Ottawa County rain, outlook and forecast
Most of Ottawa County, KS showed no drought on the Oct 27 U.S. Drought Monitor map; 0% of the county is abnormally dry (D0) or worse, down from 100% four weeks earlier. Ottawa County has had 50% of its normal rain in the past 30 days and 118% over 90 days, so the past month has been drier than the season so far; the 6-10 day outlook for Nov 7–11 leans toward near-normal rain and the NWS forecast peaks at a 72% rain chance on Tuesday (high 59°). FSA has not added Ottawa County to its 2026 LFP list, and the nearest USDA-reported sale barn is Salina, 23 miles away.
Rain vs normal
- Last 30 days 50% of normal
- Last 60 days 152% of normal
- Last 90 days 118% of normal
NOAA river forecast center rain (radar plus gauges) at the county center, Nov 1, 2026. Source.
Rain outlook
- 6-10 day outlook (Nov 7–11) Leans toward near-normal rain
- 8-14 day outlook (Nov 9–15) Leans toward near-normal rain
NOAA Climate Prediction Center precipitation outlook, issued Nov 1, 2026. Source.
Next 7 days
- Today Isolated Rain Showers, high 67°, low 62°, 50% rain, wind 10–25 mph
- Monday Showers And Thunderstorms Likely then Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms, high 76°, low 51°, 66% rain, wind 10–25 mph
- Tuesday Rain Showers Likely, high 59°, low 41°, 72% rain, wind 10–25 mph
- Wednesday Sunny, high 61°, low 40°, 4% rain, wind 5–10 mph
- Thursday Mostly Sunny, high 57°, low 39°, 12% rain, wind 5–10 mph
- Friday Mostly Sunny, high 61°, low 41°, 2% rain, wind 0–5 mph
- Saturday Mostly Sunny then Slight Chance Rain Showers, high 64°, low 43°, 22% rain, wind 5 mph
National Weather Service forecast for the county center, updated Nov 1, 2026. Wind, warnings and burn bans.
Open loss windows
No open loss windows in Ottawa 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 Ottawa County is on IRS Notice 2026-54 (Lincoln County, KS, Saline County, KS). 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)
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Weather for Ottawa County
Forecast for the center point of Ottawa County.
- Windy on 3 days
- Today Isolated Rain Showers 67° 62° SE 10–25 mph 50% rain
- Mon Showers And Thunderstorms Likely then Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms 76° 51° S 10–25 mph 66% rain
- Tue Rain Showers Likely 59° 41° NW 10–25 mph 72% rain
- Wed Sunny 61° 40° NW 5–10 mph 4% rain
- Thu Mostly Sunny 57° 39° NW 5–10 mph 12% rain
- Fri Mostly Sunny 61° 41° W 0–5 mph 2% rain
- Sat Mostly Sunny then Slight Chance Rain Showers 64° 43° W 5 mph 22% rain
Forecast from the National Weather Service, updated Nov 1, 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
Ottawa County burning rules: Registration with the Ottawa County Emergency Management at 785-92-3600 prior to burning is required. Notify the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office at 785-392-2157 prior to starting any controlled burn. Burn Resolution Burn Resolution
From the county burning information page on the KDHE Flint Hills Smoke Management site (source), as of Nov 1, 2026. That page says it may be incomplete; call the county before burning.
No official ban list to check here, so Cownty shows the National Weather Service fire-weather alerts for the county instead: none right now. State fire-restrictions page.
Weather warnings right now
None right now
National Weather Service active alerts for this county, as of Nov 1, 2026 (source). Fetched Nov 1, 2026.
Rainfall vs normal
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, Oct 2025 to Sep 2026. Normal = NCEI's own 1991-2020 average for each month (Sep 2026 normal 2.79 in; same month last year 4.35 in). NCEI posts each month around the 8th of the next and may revise recent months. Source: NOAA NCEI Climate at a Glance. Fetched Oct 30, 2026.
Wildfires
No current fire perimeter in the county
No current perimeter within 100 mi of the county center (83 mapped nationally).
Interagency fire outlines. Small or brand-new fires are often not mapped yet; call 911 for a fire you can see. Layer updated Nov 1, 2026. Source: National Interagency Fire Center. Fetched Nov 1, 2026.
Frost dates
Frost and freeze dates
30-year averages (1991–2020) from the weather stations nearest Ottawa County. Frost = 32°F; hard freeze = 28°F.
Minneapolis weather station (3 mi away)
| Typical last spring frost | Typical first fall frost | |
|---|---|---|
| Frost (32°F) 181-day growing season |
Apr 20 1 year in 10 it's after May 3 |
Oct 19 1 year in 10 it's before Oct 3 |
| Hard freeze (28°F) 202-day growing season |
Apr 10 1 year in 10 it's after Apr 24 |
Oct 29 1 year in 10 it's before Oct 14 |
Source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Minneapolis), NOAA files as of Jun 27, 2023. Fetched Oct 18, 2026.
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Common questions and nearby counties
Is Ottawa County eligible for LFP in 2026?
Not on FSA's 2026 LFP county list as of Oct 29, 2026. FSA updates the list as drought changes.
What is the drought level in Ottawa County this week?
On the Drought Monitor map of Oct 27, 2026, most of Ottawa 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.
Is there a burn ban in Ottawa County?
No official statewide list to check: Kansas has no statewide official burn-ban list; county commissions set bans and announce them locally (county emergency management or sheriff).
What sale barns are near Ottawa County?
The nearest USDA-reported sale barns: Salina (23 mi), last report Oct 29, 2026; Pratt (117 mi), last report Oct 29, 2026; Dodge City (159 mi), last report Oct 28, 2026.
Source: USDA AMS Market News reports
What are the upcoming FSA and farm deadlines?
Next: Nov 20, 2026: Apply for NRCS conservation cost-share (EQIP, CSP, ACEP) to be considered for 2027 money; 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.