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Letcher County, KY

Cattle prices near Letcher County, Kentucky. The closest sale barn with a recent report is Greeneville TN in Greeneville, TN, about 66 miles away. On Nov 14, 5-weight steers (500–599 lb) averaged $381.08 per hundredweight on 13 head (USDA). Check a bid against your own costs with Ring Price.

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Drought No droughtNone · most of county Drought pay (LFP) Eligibleup to 3 payments Burn ban Checkcall the county Greeneville TN 5-wt steers $381▲ $6 since last sale

Letcher County rain, outlook and forecast

Most of Letcher County, KY showed no drought on the Nov 10 U.S. Drought Monitor map. Over 90 days rain is at 116% of normal, and the last 30 days came in at 63% (below normal); today carries the week's highest rain chance at 24% (high 50°) and the 6-10 day outlook for Nov 20–24 leans toward near-normal rain. Letcher County is on FSA's 2026 LFP list with up to 3 monthly payments, and Greeneville TN is the closest USDA-reported sale barn at 66 miles.

Rain vs normal

  • Last 30 days 63% of normal
  • Last 60 days 133% of normal
  • Last 90 days 116% 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 Slight Chance Light Snow then Slight Chance Light Rain, high 50°, low 29°, 24% rain, wind 1–3 mph
  2. Monday Areas Of Fog then Sunny, high 56°, low 27°, 0% rain, wind 0–5 mph
  3. Tuesday Sunny, high 64°, low 31°, 0% rain, wind 0–3 mph
  4. Wednesday Sunny, high 69°, low 32°, 0% rain, wind 1 mph
  5. Thursday Mostly Sunny, high 69°, low 37°, 0% rain, wind 0–2 mph
  6. Friday Sunny, high 70°, low 37°, 0% rain, wind 1 mph
  7. Saturday Sunny, high 72°, low 41°, 5% rain, wind 2–3 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 Letcher 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.

Letcher County grass production

In 2025, grassland and pasture in Letcher County grew about 2,126 pounds per acre of grass and forbs, 145% of the county's 1991-2020 normal of 1,468 pounds per acre. That was the 1st best of 40 years on record (1986-2025). Best year: 2025 at 2,126 pounds per acre; worst: 1987 at 901.

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 Letcher 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

Letcher 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)

5-wt steers, nearest barns

Steers 500–599 lb, $/cwt, weekly average.

BarnLast sale5-wt steers
Greeneville TN 66 miNov 14$381
Mt. Sterling KY 88 miNov 11$372
Richmond KY 89 miNov 13$390
How to read this

Each line is one barn's head-weighted average for 5-weight steers (500–599 lb) in that week; gaps are weeks with no sale or no lots that size. Past sales, not a bid.

Dollars per hundredweight ($/cwt, per 100 lb), calculated from USDA AMS Market News sale reports (Medium & Large 1 and 1-2). Not a USDA-published average. ≈ $/head = $/cwt × the middle of the weight class ÷ 100.

Guide: How to read a USDA sale barn report

Price history · Barn map · Fed vs feeder cattle

All weights at the 3 nearest barns

Greeneville TN 66 mi

Greeneville, TN
Sale of Nov 14, 2026
CattleHead$/cwt≈ $/head
Heifers 400-499 lb10372.53$1,680
Heifers 500-599 lb14328.58$1,810
Heifers 600-699 lb3296.56$1,930
Heifers 700-799 lb3276.67$2,080
Steers 400-499 lb3420.00$1,890
Steers 500-599 lb13381.08$2,100
Steers 700-799 lb1300.00$2,250

USDA report (PDF) · Price history

Mt. Sterling KY 88 mi

Mt. Sterling, KY
Sale of Nov 11, 2026
CattleHead$/cwt≈ $/head
Heifers 400-499 lb14366.31$1,650
Heifers 500-599 lb33325.69$1,790
Heifers 600-699 lb13295.18$1,920
Heifers 700-799 lb2282.50$2,120
Steers 400-499 lb4451.25$2,030
Steers 500-599 lb11372.47$2,050
Steers 600-699 lb10334.64$2,180
Steers 700-799 lb4311.99$2,340

USDA report (PDF) · Price history

Richmond KY 89 mi

Richmond, KY
Sale of Nov 13, 2026
CattleHead$/cwt≈ $/head
Heifers 400-499 lb1340.00$1,530
Heifers 500-599 lb7313.90$1,730
Heifers 600-699 lb77325.06$2,110
Heifers 700-799 lb2280.00$2,100
Steers 400-499 lb1380.00$1,710
Steers 500-599 lb6390.00$2,140
Steers 600-699 lb12351.71$2,290
Steers 700-799 lb3325.00$2,440

USDA report (PDF) · Price history

36 more within 200 mi: Somerset KY (96 mi), Knoxville TN (100 mi), Flemingsburg KY (102 mi), Stanford KY (103 mi), Paris KY (107 mi), Lexington KY (110 mi), Canton NC (110 mi), North Wilkesboro NC (116 mi), Dublin VA (120 mi), Russell Springs KY (122 mi), Albany KY (129 mi), Ripley WV (133 mi), Springfield KY (136 mi), Campbellsville KY (138 mi), Sweetwater TN (138 mi), Turnersburg NC (141 mi), Crossville TN (145 mi), Owenton KY (146 mi), Shelby NC (146 mi), Athens TN (150 mi), Roanoke VA (160 mi), Glasgow KY (169 mi), Upton KY (169 mi), Williamston SC (174 mi), Moneta VA (179 mi), Lafayette TN (180 mi), Carthage TN (181 mi), Eastanollee GA (181 mi), Weston WV (186 mi), Laurens SC (187 mi), McMinnville TN (190 mi), Carnesville GA (191 mi), Buckhannon WV (193 mi), Bowling Green KY (United) (197 mi), Bowling Green KY (Cattleman) (197 mi), Harned KY (200 mi).

Text me Letcher County changes

Nearest USDA-reported sale barns

  1. Volunteer Stockyards Greeneville, TN 66 mi · sells Saturdays · latest USDA report Nov 14, 2026
  2. Blue Grass Stockyards Mt. Sterling, KY 88 mi · sells Wednesdays · latest USDA report Nov 11, 2026
  3. Blue Grass Stockyards Richmond, KY 89 mi · sells Fridays · latest USDA report Nov 13, 2026
  4. Lake Cumberland Livestock Somerset, KY 96 mi · sells Saturdays · latest USDA report Nov 14, 2026
  5. Knoxville Livestock Auction Center Inc. Knoxville, TN 100 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 Kentucky

Common questions and nearby counties

Is Letcher County eligible for LFP in 2026?

Yes. Letcher 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 Letcher County this week?

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

The nearest USDA-reported sale barns: Greeneville TN (66 mi), last report Nov 14, 2026; Mt. Sterling KY (88 mi), last report Nov 11, 2026; Richmond KY (89 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.