Riley County rain, outlook and forecast
On the Oct 27 U.S. Drought Monitor map, most of Riley County, KS showed no drought. Rain has run 21% of normal over the last 30 days (well below normal) and 146% over 90 days, so the past month has been drier than the season so far; the NWS forecast peaks at a 93% rain chance on today (high 75°) and the 6-10 day outlook for Nov 8–12 leans drier than normal (40% chance of below-normal rain). Riley County is not on FSA's 2026 LFP list yet, and the nearest USDA-reported sale barn is Salina, 58 miles away.
Rain vs normal
- Last 30 days 21% of normal
- Last 60 days 178% of normal
- Last 90 days 146% of normal
NOAA river forecast center rain (radar plus gauges) at the county center, Nov 2, 2026. Source.
Rain outlook
- 6-10 day outlook (Nov 8–12) Leans drier than normal (40% chance of below-normal rain)
- 8-14 day outlook (Nov 10–16) Leans wetter than normal (33% chance of above-normal rain)
NOAA Climate Prediction Center precipitation outlook, issued Nov 2, 2026. Source.
Next 7 days
- Today Chance Showers And Thunderstorms, high 75°, low 53°, 93% rain, wind 5–20 mph
- Tuesday Rain Showers, high 62°, low 42°, 81% rain, wind 10–20 mph
- Wednesday Sunny, high 60°, low 40°, 9% rain, wind 5–15 mph
- Thursday Mostly Sunny, high 60°, low 37°, 10% rain, wind 5–10 mph
- Friday Mostly Sunny, high 58°, low 37°, 0% rain, wind 0–5 mph
- Saturday Mostly Sunny, high 62°, low 39°, 9% rain, wind 0–5 mph
- Sunday Sunny, high 64°, low 40°, 6% rain, wind 0–10 mph
National Weather Service forecast for the county center, updated Nov 2, 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 Riley County is Dec 1, 2026, 29 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.
Riley County grass production
In 2025, grassland and pasture in Riley County grew about 2,440 pounds per acre of grass and forbs, 102% of the county's 1991-2020 normal of 2,382 pounds per acre. That was the 15th best of 40 years on record (1986-2025). Best year: 2019 at 2,774 pounds per acre; worst: 1986 at 1,285.
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 Riley 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
Neither Riley County nor any county touching it is on IRS Notice 2026-54 (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 Riley County
Forecast for the center point of Riley County.
- Today Chance Showers And Thunderstorms 75° 53° S 5–20 mph 93% rain
- Tue Rain Showers 62° 42° NW 10–20 mph 81% rain
- Wed Sunny 60° 40° W 5–15 mph 9% rain
- Thu Mostly Sunny 60° 37° NW 5–10 mph 10% rain
- Fri Mostly Sunny 58° 37° N 0–5 mph 0% rain
- Sat Mostly Sunny 62° 39° W 0–5 mph 9% rain
- Sun Sunny 64° 40° NW 0–10 mph 6% rain
Forecast from the National Weather Service, updated Nov 2, 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
Riley County burning rules: Burn Regulations
From the county burning information page on the KDHE Flint Hills Smoke Management site (source), as of Nov 2, 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 2, 2026 (source). Fetched Nov 2, 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 2.94 in; same month last year 3.37 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 2, 2026.
Wildfires
No current fire perimeter in the county
No current perimeter within 100 mi of the county center (75 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 2, 2026. Source: National Interagency Fire Center. Fetched Nov 2, 2026.
Frost dates
Frost and freeze dates
30-year averages (1991–2020) from the weather stations nearest Riley County. Frost = 32°F; hard freeze = 28°F.
Tuttle Creek Lake weather station (8 mi away)
| Typical last spring frost | Typical first fall frost | |
|---|---|---|
| Frost (32°F) 179-day growing season |
Apr 22 1 year in 10 it's after May 5 |
Oct 20 1 year in 10 it's before Oct 4 |
| Hard freeze (28°F) 198-day growing season |
Apr 10 1 year in 10 it's after Apr 26 |
Oct 28 1 year in 10 it's before Oct 15 |
Manhattan weather station (10 mi away)
| Typical last spring frost | Typical first fall frost | |
|---|---|---|
| Frost (32°F) 185-day growing season |
Apr 16 1 year in 10 it's after May 1 |
Oct 19 1 year in 10 it's before Oct 1 |
| Hard freeze (28°F) 204-day growing season |
Apr 6 1 year in 10 it's after Apr 24 |
Oct 29 1 year in 10 it's before Oct 11 |
Source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Tuttle Creek Lake, Manhattan), NOAA files as of Jun 27, 2023. Fetched Oct 18, 2026.
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Common questions and nearby counties
Is Riley County eligible for LFP in 2026?
Not on FSA's 2026 LFP county list as of Oct 29, 2026. FSA updates the list as drought changes.
What is the drought level in Riley County this week?
On the Drought Monitor map of Oct 27, 2026, most of Riley 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.
Is there a burn ban in Riley 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 Riley County?
The nearest USDA-reported sale barns: Salina (58 mi), last report Oct 29, 2026; Pratt (155 mi), last report Oct 29, 2026; Kearney (158 mi), last report Oct 28, 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.