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Saguache County, CO

No sale barn with a published report is within 100 miles of Saguache County, Colorado. This page still has drought, programs and weather for the county when those are loaded.

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CRP emergency haying & grazing: Saguache County is on FSA's list (since Sep 1, 2026). Check with your FSA county office first. Details · FSA list as of Nov 5, 2026.
Drought ModerateD1 · most of county Drought pay (LFP) Eligibleup to 5 payments Burn ban Checkcall the county La Junta LJLC 5-wt steers $398▲ $19 since last sale

Saguache County rain, outlook and forecast

The Nov 10 U.S. Drought Monitor map shows most of Saguache County, CO in moderate drought (D1), with 26% at severe drought (D2); week 35 in a row with some severe drought (D2) or worse. Rain has run 267% of normal over the last 90 days; the 6-10 day outlook for Nov 20–24 leans wetter than normal (40% chance of above-normal rain) and Tuesday carries the week's highest rain chance at 54% (high 44°). Saguache County is on FSA's 2026 LFP list with up to 5 monthly payments, and La Junta LJLC is the closest USDA-reported sale barn at 142 miles.

Rain vs normal

  • Last 30 days not read yet
  • Last 60 days not read yet
  • Last 90 days 267% of normal

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 wetter than normal (40% 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 44°, low 29°, 0% rain, wind 5 mph
  2. Monday Mostly Sunny, high 45°, low 30°, 0% rain, wind 0–5 mph
  3. Tuesday Mostly Sunny then Chance Rain Showers, high 44°, low 31°, 54% rain, wind 5–15 mph
  4. Wednesday Sunny, high 42°, low 27°, 4% rain, wind 0–10 mph
  5. Thursday Mostly Sunny, high 42°, low 30°, 28% rain, wind 0–10 mph
  6. Friday Chance Snow Showers, high 42°, low 24°, 28% rain, wind 10–25 mph
  7. Saturday Sunny, high 38°, low 22°, 2% rain, wind 5–10 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 Saguache 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.

Saguache County grass production

In 2025, grassland and pasture in Saguache County grew about 305 pounds per acre of grass and forbs, 84% of the county's 1991-2020 normal of 362 pounds per acre. That was the 7th lowest of 40 years on record (1986-2025). Best year: 2015 at 505 pounds per acre; worst: 2011 at 256.

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 Saguache 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

Saguache 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 Saguache County

Forecast for the center point of Saguache County.

  • Freeze on 7 nights
  • Windy on 1 day
  1. Today Sunny 44° 29° SSE 5 mph 0% rain
  2. Mon Mostly Sunny 45° 30° SSW 0–5 mph 0% rain
  3. Tue Mostly Sunny then Chance Rain Showers 44° 31° SSW 5–15 mph 54% rain
  4. Wed Sunny 42° 27° W 0–10 mph 4% rain
  5. Thu Mostly Sunny 42° 30° WSW 0–10 mph 28% rain
  6. Fri Chance Snow Showers 42° 24° SW 10–25 mph 28% rain
  7. Sat Sunny 38° 22° WNW 5–10 mph 2% 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 Colorado; 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
4.20 in 323% of normal
Last 12 months
16.38 in 103%
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 1.30 in; same month last year 2.50 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: Aspen Acres (Wildfire, CO), about 59 mi from the county center; 102,003 acres, 96% contained, perimeter of Aug 10, 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 Saguache County. Frost = 32°F; hard freeze = 28°F.

Saguache weather station (6 mi away)

Typical last spring frostTypical first fall frost
Frost (32°F)
135-day growing season
 May 16
1 year in 10 it's after May 31
 Sep 28
1 year in 10 it's before Sep 18
Hard freeze (28°F)
156-day growing season
 May 4
1 year in 10 it's after May 16
 Oct 8
1 year in 10 it's before Sep 26

short record Based on only 15 years of records here (30 is normal), so treat it as rougher.

Center 4 Ssw weather station (23 mi away)

Typical last spring frostTypical first fall frost
Frost (32°F)
120-day growing season
 May 24
1 year in 10 it's after Jun 8
 Sep 24
1 year in 10 it's before Sep 12
Hard freeze (28°F)
146-day growing season
 May 8
1 year in 10 it's after May 24
 Oct 2
1 year in 10 it's before Sep 20

short record Based on only 15 years of records here (30 is normal), so treat it as rougher.

Source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Saguache, Center 4 Ssw), NOAA files as of Jun 27, 2023. Fetched Nov 11, 2026.

Text me Saguache County changes

Nearest USDA-reported sale barns

  1. La Junta Livestock Commission La Junta, CO 142 mi · sells Wednesdays · latest USDA report Nov 11, 2026
  2. Winter Livestock (Tuesday) La Junta, CO 148 mi · sells Tuesdays · latest USDA report Nov 10, 2026
  3. Livestock Exchange (Friday feeder cattle) Brush, CO 208 mi · sells Fridays · latest USDA report Nov 13, 2026
  4. Cattlemen's Livestock Belen, NM 228 mi · sells Fridays · latest USDA report Nov 13, 2026
  5. Sterling Livestock Commission Sterling, CO 242 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

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

Common questions and nearby counties

Is Saguache County eligible for LFP in 2026?

Yes. Saguache County is on FSA's 2026 Livestock Forage Disaster Program county list, with up to 5 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 Saguache County this week?

On the Drought Monitor map of Nov 10, 2026, most of Saguache County was in moderate drought (D1), and the worst part was severe drought (D2) on 26% of the county. 35 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 Saguache County?

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

What sale barns are near Saguache County?

The nearest USDA-reported sale barns: La Junta LJLC (142 mi), last report Nov 11, 2026; La Junta Winter (148 mi), last report Nov 10, 2026.

Source: USDA AMS Market News reports

What are the upcoming FSA and farm deadlines?

Next: Nov 20, 2026: Colorado EQIP/CSP/RCPP/ACEP application ranking cutoff (FY 2027); 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.