal); the 6-10 day outlook for Nov 20–24 leans wetter than normal (50% chance of above-normal rain) and the best rain chance this week is 39% on Saturday (high 68°). Lawrence County is on FSA's 2026 LFP list with up to 4 monthly payments, and Springfield MO is the closest USDA-reported sale barn at 30 miles.

Rain vs normal

  • Last 30 days 23% of normal
  • Last 60 days 71% 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 (50% chance of above-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 Sunny, high 54°, low 30°, 0% rain, wind 3–8 mph
  2. Monday Sunny, high 58°, low 35°, 0% rain, wind 3–7 mph
  3. Tuesday Sunny, high 60°, low 39°, 0% rain, wind 5–8 mph
  4. Wednesday Sunny, high 66°, low 52°, 9% rain, wind 7–13 mph
  5. Thursday Partly Sunny, high 67°, low 52°, 14% rain, wind 2–8 mph
  6. Friday Mostly Sunny, high 71°, low 54°, 4% rain, wind 6–14 mph
  7. Saturday Chance Rain Showers, high 68°, low 43°, 39% rain, wind 8–15 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 Lawrence 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.

Lawrence County grass production

In 2025, grassland and pasture in Lawrence County grew about 3,612 pounds per acre of grass and forbs, 102% of the county's 1991-2020 normal of 3,531 pounds per acre. That was the 15th best of 40 years on record (1986-2025). Best year: 2017 at 4,046 pounds per acre; worst: 1986 at 1,800.

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 Lawrence 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

Lawrence 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 Lawrence County

Forecast for the center point of Lawrence County.

  • Freeze on 1 night
  1. Today Sunny 54° 30° SE 3–8 mph 0% rain
  2. Mon Sunny 58° 35° SE 3–7 mph 0% rain
  3. Tue Sunny 60° 39° S 5–8 mph 0% rain
  4. Wed Sunny 66° 52° S 7–13 mph 9% rain
  5. Thu Partly Sunny 67° 52° S 2–8 mph 14% rain
  6. Fri Mostly Sunny 71° 54° S 6–14 mph 4% rain
  7. Sat Chance Rain Showers 68° 43° SW 8–15 mph 39% 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 Missouri; 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
2.13 in 58% of normal
Last 12 months
37.96 in 83%
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 3.69 in; same month last year 3.23 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 Lawrence County. Frost = 32°F; hard freeze = 28°F.

Billings 1sw weather station (14 mi away)

Typical last spring frostTypical first fall frost
Frost (32°F)
189-day growing season
 Apr 15
1 year in 10 it's after May 2
 Oct 23
1 year in 10 it's before Oct 11
Hard freeze (28°F)
211-day growing season
 Apr 4
1 year in 10 it's after Apr 19
 Nov 1
1 year in 10 it's before Oct 20

Mt Vernon Univ Mo - Sw Ctr weather station (4 mi away)

Typical last spring frostTypical first fall frost
Frost (32°F)
188-day growing season
 Apr 14
1 year in 10 it's after May 1
 Oct 21
1 year in 10 it's before Oct 6
Hard freeze (28°F)
212-day growing season
 Apr 3
1 year in 10 it's after Apr 20
 Oct 30
1 year in 10 it's before Oct 17

short record Based on only 17 years of records here (30 is normal), so treat it as rougher.

Source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Billings 1sw, Mt Vernon Univ Mo - Sw Ctr), NOAA files as of Jun 27, 2023. Fetched Nov 11, 2026.

Text me Lawrence County changes

Nearest USDA-reported sale barns

  1. Joplin Regional Stockyards (feeder cattle) Carthage, MO 23 mi · sells Mondays · latest USDA report Nov 9, 2026
  2. Springfield Livestock Market (feeder cattle) Springfield, MO 30 mi · sells Wednesdays · latest USDA report Nov 11, 2026
  3. Four State Stockyards Exeter, MO 31 mi · sells Tuesdays · latest USDA report Nov 10, 2026
  4. Green Forest Stockyards Green Forest, AR 58 mi · sells Wednesdays · latest USDA report Nov 11, 2026
  5. Wheeler Livestock Auction Osceola, MO 65 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

Printable county brief (PDF) · Everything on one page · Hay prices in Missouri

Common questions and nearby counties

Is Lawrence County eligible for LFP in 2026?

Yes. Lawrence County is on FSA's 2026 Livestock Forage Disaster Program county list, with up to 4 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 Lawrence County this week?

On the Drought Monitor map of Nov 10, 2026, most of Lawrence County was in extreme drought (D3), and the worst part was extreme drought (D3) on 84% of the county. 12 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 Lawrence County?

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

What sale barns are near Lawrence County?

The nearest USDA-reported sale barns: Springfield MO (30 mi), last report Nov 11, 2026; Exeter (31 mi), last report Nov 10, 2026; Green Forest AR (58 mi), last report Nov 11, 2026.

Source: USDA AMS Market News reports

What are the upcoming FSA and farm deadlines?

Next: Nov 20, 2026: Apples 2027: last day to buy crop insurance; 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.