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Powell County, MT

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.

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Drought No droughtNone · most of county Drought pay (LFP) Not listedFSA 2026 list Burn ban Checkcall the county Nearest barn –no 5-wt steer sale

Powell County rain, outlook and forecast

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 days 68% of normal
  • Last 60 days not read yet
  • Last 90 days not 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.

Next 7 days

  1. Today Mostly Sunny, high 50°, low 28°, 5% rain, wind 0–3 mph
  2. Monday Mostly Cloudy then Chance Light Rain, high 46°, low 28°, 91% rain, wind 1–2 mph
  3. Tuesday Light Snow, high 34°, low 23°, 93% rain, wind 2–3 mph
  4. Wednesday Areas Of Fog, high 35°, low 19°, 16% rain, wind 1–5 mph
  5. Thursday Chance Light Snow, high 35°, low 20°, 28% rain, wind 1–2 mph
  6. Friday Slight Chance Light Snow, high 34°, low 18°, 22% rain, wind 1–2 mph
  7. Saturday Partly Sunny, high 35°, low 17°, 17% rain, wind 1–2 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 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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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 Powell County

Forecast for the center point of Powell County.

  • Freeze on 7 nights
  1. Today Mostly Sunny 50° 28° SW 0–3 mph 5% rain
  2. Mon Mostly Cloudy then Chance Light Rain 46° 28° SW 1–2 mph 91% rain
  3. Tue Light Snow 34° 23° NNW 2–3 mph 93% rain
  4. Wed Areas Of Fog 35° 19° SW 1–5 mph 16% rain
  5. Thu Chance Light Snow 35° 20° ENE 1–2 mph 28% rain
  6. Fri Slight Chance Light Snow 34° 18° NNW 1–2 mph 22% rain
  7. Sat Partly Sunny 35° 17° S 1–2 mph 17% 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 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.

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
3.09 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.

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 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 frostTypical 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 frostTypical 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.

Source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Austin 1 W, Elliston), NOAA files as of Jun 27, 2023. Fetched Nov 11, 2026.

Text me Powell County changes

Nearest USDA-reported sale barns

  1. Billings Livestock Commission Billings, MT 221 mi · sells Mondays · latest USDA report Nov 9, 2026
  2. Public Auction Yards Billings, MT 221 mi · sells Wednesdays · latest USDA report Nov 11, 2026
  3. Miles City Livestock Commission Miles City, MT 338 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

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

Common questions and nearby counties

Is Powell County eligible for LFP in 2026?

Not on FSA's 2026 LFP county list as of Nov 5, 2026. FSA updates the list as drought changes.

Source: FSA LFP county file of Nov 5, 2026

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.

Source: U.S. Drought Monitor, map of Nov 10, 2026

Is there a burn ban in Powell County?

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.