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Platte County, NE

Cattle prices near Platte County, Nebraska. The closest sale barn with a recent report is West Point in West Point, NE, about 45 miles away. On Nov 2, 5-weight steers (500–599 lb) averaged $432.85 per hundredweight on 78 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 2 payments Burn ban Checkcall the county West Point 5-wt steers $433▲ $8 since last sale

Platte County rain, outlook and forecast

As of the Nov 10 Drought Monitor, most of Platte County, NE showed no drought; 0% of the county is abnormally dry (D0) or worse, down from 9% four weeks earlier. The best rain chance this week is 80% on Friday (high 62°) and the 6-10 day outlook for Nov 20–24 leans wetter than normal (60% chance of above-normal rain). FSA's 2026 LFP list includes Platte County with up to 2 monthly payments, and West Point is the closest USDA-reported sale barn at 45 miles.

Rain vs normal

Rain totals: not read yet.

Rain outlook

  • 6-10 day outlook (Nov 20–24) Leans wetter than normal (60% 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 51°, low 34°, 1% rain, wind 9–12 mph
  2. Monday Sunny, high 54°, low 40°, 1% rain, wind 9–18 mph
  3. Tuesday Partly Sunny, high 55°, low 46°, 0% rain, wind 15–23 mph
  4. Wednesday Mostly Sunny, high 64°, low 36°, 8% rain, wind 3–26 mph
  5. Thursday Sunny, high 55°, low 43°, 20% rain, wind 3–13 mph
  6. Friday Rain Showers Likely, high 62°, low 43°, 80% rain, wind 14–21 mph
  7. Saturday Chance Rain Showers, high 50°, low 29°, 28% rain, wind 6–20 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 Platte 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.

Platte County grass production

In 2025, grassland and pasture in Platte County grew about 2,290 pounds per acre of grass and forbs, 123% of the county's 1991-2020 normal of 1,869 pounds per acre. That was the 3rd best of 40 years on record (1986-2025). Best year: 2016 at 2,321 pounds per acre; worst: 1986 at 878.

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 Platte 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

Platte 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 Platte County

Forecast for the center point of Platte County.

  • Freeze on 1 night
  • Windy on 1 day
  1. Today Sunny 51° 34° S 9–12 mph 1% rain
  2. Mon Sunny 54° 40° SSW 9–18 mph 1% rain
  3. Tue Partly Sunny 55° 46° S 15–23 mph 0% rain
  4. Wed Mostly Sunny 64° 36° SSW 3–26 mph 8% rain
  5. Thu Sunny 55° 43° S 3–13 mph 20% rain
  6. Fri Rain Showers Likely 62° 43° SSE 14–21 mph 80% rain
  7. Sat Chance Rain Showers 50° 29° WNW 6–20 mph 28% 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 Nebraska; 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
1.98 in 87% of normal
Last 12 months
29.15 in 104%
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 2.27 in; same month last year 0.64 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

No current perimeter within 100 mi of the county center (48 mapped nationally).

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 Platte County. Frost = 32°F; hard freeze = 28°F.

Columbus 3 Ne weather station (12 mi away)

Typical last spring frostTypical first fall frost
Frost (32°F)
174-day growing season
 Apr 21
1 year in 10 it's after May 5
 Oct 15
1 year in 10 it's before Sep 30
Hard freeze (28°F)
193-day growing season
 Apr 11
1 year in 10 it's after Apr 26
 Oct 24
1 year in 10 it's before Oct 9

Genoa 2 W weather station (16 mi away)

Typical last spring frostTypical first fall frost
Frost (32°F)
157-day growing season
 Apr 30
1 year in 10 it's after May 13
 Oct 5
1 year in 10 it's before Sep 22
Hard freeze (28°F)
177-day growing season
 Apr 20
1 year in 10 it's after May 4
 Oct 15
1 year in 10 it's before Sep 30

Source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Columbus 3 Ne, Genoa 2 W), NOAA files as of Jun 27, 2023. Fetched Nov 11, 2026.

Text me Platte County changes

Nearest USDA-reported sale barns

  1. West Point Livestock (feeder cattle) West Point, NE 45 mi · sells Mondays · latest USDA report Nov 2, 2026
  2. Ericson Livestock Market Ericson, NE 62 mi · sells Saturdays · latest USDA report Nov 14, 2026
  3. Burwell Livestock Market Burwell, NE 85 mi · sells Fridays · latest USDA report Nov 13, 2026
  4. Dunlap Livestock Auction (feeder cattle) Dunlap, IA 100 mi · sells Fridays · latest USDA report Nov 6, 2026
  5. Huss Livestock Market Kearney, NE 102 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

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 Nebraska

Common questions and nearby counties

Is Platte County eligible for LFP in 2026?

Yes. Platte County is on FSA's 2026 Livestock Forage Disaster Program county list, with up to 2 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 Platte County this week?

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

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

What sale barns are near Platte County?

The nearest USDA-reported sale barns: West Point (45 mi), last report Nov 2, 2026; Ericson (62 mi), last report Nov 14, 2026; Burwell (85 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.