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Smith County, KS

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Drought No droughtNone · most of county Drought pay (LFP) Not listedFSA 2026 list Burn ban Checkcall the county Salina 5-wt steers $423▼ $14 since last sale

Smith County rain, outlook and forecast

Most of Smith County, KS showed no drought on the Oct 27 U.S. Drought Monitor map; four weeks earlier 1% of the county was abnormally dry (D0) or worse, now 0%. Over 90 days rain is at 185% of normal, and the last 30 days came in at 139% (above normal); the best rain chance this week is 67% on today (high 65°) and the 6-10 day outlook for Nov 7–11 leans toward near-normal rain. FSA has not added Smith County to its 2026 LFP list, and the nearest USDA-reported sale barn is Salina, 92 miles away.

Rain vs normal

  • Last 30 days 139% of normal
  • Last 60 days 255% of normal
  • Last 90 days 185% 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 toward near-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

  1. Today Chance Light Rain, high 65°, low 59°, 67% rain, wind 15–25 mph
  2. Monday Chance Light Rain then Slight Chance T-storms, high 75°, low 48°, 58% rain, wind 15–25 mph
  3. Tuesday Light Rain Likely, high 53°, low 38°, 55% rain, wind 10–25 mph
  4. Wednesday Sunny, high 57°, low 38°, 5% rain, wind 5–10 mph
  5. Thursday Partly Sunny, high 54°, low 36°, 9% rain, wind 5–10 mph
  6. Friday Mostly Sunny, high 58°, low 39°, 3% rain, wind 0–5 mph
  7. Saturday Mostly Sunny then Slight Chance Light Rain, high 61°, low 41°, 16% rain, wind 5–10 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 Smith 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 Smith County is on IRS Notice 2026-54 (Osborne County, KS, Phillips County, KS, Rooks 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)

Drought, past 12 months

0% of the county in severe drought or worse.

How to read this

Each band is how much of the county was in that drought level that week. Darker = worse. D2 (severe) and darker can trigger USDA drought pay.

Right now: 0% of the county is in severe drought or worse; some of it has been for 0 weeks running. Source: U.S. Drought Monitor, map of Oct 27, 2026.

Guide: What D0–D4 mean

See the drought map

Text me Smith County changes

Nearest USDA-reported sale barns

  1. Farmers and Ranchers Livestock (feeder cattle) Salina, KS 92 mi · sells Thursdays · latest USDA report Oct 29, 2026
  2. Winter Livestock (Pratt Livestock) Pratt, KS 148 mi · sells Thursdays · latest USDA report Oct 29, 2026
  3. Winter Livestock Dodge City, KS 155 mi · sells Wednesdays · latest USDA report Oct 28, 2026
  4. Beaver Livestock Auction (feeder cattle) Beaver, OK 226 mi · sells Tuesdays · latest USDA report Oct 27, 2026
  5. Woodward Livestock Auction (feeder cattle) Woodward, OK 234 mi · sells Thursdays · latest USDA report Oct 29, 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 Kansas

Common questions and nearby counties

Is Smith 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.

Source: FSA LFP county file of Oct 29, 2026

What is the drought level in Smith County this week?

On the Drought Monitor map of Oct 27, 2026, most of Smith 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.

Source: U.S. Drought Monitor, map of Oct 27, 2026

Is there a burn ban in Smith 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 Smith County?

The nearest USDA-reported sale barns: Salina (92 mi), last report Oct 29, 2026; Pratt (148 mi), last report Oct 29, 2026; Dodge City (155 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.