No sale barn with a published report is within 100 miles of Powell County, Montana. This page still has drought, programs and weather for the county when those are loaded.
The Nov 10 U.S. Drought Monitor map shows most of Powell County, MT with no drought, though 7% at abnormally dry (D0); four weeks earlier 0% of the county was abnormally dry (D0) or worse, now 7%. Rain has run 68% of normal over the last 30 days (below normal); Tuesday carries the week's highest rain chance at 93% (high 34°) and the 6-10 day outlook for Nov 20–24 leans toward near-normal rain. FSA has not added Powell County to its 2026 LFP list.
Rain vs normal
Last 30 days68% of normal
Last 60 daysnot read yet
Last 90 daysnot 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 toward near-normal rain
8-14 day outlook (Nov 22–28)Leans toward near-normal rain
NOAA Climate Prediction Center precipitation outlook, issued Nov 14, 2026. Source.
The 2027 Pasture, Rangeland, Forage (PRF) insurance sales closing date for Powell 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.
Date from USDA RMA's actuarial data, read Aug 28, 2026 · RMA dates map. Your agent confirms the date for your policy.
Powell County grass production
In 2025, grassland and pasture in Powell County grew about 866 pounds per acre of grass and forbs, 121% of the county's 1991-2020 normal of 715 pounds per acre. That was the 3rd best of 40 years on record (1986-2025). Best year: 2023 at 955 pounds per acre; worst: 1996 at 574.
No open loss windows in Powell 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
Powell 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.
Dec 29, 2025 · Drought Neighboring county declared (counts for Powell) · crop year 2025
Jul 14, 2025 · Drought Neighboring county declared (counts for Powell) · crop year 2025
Jul 9, 2025 · Drought Neighboring county declared (counts for Powell) · crop year 2025
Jun 17, 2025 · Drought Neighboring county declared (counts for Powell) · crop year 2025
May 5, 2025 · Drought Powell declared · crop year 2025
"Declared" means USDA named this county. "Neighboring" means it touches a declared county. Either way, FSA emergency loans can open for about 8 months. FSA designation files (dated Jan 28, 2026). Fetched Nov 9, 2026.
Not on the list Powell County is not on FSA's emergency haying and grazing list as of Nov 5, 2026. Non-emergency haying and grazing may still be allowed outside the primary nesting season.
Before haying and grazing, contact your FSA county office to see if your county remains eligible and/or obtain a modified conservation plan. This list is cumulative for the year and current local conditions may have changed.
Data pending. animal-health alerts are read for Texas (TAHC) and Oklahoma, Kansas and New Mexico (state ag departments); Montana's state veterinarian isn't read yet
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 Montana; 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.
National Weather Service active alerts for this county, as of Nov 15, 2026 (source). Fetched Nov 15, 2026.
Rainfall vs normal
Oct 2026
3.09 in 146% of normal
Last 12 months
33.04 in 127%
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 2.11 in; same month last year 2.84 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: Bobcat Lakes (Wildfire, MT), about 81 mi from the county center; 10,896 acres, 100% contained, perimeter of Sep 14, 2026.
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 Powell County. Frost = 32°F; hard freeze = 28°F.
Austin 1 W weather station (34 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)
100-day growing season
Jun 4
1 year in 10 it's after Jun 18
Sep 14
1 year in 10 it's before Aug 30
Hard freeze (28°F)
134-day growing season
May 14
1 year in 10 it's after May 30
Sep 26
1 year in 10 it's before Sep 12
Elliston weather station (30 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)
91-day growing season
Jun 9
1 year in 10 it's after Jun 26
Sep 8
1 year in 10 it's before Aug 26
Hard freeze (28°F)
125-day growing season
May 16
1 year in 10 it's after Jun 3
Sep 20
1 year in 10 it's before Sep 6
short record Based on only 14 years of records here (30 is normal), so treat it as rougher.
Set nationally by FSA; the same in every county. Effective Nov 1, 2026. Source: FSA current loan interest rates. Fetched Nov 9, 2026.
Farm program payments by crop (ARC and PLC)
ARC pays when county crop revenue falls below its guarantee. PLC pays when the national price falls below the reference price. You picked one per crop when you enrolled.
Data pending. last fetch failed: HTTPError: 403 Client Error: Forbidden for url: https://www.fsa.usda.gov/resources/programs/arc-plc/program-data
PLC, 2026 FSA table of Oct 30, 2026
Crop
Reference price
Season avg price
PLC payment
Wheat /bushel
$6.35
$6.30 projected
$0.05projected
Barley /bushel
$5.58
$5.70 projected
$0.00projected
Oats /bushel
$3.05
$3.35 projected
$0.00projected
Corn /bushel
$4.42
$4.70 projected
$0.00projected
Grain Sorghum /bushel
$4.67
$4.50 projected
$0.17projected
Soybeans /bushel
$10.71
$12.00 projected
$0.00projected
PLC rates are national (paid on the farm's PLC yield). Source: FSA 2026 PLC table. FSA decides who is paid.
FSA payments in Powell County
Data pending. last fetch failed: HTTPError: 403 Client Error: Forbidden for url: https://www.fsa.usda.gov/tools/informational/freedom-information-act-foia/electronic-reading-room/frequently-requested/payment-files
Montana statewide, not just your county. Wheat planting is on pace with normal (97% vs 97%). From USDA's weekly Crop Progress report, week ending Nov 8, 2026.
Condition
Poor or very poor
Fair
Good or excellent
Winter Wheat
1%
36%
63%
Progress
Montana
This week
Last week
Normal (5-yr avg)
Winter Wheat Planted
97%
95%
97%
Winter Wheat Emerged
84%
75%
83%
Source: USDA NASS Crop Progress released Nov 9, 2026 (ESMIS), Montana rows. Week ending Nov 8, 2026. Fetched Nov 9, 2026.
Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-raised Fish (ELAP): notice of loss, application and papers for 2026 losses are due by this date.
Grass grown in 2025: 866 lb per acre, well above normal (121% of the 1991-2020 average of 715).
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 (46% 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.
Useful links
Shipping cattle out of Texas
Each state sets its own entry rules for ID, health certificates and screwworm checks. Look up the state you're shipping to before you load.
Source: Texas A&M AgriLife · link checked Nov 15, 2026
Link only. Cownty doesn't copy or check this content; follow the source.
When to pull cattle off wheat
Grazing past first hollow stem cuts grain yield. Oklahoma State's guide explains how to check a field, and its yearly trial reports first-hollow-stem dates by variety.
What is the drought level in Powell County this week?
On the Drought Monitor map of Nov 10, 2026, most of Powell County was in no drought, and the worst part was abnormally dry (D0) on 7% of the county. 0 straight weeks with some severe drought (D2) or worse.
No official statewide list to check: Cownty doesn't read an official statewide burn-ban list for Montana; county commissions, sheriffs and fire districts post local fire restrictions, so check your county's own notices.
What sale barns are near Powell County?
No USDA-reported sale barn within 200 miles.
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.
