Shawnee County rain, outlook and forecast
On the Oct 27 U.S. Drought Monitor map, most of Shawnee County, KS showed no drought. Shawnee County has had 86% of its normal rain in the past 30 days and 120% over 90 days, so the past month has been drier than the season so far; the best rain chance this week is 78% on Monday (high 72°) and the 6-10 day outlook for Nov 7–11 leans drier than normal (33% chance of below-normal rain). FSA has not added Shawnee County to its 2026 LFP list, and Salina is the closest USDA-reported sale barn at 101 miles.
Rain vs normal
- Last 30 days 86% of normal
- Last 60 days 171% of normal
- Last 90 days 120% of normal
NOAA river forecast center rain (radar plus gauges) at the county center, Nov 1, 2026. Source.
Rain outlook
- 6-10 day outlook (Nov 7–11) Leans drier than normal (33% chance of below-normal rain)
- 8-14 day outlook (Nov 9–15) Leans toward near-normal rain
NOAA Climate Prediction Center precipitation outlook, issued Nov 1, 2026. Source.
Next 7 days
- Today Isolated Rain Showers, high 67°, low 61°, 29% rain, wind 5–15 mph
- Monday Showers And Thunderstorms Likely, high 72°, low 56°, 78% rain, wind 10–25 mph
- Tuesday Chance Rain Showers, high 65°, low 44°, 49% rain, wind 10–15 mph
- Wednesday Mostly Sunny, high 62°, low 41°, 4% rain, wind 0–10 mph
- Thursday Mostly Sunny, high 60°, low 40°, 9% rain, wind 0–5 mph
- Friday Mostly Sunny, high 62°, low 41°, 1% rain, wind 0–5 mph
- Saturday Mostly Sunny, high 66°, low 43°, 21% rain, wind 0–5 mph
National Weather Service forecast for the county center, updated Nov 1, 2026. Wind, warnings and burn bans.
Open loss windows
No open loss windows in Shawnee 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
A county next to Shawnee County is on IRS Notice 2026-54 (Douglas County, KS, Jefferson County, KS). The IRS counts your county plus every county touching it.
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 Shawnee County
Forecast for the center point of Shawnee County.
- Windy on 1 day
- Today Isolated Rain Showers 67° 61° SE 5–15 mph 29% rain
- Mon Showers And Thunderstorms Likely 72° 56° S 10–25 mph 78% rain
- Tue Chance Rain Showers 65° 44° W 10–15 mph 49% rain
- Wed Mostly Sunny 62° 41° W 0–10 mph 4% rain
- Thu Mostly Sunny 60° 40° NW 0–5 mph 9% rain
- Fri Mostly Sunny 62° 41° NW 0–5 mph 1% rain
- Sat Mostly Sunny 66° 43° W 0–5 mph 21% rain
Forecast from the National Weather Service, updated Nov 1, 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
Shawnee County burning rules: A burn permit is required. Prior to burning, a burn notification form must be filled out. Burn Resolution burn permit · burn notification form · Burn Resolution
From the county burning information page on the KDHE Flint Hills Smoke Management site (source), as of Nov 1, 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 1, 2026 (source). Fetched Nov 1, 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 3.55 in; same month last year 2.25 in). NCEI posts each month around the 8th of the next and may revise recent months. Source: NOAA NCEI Climate at a Glance. Fetched Oct 30, 2026.
Wildfires
No current fire perimeter in the county
No current perimeter within 100 mi of the county center (83 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 1, 2026. Source: National Interagency Fire Center. Fetched Nov 1, 2026.
Frost dates
Frost and freeze dates
30-year averages (1991–2020) from the weather stations nearest Shawnee County. Frost = 32°F; hard freeze = 28°F.
Topeka Muni Ap weather station (7 mi away)
| Typical last spring frost | Typical first fall frost | |
|---|---|---|
| Frost (32°F) 191-day growing season |
Apr 12 1 year in 10 it's after Apr 27 |
Oct 23 1 year in 10 it's before Oct 8 |
| Hard freeze (28°F) 212-day growing season |
Mar 31 1 year in 10 it's after Apr 16 |
Nov 1 1 year in 10 it's before Oct 19 |
Topeka Forbes Fld weather station (8 mi away)
| Typical last spring frost | Typical first fall frost | |
|---|---|---|
| Frost (32°F) 185-day growing season |
Apr 15 1 year in 10 it's after Apr 30 |
Oct 21 1 year in 10 it's before Oct 5 |
| Hard freeze (28°F) 205-day growing season |
Apr 5 1 year in 10 it's after Apr 21 |
Oct 31 1 year in 10 it's before Oct 17 |
Source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Topeka Muni Ap, Topeka Forbes Fld), NOAA files as of Jun 27, 2023. Fetched Oct 18, 2026.
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Common questions and nearby counties
Is Shawnee 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 Shawnee County this week?
On the Drought Monitor map of Oct 27, 2026, most of Shawnee 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 Shawnee 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 Shawnee County?
The nearest USDA-reported sale barns: Salina (101 mi), last report Oct 29, 2026; Pratt (185 mi), last report Oct 29, 2026; Exeter (191 mi), last report Oct 27, 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.