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Ravalli County, MT

No sale barn with a published report is within 100 miles of Ravalli 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

Ravalli County rain, outlook and forecast

As of the Nov 10 Drought Monitor, most of Ravalli County, MT showed no drought, though 49% at abnormally dry (D0); four weeks earlier 0% of the county was abnormally dry (D0) or worse, now 49%. Rain has run 42% of normal over the last 30 days (well below normal); the 6-10 day outlook for Nov 20–24 leans toward near-normal rain and Monday carries the week's highest rain chance at 99% (high 39°). Ravalli County is not on FSA's 2026 LFP list yet.

Rain vs normal

  • Last 30 days 42% 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 43°, low 35°, 11% rain, wind 7–14 mph
  2. Monday Mostly Cloudy then Rain And Snow Likely, high 39°, low 31°, 99% rain, wind 2–8 mph
  3. Tuesday Light Snow, high 36°, low 24°, 96% rain, wind 3–7 mph
  4. Wednesday Mostly Sunny, high 32°, low 25°, 24% rain, wind 3–8 mph
  5. Thursday Chance Light Snow, high 31°, low 26°, 31% rain, wind 2–3 mph
  6. Friday Chance Light Snow, high 30°, low 24°, 29% rain, wind 2–6 mph
  7. Saturday Partly Sunny, high 32°, low 23°, 26% rain, wind 3–9 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 Ravalli 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.

Ravalli County grass production

In 2025, grassland and pasture in Ravalli County grew about 814 pounds per acre of grass and forbs, 112% of the county's 1991-2020 normal of 728 pounds per acre. That was the 6th best of 40 years on record (1986-2025). Best year: 2023 at 860 pounds per acre; worst: 1986 at 550.

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 Ravalli 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

Ravalli 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 Ravalli County

Forecast for the center point of Ravalli County.

  • Winter Weather Advisory
  • Freeze on 6 nights
  1. Today Mostly Sunny 43° 35° SSE 7–14 mph 11% rain
  2. Mon Mostly Cloudy then Rain And Snow Likely 39° 31° NNE 2–8 mph 99% rain
  3. Tue Light Snow 36° 24° NNW 3–7 mph 96% rain
  4. Wed Mostly Sunny 32° 25° SSE 3–8 mph 24% rain
  5. Thu Chance Light Snow 31° 26° SE 2–3 mph 31% rain
  6. Fri Chance Light Snow 30° 24° WSW 2–6 mph 29% rain
  7. Sat Partly Sunny 32° 23° SSE 3–9 mph 26% 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

  • Winter Weather Advisory Moderate
    Winter Weather Advisory issued November 15 at 10:48AM MST until November 17 at 11:00PM MST by NWS Missoula MT

National Weather Service active alerts for this county, as of Nov 15, 2026 (source). Fetched Nov 15, 2026.

Rainfall vs normal

Oct 2026
1.95 in 81% of normal
Last 12 months
32.63 in 112%
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 2.41 in; same month last year 2.78 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 52 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 Ravalli County. Frost = 32°F; hard freeze = 28°F.

Hamilton weather station (12 mi away)

Typical last spring frostTypical first fall frost
Frost (32°F)
122-day growing season
 May 21
1 year in 10 it's after Jun 6
 Sep 22
1 year in 10 it's before Sep 6
Hard freeze (28°F)
149-day growing season
 May 5
1 year in 10 it's after May 19
 Oct 2
1 year in 10 it's before Sep 18

Western Ag Rsch Ctr weather station (17 mi away)

Typical last spring frostTypical first fall frost
Frost (32°F)
118-day growing season
 May 23
1 year in 10 it's after Jun 10
 Sep 21
1 year in 10 it's before Sep 5
Hard freeze (28°F)
148-day growing season
 May 5
1 year in 10 it's after May 19
 Oct 2
1 year in 10 it's before Sep 16

Source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Hamilton, Western Ag Rsch Ctr), NOAA files as of Jun 27, 2023. Fetched Nov 11, 2026.

Text me Ravalli County changes

Nearest USDA-reported sale barns

  1. Billings Livestock Commission Billings, MT 268 mi · sells Mondays · latest USDA report Nov 9, 2026
  2. Public Auction Yards Billings, MT 268 mi · sells Wednesdays · latest USDA report Nov 11, 2026
  3. Toppenish Livestock Commission Toppenish, WA 297 mi · sells Thursdays · latest USDA report Nov 12, 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 Ravalli 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 Ravalli County this week?

On the Drought Monitor map of Nov 10, 2026, most of Ravalli County was in no drought, and the worst part was abnormally dry (D0) on 49% 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 Ravalli 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 Ravalli 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.