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Lee County, SC

Cattle prices near Lee County, South Carolina. The closest sale barn with a recent report is Darlington SC in Darlington, SC, about 24 miles away. The latest report is dated Nov 10 (USDA). Check a bid against your own costs with Ring Price.

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CRP emergency haying & grazing: Lee 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 ModerateD1 · most of county Drought pay (LFP) Eligibleup to 4 payments Burn ban Checkcall the county Orangeburg SC 5-wt steers $365▲ $25 since last sale

Lee County rain, outlook and forecast

Most of Lee County, SC was in moderate drought (D1) on the Nov 10 U.S. Drought Monitor map, with 11% at extreme drought (D3); week 31 in a row with some severe drought (D2) or worse. Lee County has had 15% of its normal rain in the past 30 days and 52% over 90 days, so the past month has been drier than the season so far; the 6-10 day outlook for Nov 20–24 leans toward near-normal rain and no day in the 7-day forecast tops a 2% rain chance. Lee County is on FSA's 2026 LFP list with up to 4 monthly payments, and Darlington SC is the closest USDA-reported sale barn at 24 miles.

Rain vs normal

  • Last 30 days 15% of normal
  • Last 60 days 52% of normal
  • Last 90 days 52% 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 (40% chance of above-normal rain)

NOAA Climate Prediction Center precipitation outlook, issued Nov 14, 2026. Source.

Next 7 days

  1. Today Widespread Frost then Sunny, high 59°, low 32°, 0% rain, wind 1–6 mph
  2. Monday Sunny, high 61°, low 34°, 0% rain, wind 2–7 mph
  3. Tuesday Sunny, high 65°, low 35°, 0% rain, wind 3–7 mph
  4. Wednesday Sunny, high 68°, low 36°, 0% rain, wind 3–6 mph
  5. Thursday Sunny, high 72°, low 41°, 0% rain, wind 2–3 mph
  6. Friday Mostly Sunny, high 74°, low 42°, 0% rain, wind 3–5 mph
  7. Saturday Sunny, high 73°, 2% rain, wind 6 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 Lee 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.

Lee County grass production

In 2025, grassland and pasture in Lee County grew about 1,286 pounds per acre of grass and forbs, 110% of the county's 1991-2020 normal of 1,165 pounds per acre. That was the 11th best of 40 years on record (1986-2025). Best year: 1991 at 2,132 pounds per acre; worst: 2014 at 604.

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 1 open

What happenedStartedTell FSA early byFSA deadline
Extreme drought (D3) reached (U.S. Drought Monitor) Nov 10, 2026Dec 10, 2026 (25 days left)Mar 1, 2027

If this cost you livestock, extra feed or hauled water, call your county FSA office now, while it's fresh. The 30-day date is a suggestion from Cownty; FSA's deadline for the notice of loss and application is the March 1 date. Log it in your Drought Ledger · Find your FSA office and phone

Text YES CLOCK for a reminder on day 21 and day 28.

Information only; not financial, tax or legal advice. FSA decides eligibility. Cownty sends nothing to FSA.

Drought-sale tax flag IRS list

Lee 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 Lee County

Forecast for the center point of Lee County.

  • Freeze on 1 night
  1. Today Widespread Frost then Sunny 59° 32° N 1–6 mph 0% rain
  2. Mon Sunny 61° 34° NE 2–7 mph 0% rain
  3. Tue Sunny 65° 35° NE 3–7 mph 0% rain
  4. Wed Sunny 68° 36° NE 3–6 mph 0% rain
  5. Thu Sunny 72° 41° NE 2–3 mph 0% rain
  6. Fri Mostly Sunny 74° 42° N 3–5 mph 0% rain
  7. Sat Sunny 73° –° NE 6 mph 2% rain

Forecast from the National Weather Service, updated Nov 15, 2026 old. 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 South Carolina; 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
2.46 in 72% of normal
Last 12 months
32.41 in 69%
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 3.40 in; same month last year 6.30 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

Data pending. NCEI normals not loaded yet for this county
Text me Lee County changes

Nearest USDA-reported sale barns

  1. Low Country Livestock Exchange Darlington, SC 24 mi · sells Tuesdays · latest USDA report Nov 10, 2026
  2. Orangeburg Stockyards Orangeburg, SC 58 mi · sells Wednesdays · latest USDA report Nov 11, 2026
  3. Stanly County Livestock Market Norwood, NC 75 mi · sells Wednesdays · latest USDA report Nov 11, 2026
  4. Southeastern Auction Co. Inc. Chadbourn, NC 82 mi · sells Mondays · latest USDA report Nov 9, 2026
  5. Saluda Stockyards Saluda, SC 88 mi · sells Mondays · latest USDA report Nov 9, 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 · Nearest USDA hay reports (none for South Carolina): Alabama, Tennessee

Common questions and nearby counties

Is Lee County eligible for LFP in 2026?

Yes. Lee 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 Lee County this week?

On the Drought Monitor map of Nov 10, 2026, most of Lee County was in moderate drought (D1), and the worst part was extreme drought (D3) on 11% of the county. 31 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 Lee County?

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

What sale barns are near Lee County?

The nearest USDA-reported sale barns: Darlington SC (24 mi), last report Nov 10, 2026; Orangeburg SC (58 mi), last report Nov 11, 2026; Norwood NC (75 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.