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Summit County, CO

No sale barn with a published report is within 100 miles of Summit 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: Summit 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 ExceptionalD4 · most of county Drought pay (LFP) Eligibleup to 5 payments Burn ban Checkcall the county Brush 5-wt steers $435▲ $7 since last sale

Summit County rain, outlook and forecast

On the Nov 10 U.S. Drought Monitor map, most of Summit County, CO was in exceptional drought (D4), and D2-or-worse drought has held there 69 weeks running. Summit County has had 19% of its normal rain in the past 30 days and 50% over 90 days, so the past month has been drier than the season so far; the NWS forecast peaks at a 81% rain chance on Friday (high 38°) and the 6-10 day outlook for Nov 20–24 leans wetter than normal (40% chance of above-normal rain). FSA's 2026 LFP list includes Summit County with up to 5 monthly payments, and the nearest USDA-reported sale barn is Brush, 140 miles away.

Rain vs normal

  • Last 30 days 19% of normal
  • Last 60 days not read yet
  • Last 90 days 50% 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 40°, low 23°, 0% rain, wind 3–5 mph
  2. Monday Partly Sunny, high 49°, low 24°, 0% rain, wind 0–6 mph
  3. Tuesday Mostly Sunny then Chance Light Snow, high 45°, low 22°, 42% rain, wind 3–14 mph
  4. Wednesday Slight Chance Light Snow then Mostly Sunny, high 35°, low 17°, 20% rain, wind 2–14 mph
  5. Thursday Mostly Sunny, high 44°, low 22°, 44% rain, wind 2–9 mph
  6. Friday Snow Showers, high 38°, low 17°, 81% rain, wind 5–9 mph
  7. Saturday Chance Snow Showers, high 32°, low 15°, 46% rain, wind 3–9 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 Summit 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.

Summit County grass production

In 2025, grassland and pasture in Summit County grew about 453 pounds per acre of grass and forbs, 119% of the county's 1991-2020 normal of 380 pounds per acre. That was the 8th best of 40 years on record (1986-2025). Best year: 2015 at 517 pounds per acre; worst: 1986 at 163.

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 Summit 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

Summit 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)

5-wt steers, nearest barns

Steers 500–599 lb, $/cwt, weekly average.

BarnLast sale5-wt steers
Brush 140 miNov 13$435
Sterling 170 miNov 11$448
La Junta LJLC 177 miNov 11$398
How to read this

Each line is one barn's head-weighted average for 5-weight steers (500–599 lb) in that week; gaps are weeks with no sale or no lots that size. Past sales, not a bid.

Dollars per hundredweight ($/cwt, per 100 lb), calculated from USDA AMS Market News sale reports (Medium & Large 1 and 1-2). Not a USDA-published average. ≈ $/head = $/cwt × the middle of the weight class ÷ 100.

Guide: How to read a USDA sale barn report

Price history · Barn map · Fed vs feeder cattle

All weights at the 3 nearest barns

Brush 140 mi

Brush, CO
Sale of Nov 13, 2026
CattleHead$/cwt≈ $/head
Heifers 400-499 lb37406.90$1,830
Heifers 500-599 lb142362.17$1,990
Heifers 600-699 lb56346.10$2,250
Heifers 700-799 lb7312.57$2,340
Steers 400-499 lb17474.52$2,140
Steers 500-599 lb99435.27$2,390
Steers 600-699 lb220374.73$2,440
Steers 700-799 lb40338.13$2,540

USDA report (PDF) · Price history

Sterling 170 mi

Sterling, CO
Sale of Nov 11, 2026
CattleHead$/cwt≈ $/head
Heifers 400-499 lb100422.37$1,900
Heifers 500-599 lb203383.10$2,110
Heifers 600-699 lb158339.91$2,210
Heifers 700-799 lb13307.09$2,300
Steers 400-499 lb166498.36$2,240
Steers 500-599 lb187448.38$2,470
Steers 600-699 lb219390.72$2,540
Steers 700-799 lb107335.28$2,510

USDA report (PDF) · Price history

La Junta LJLC 177 mi

La Junta, CO
Sale of Nov 11, 2026
CattleHead$/cwt≈ $/head
Heifers 400-499 lb239368.22$1,660
Heifers 500-599 lb240336.53$1,850
Heifers 600-699 lb143295.10$1,920
Heifers 700-799 lb30256.84$1,930
Steers 400-499 lb228456.97$2,060
Steers 500-599 lb258398.48$2,190
Steers 600-699 lb339332.54$2,160
Steers 700-799 lb30308.72$2,320

USDA report (PDF) · Price history

2 more within 200 mi: La Junta Winter (180 mi), Torrington WY (198 mi).

Text me Summit County changes

Nearest USDA-reported sale barns

  1. Livestock Exchange (Friday feeder cattle) Brush, CO 140 mi · sells Fridays · latest USDA report Nov 13, 2026
  2. Sterling Livestock Commission Sterling, CO 170 mi · sells Wednesdays · latest USDA report Nov 11, 2026
  3. La Junta Livestock Commission La Junta, CO 177 mi · sells Wednesdays · latest USDA report Nov 11, 2026
  4. Winter Livestock (Tuesday) La Junta, CO 180 mi · sells Tuesdays · latest USDA report Nov 10, 2026
  5. Torrington Livestock Commission Co. (feeder cattle) Torrington, WY 198 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

Other barns nearby (not USDA-reported)

These barns are not in a USDA AMS report, so Cownty shows no prices for them. Sale days and phones come from the barns' own sites or public listings; call the barn to confirm. More barns

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

Common questions and nearby counties

Is Summit County eligible for LFP in 2026?

Yes. Summit 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 Summit County this week?

On the Drought Monitor map of Nov 10, 2026, most of Summit County was in exceptional drought (D4), and the worst part was exceptional drought (D4) on 88% of the county. 69 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 Summit 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 Summit County?

The nearest USDA-reported sale barns: Brush (140 mi), last report Nov 13, 2026; Sterling (170 mi), last report Nov 11, 2026; La Junta LJLC (177 mi), last report Nov 11, 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.