Pawnee County rain, outlook and forecast
On the Oct 27 U.S. Drought Monitor map, most of Pawnee County, KS was abnormally dry (D0), with 16% at severe drought (D2); some part has been in severe drought (D2) or worse for 11 straight weeks. Rain has run 62% of normal over the last 30 days (below normal) and 161% over 90 days, so the past month has been drier than the season so far; the best rain chance this week is 64% on Monday (high 77°) and the 6-10 day outlook for Nov 7–11 leans toward near-normal rain. Pawnee County is on FSA's 2026 LFP list with up to 4 monthly payments, and the nearest USDA-reported sale barn is Pratt, 48 miles away.
Rain vs normal
- Last 30 days 62% of normal
- Last 60 days 187% of normal
- Last 90 days 161% 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 Cloudy, high 65°, low 62°, 60% rain, wind 18–29 mph
- Monday Mostly Sunny then Slight Chance Rain Showers, high 77°, low 48°, 64% rain, wind 13–29 mph
- Tuesday Chance Rain Showers then Partly Sunny, high 58°, low 39°, 28% rain, wind 7–26 mph
- Wednesday Sunny, high 62°, low 39°, 25% rain, wind 3–8 mph
- Thursday Slight Chance Rain Showers then Mostly Sunny, high 58°, low 37°, 20% rain, wind 2–12 mph
- Friday Mostly Sunny, high 61°, low 40°, 3% rain, wind 2–6 mph
- Saturday Mostly Sunny then Slight Chance Rain Showers, high 64°, low 42°, 21% rain, wind 5–9 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 Pawnee 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
Pawnee 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)
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Weather for Pawnee County
Forecast for the center point of Pawnee County.
- Windy on 3 days
- Today Cloudy 65° 62° SSE 18–29 mph 60% rain
- Mon Mostly Sunny then Slight Chance Rain Showers 77° 48° SSW 13–29 mph 64% rain
- Tue Chance Rain Showers then Partly Sunny 58° 39° NW 7–26 mph 28% rain
- Wed Sunny 62° 39° NW 3–8 mph 25% rain
- Thu Slight Chance Rain Showers then Mostly Sunny 58° 37° NNW 2–12 mph 20% rain
- Fri Mostly Sunny 61° 40° W 2–6 mph 3% rain
- Sat Mostly Sunny then Slight Chance Rain Showers 64° 42° NW 5–9 mph 21% 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
Pawnee County burning rules: Notify the Pawnee County Sheriff dispatcher at 620-285-2211 prior to burning. Be prepared to provide the location and time of burn.
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 1.90 in; same month last year 4.00 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 Pawnee County. Frost = 32°F; hard freeze = 28°F.
Great Bend 3w weather station (25 mi away)
farther away No station with freeze dates is close to the county center, so local dates can differ.
| Typical last spring frost | Typical first fall frost | |
|---|---|---|
| Frost (32°F) 172-day growing season |
Apr 24 1 year in 10 it's after May 7 |
Oct 15 1 year in 10 it's before Sep 30 |
| Hard freeze (28°F) 191-day growing season |
Apr 14 1 year in 10 it's after Apr 28 |
Oct 25 1 year in 10 it's before Oct 10 |
Larned weather station (7 mi away)
| Typical last spring frost | Typical first fall frost | |
|---|---|---|
| Frost (32°F) 190-day growing season |
Apr 16 1 year in 10 it's after Apr 30 |
Oct 27 1 year in 10 it's before Oct 12 |
| Hard freeze (28°F) 210-day growing season |
Apr 7 1 year in 10 it's after Apr 22 |
Nov 5 1 year in 10 it's before Oct 22 |
short record Based on only 15 years of records here (30 is normal), so treat it as rougher.
Source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Great Bend 3w, Larned), NOAA files as of Jun 27, 2023. Fetched Oct 18, 2026.
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Common questions and nearby counties
Is Pawnee County eligible for LFP in 2026?
Yes. Pawnee 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.
What is the drought level in Pawnee County this week?
On the Drought Monitor map of Oct 27, 2026, most of Pawnee County was in abnormally dry (D0), and the worst part was severe drought (D2) on 16% of the county. 11 straight weeks with some severe drought (D2) or worse.
Is there a burn ban in Pawnee 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 Pawnee County?
The nearest USDA-reported sale barns: Pratt (48 mi), last report Oct 29, 2026; Dodge City (51 mi), last report Oct 28, 2026; Salina (98 mi), last report Oct 29, 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.