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McPherson County, SD

Cattle prices near McPherson County, South Dakota. The closest sale barn with a recent report is Aberdeen SD in Aberdeen, SD, about 42 miles away. On Nov 11, 5-weight steers (500–599 lb) averaged $446.32 per hundredweight on 1,079 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) Not listedFSA 2026 list Burn ban Checkcall the county Aberdeen SD 5-wt steers $446▲ $13 since last sale

McPherson County rain, outlook and forecast

Most of McPherson County, SD showed no drought on the Nov 10 U.S. Drought Monitor map, though a sliver (<1%) at abnormally dry (D0); 1% of the county is abnormally dry (D0) or worse, down from 85% four weeks earlier. Rain has run 125% of normal over the last 30 days (above normal); the 6-10 day outlook for Nov 20–24 leans wetter than normal (50% chance of above-normal rain) and the NWS forecast peaks at a 45% rain chance on Friday (high 43°). McPherson County is not on FSA's 2026 LFP list yet, and the nearest USDA-reported sale barn is Aberdeen SD, 42 miles away.

Rain vs normal

  • Last 30 days 125% of normal
  • Last 60 days not read yet
  • 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 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 53°, low 36°, 1% rain, wind 8–24 mph
  2. Monday Patchy Fog then Mostly Sunny, high 56°, low 39°, 0% rain, wind 7–15 mph
  3. Tuesday Mostly Cloudy, high 53°, low 38°, 0% rain, wind 12–23 mph
  4. Wednesday Partly Sunny, high 50°, low 33°, 18% rain, wind 12–23 mph
  5. Thursday Partly Sunny, high 42°, low 32°, 7% rain, wind 6–15 mph
  6. Friday Chance Light Rain, high 43°, low 29°, 45% rain, wind 14–22 mph
  7. Saturday Chance Rain And Snow, high 37°, low 22°, 35% rain, wind 15–23 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 McPherson 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.

McPherson County grass production

In 2025, grassland and pasture in McPherson County grew about 2,154 pounds per acre of grass and forbs, 127% of the county's 1991-2020 normal of 1,700 pounds per acre. That was the 3rd best of 40 years on record (1986-2025). Best year: 2024 at 2,294 pounds per acre; worst: 1988 at 1,024.

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 McPherson 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

A county next to McPherson County is on IRS Notice 2026-54 (Edmunds County, SD, Walworth County, SD). The IRS counts your county plus every county touching it.

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)

Where it is, with barns within 200 mi

Dots are sale barns USDA reports on. Tap one for its latest prices.

Who owns this land? Open the county property map

Grass grown on rangeland and pasture

Grass grown in 2025: 2,154 lb per acre, well above normal (127% of the 1991-2020 average of 1,700).

How to read this

Each bar is one year's grass (darker = perennial grasses, lighter = annuals). The dashed line is the 1991-2020 average. A county average with cropland excluded, not your pasture.

How we got this

Satellite estimate of new above-ground growth of grasses and forbs for the year (annual + perennial, lb/acre), averaged over the county's grassland, pasture and shrubland (53% of the county in USDA's 2025 cropland map; farm fields are left out because the estimate isn't valid there, and the same 2025 map is used for every year). About about 120 m (RAP overview). Source: Rangeland Analysis Platform biomass v3 (data, Jones et al. 2021, CC0) and USDA NASS Cropland Data Layer.

Source: Rangeland Analysis Platform, 2025 season. Fetched Nov 13, 2026.

Text me McPherson County changes

Nearest USDA-reported sale barns

  1. Hub City Livestock Auction Aberdeen, SD 42 mi · sells Wednesdays · latest USDA report Nov 11, 2026
  2. Herried Livestock Market Herreid, SD 42 mi · sells Fridays · latest USDA report Nov 13, 2026
  3. Napoleon Livestock (feeder cattle) Napoleon, ND 56 mi · sells Thursdays · latest USDA report Nov 12, 2026
  4. Mobridge Livestock Exchange Mobridge, SD 61 mi · sells Thursdays · latest USDA report Nov 12, 2026
  5. Kist Livestock (feeder cattle) Mandan, ND 108 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 South Dakota

Common questions and nearby counties

Is McPherson County eligible for LFP in 2026?

Not on FSA's 2026 LFP county list as of Nov 5, 2026. FSA updates the list as drought changes.

Source: FSA LFP county file of Nov 5, 2026

What is the drought level in McPherson County this week?

On the Drought Monitor map of Nov 10, 2026, most of McPherson County was in no drought, and the worst part was abnormally dry (D0) on a sliver (<1%) 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 McPherson County?

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

What sale barns are near McPherson County?

The nearest USDA-reported sale barns: Aberdeen SD (42 mi), last report Nov 11, 2026; Herreid SD (42 mi), last report Nov 13, 2026; Napoleon ND (56 mi), last report Nov 12, 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.