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
- Today Chance Light Rain, high 65°, low 59°, 67% rain, wind 15–25 mph
- Monday Chance Light Rain then Slight Chance T-storms, high 75°, low 48°, 58% rain, wind 15–25 mph
- Tuesday Light Rain Likely, high 53°, low 38°, 55% rain, wind 10–25 mph
- Wednesday Sunny, high 57°, low 38°, 5% rain, wind 5–10 mph
- Thursday Partly Sunny, high 54°, low 36°, 9% rain, wind 5–10 mph
- Friday Mostly Sunny, high 58°, low 39°, 3% rain, wind 0–5 mph
- 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)
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Weather for Smith County
Forecast for the center point of Smith County.
- Windy on 3 days
- Today Chance Light Rain 65° 59° SE 15–25 mph 67% rain
- Mon Chance Light Rain then Slight Chance T-storms 75° 48° S 15–25 mph 58% rain
- Tue Light Rain Likely 53° 38° NW 10–25 mph 55% rain
- Wed Sunny 57° 38° NW 5–10 mph 5% rain
- Thu Partly Sunny 54° 36° NNW 5–10 mph 9% rain
- Fri Mostly Sunny 58° 39° W 0–5 mph 3% rain
- Sat Mostly Sunny then Slight Chance Light Rain 61° 41° NW 5–10 mph 16% 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
Smith County burning rules: 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 2.07 in; same month last year 2.62 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 Smith County. Frost = 32°F; hard freeze = 28°F.
Smith Ctr weather station (1 mi away)
| Typical last spring frost | Typical first fall frost | |
|---|---|---|
| Frost (32°F) 173-day growing season |
Apr 24 1 year in 10 it's after May 7 |
Oct 15 1 year in 10 it's before Sep 28 |
| Hard freeze (28°F) 192-day growing season |
Apr 13 1 year in 10 it's after Apr 28 |
Oct 24 1 year in 10 it's before Oct 6 |
Franklin #2 weather station (23 mi away)
| Typical last spring frost | Typical first fall frost | |
|---|---|---|
| Frost (32°F) 161-day growing season |
Apr 30 1 year in 10 it's after May 12 |
Oct 8 1 year in 10 it's before Sep 25 |
| Hard freeze (28°F) 181-day growing season |
Apr 19 1 year in 10 it's after May 3 |
Oct 19 1 year in 10 it's before Oct 1 |
Source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Smith Ctr, Franklin #2), NOAA files as of Jun 27, 2023. Fetched Oct 18, 2026.
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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.
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.
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.