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Otero County, CO

Cattle prices near Otero County, Colorado. The closest sale barn with a recent report is La Junta LJLC in La Junta, CO, about 7 miles away. On Nov 11, 5-weight steers (500–599 lb) averaged $398.48 per hundredweight on 258 head (USDA). Check a bid against your own costs with Ring Price.

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Change county
CRP emergency haying & grazing: Otero 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 No droughtNone · most of county Drought pay (LFP) Eligibleup to 5 payments Burn ban Checkcall the county La Junta LJLC 5-wt steers $398▲ $19 since last sale

Otero County rain, outlook and forecast

The Nov 10 U.S. Drought Monitor map shows most of Otero County, CO with no drought; 0% of the county is in moderate drought (D1) or worse, down from 4% four weeks earlier. Otero County has had 437% of its normal rain in the past 30 days and 356% over 90 days, so the past month has been wetter than the season so far; no day in the 7-day forecast tops a 8% rain chance and the 6-10 day outlook for Nov 20–24 leans wetter than normal (50% chance of above-normal rain). Otero County is on FSA's 2026 LFP list with up to 5 monthly payments, and La Junta LJLC is the closest USDA-reported sale barn at 7 miles.

Rain vs normal

  • Last 30 days 437% of normal
  • Last 60 days not read yet
  • Last 90 days 356% 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 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 Patchy Fog, high 49°, low 30°, 1% rain, wind 0–5 mph
  2. Monday Areas Of Fog then Mostly Sunny, high 58°, low 33°, 0% rain, wind 0–10 mph
  3. Tuesday Mostly Sunny, high 69°, low 43°, 2% rain, wind 5–25 mph
  4. Wednesday Sunny, high 65°, low 33°, 0% rain, wind 5–20 mph
  5. Thursday Mostly Sunny, high 61°, low 39°, 1% rain, wind 5–15 mph
  6. Friday Mostly Sunny, high 68°, low 36°, 7% rain, wind 5–20 mph
  7. Saturday Sunny, high 57°, low 29°, 8% rain, wind 5–10 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 Otero 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.

Otero County grass production

In 2025, grassland and pasture in Otero County grew about 703 pounds per acre of grass and forbs, 91% of the county's 1991-2020 normal of 770 pounds per acre. That was the 19th lowest of 40 years on record (1986-2025). Best year: 2017 at 1,320 pounds per acre; worst: 2002 at 290.

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 Otero 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

Otero 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 Otero County

Forecast for the center point of Otero County.

  • Freeze on 2 nights
  • Windy on 1 day
  1. Today Patchy Fog 49° 30° ESE 0–5 mph 1% rain
  2. Mon Areas Of Fog then Mostly Sunny 58° 33° SE 0–10 mph 0% rain
  3. Tue Mostly Sunny 69° 43° SW 5–25 mph 2% rain
  4. Wed Sunny 65° 33° SW 5–20 mph 0% rain
  5. Thu Mostly Sunny 61° 39° S 5–15 mph 1% rain
  6. Fri Mostly Sunny 68° 36° SW 5–20 mph 7% rain
  7. Sat Sunny 57° 29° N 5–10 mph 8% 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 Colorado; 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
3.00 in 303% of normal
Last 12 months
15.46 in 115%
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 0.99 in; same month last year 0.19 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: Aspen Acres (Wildfire, CO), about 62 mi from the county center; 102,003 acres, 96% contained, perimeter of Aug 10, 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 Otero County. Frost = 32°F; hard freeze = 28°F.

Rocky Ford 2 Se weather station (11 mi away)

Typical last spring frostTypical first fall frost
Frost (32°F)
159-day growing season
 May 1
1 year in 10 it's after May 14
 Oct 8
1 year in 10 it's before Sep 26
Hard freeze (28°F)
178-day growing season
 Apr 21
1 year in 10 it's after May 3
 Oct 16
1 year in 10 it's before Oct 5

La Junta weather station (12 mi away)

Typical last spring frostTypical first fall frost
Frost (32°F)
171-day growing season
 Apr 26
1 year in 10 it's after May 9
 Oct 15
1 year in 10 it's before Oct 3
Hard freeze (28°F)
191-day growing season
 Apr 15
1 year in 10 it's after Apr 29
 Oct 24
1 year in 10 it's before Oct 11

Source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Rocky Ford 2 Se, La Junta), NOAA files as of Jun 27, 2023. Fetched Nov 11, 2026.

Text me Otero County changes

Nearest USDA-reported sale barns

  1. La Junta Livestock Commission La Junta, CO 7 mi · sells Wednesdays · latest USDA report Nov 11, 2026
  2. Winter Livestock (Tuesday) La Junta, CO 13 mi · sells Tuesdays · latest USDA report Nov 10, 2026
  3. Cattlemen's Livestock Auction Dalhart, TX 143 mi · sells Thursdays · latest USDA report Nov 12, 2026
  4. Livestock Exchange (Friday feeder cattle) Brush, CO 164 mi · sells Fridays · latest USDA report Nov 13, 2026
  5. Beaver Livestock Auction (feeder cattle) Beaver, OK 190 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

Other barns nearby (not USDA-reported)

These barns are not in a USDA AMS report, so Cownty shows no prices for them. Sale days and phones come from the barns' own sites or public listings; call the barn to confirm. More barns

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

Common questions and nearby counties

Is Otero County eligible for LFP in 2026?

Yes. Otero County is on FSA's 2026 Livestock Forage Disaster Program county list, with up to 5 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 Otero County this week?

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

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

What sale barns are near Otero County?

The nearest USDA-reported sale barns: La Junta LJLC (7 mi), last report Nov 11, 2026; La Junta Winter (13 mi), last report Nov 10, 2026; Dalhart (143 mi), last report Nov 12, 2026.

Source: USDA AMS Market News reports

What are the upcoming FSA and farm deadlines?

Next: Nov 20, 2026: Colorado EQIP/CSP/RCPP/ACEP application ranking cutoff (FY 2027); 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.