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Webster County, IA

Cattle prices near Webster County, Iowa. The closest sale barn with a recent report is Denison IA in Denison, IA, about 67 miles away. On Nov 12, 5-weight steers (500–599 lb) averaged $410.35 per hundredweight on 90 head (USDA). Check a bid against your own costs with Ring Price.

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Drought No droughtNone · most of county Drought pay (LFP) Not listedFSA 2026 list Burn ban Checkcall the county Denison IA 5-wt steers $410▼ $1 since last sale

Webster County rain, outlook and forecast

Most of Webster County, IA showed no drought on the Nov 10 U.S. Drought Monitor map. Rain has run 131% of normal over the last 30 days (above normal); Friday carries the week's highest rain chance at 90% (high 61°) and the 6-10 day outlook for Nov 20–24 leans wetter than normal (60% chance of above-normal rain). Webster County is not on FSA's 2026 LFP list yet, and the nearest USDA-reported sale barn is Denison IA, 67 miles away.

Rain vs normal

  • Last 30 days 131% of normal
  • Last 60 days 239% of normal
  • Last 90 days not read yet

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 (60% 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 Mostly Sunny, high 50°, low 29°, 0% rain, wind 3–8 mph
  2. Monday Sunny, high 55°, low 36°, 0% rain, wind 6–13 mph
  3. Tuesday Mostly Sunny, high 57°, low 42°, 0% rain, wind 9–18 mph
  4. Wednesday Mostly Sunny, high 59°, low 43°, 16% rain, wind 7–20 mph
  5. Thursday Sunny, high 57°, low 39°, 15% rain, wind 3–8 mph
  6. Friday Chance Rain Showers, high 61°, low 48°, 90% rain, wind 5–14 mph
  7. Saturday Rain Showers, high 58°, low 34°, 75% rain, wind 12–16 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 Webster 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.

Webster County grass production

In 2025, grassland and pasture in Webster County grew about 1,544 pounds per acre of grass and forbs, 166% of the county's 1991-2020 normal of 932 pounds per acre. That was the 4th best of 40 years on record (1986-2025). Best year: 2023 at 1,861 pounds per acre; worst: 1986 at 285.

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 Webster 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 Webster County is on IRS Notice 2026-54 (Calhoun County, IA). 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)

Next 7 days · National Weather Service

Weather for Webster County

Forecast for the center point of Webster County.

  • Freeze on 1 night
  1. Today Mostly Sunny 50° 29° SSE 3–8 mph 0% rain
  2. Mon Sunny 55° 36° SSW 6–13 mph 0% rain
  3. Tue Mostly Sunny 57° 42° S 9–18 mph 0% rain
  4. Wed Mostly Sunny 59° 43° S 7–20 mph 16% rain
  5. Thu Sunny 57° 39° W 3–8 mph 15% rain
  6. Fri Chance Rain Showers 61° 48° SE 5–14 mph 90% rain
  7. Sat Rain Showers 58° 34° WSW 12–16 mph 75% 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 Iowa; 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
4.18 in 175% of normal
Last 12 months
39.30 in 114%
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 2.39 in; same month last year 2.14 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

No current perimeter within 100 mi of the county center (48 mapped nationally).

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 Webster County. Frost = 32°F; hard freeze = 28°F.

Ft Dodge 5nnw weather station (10 mi away)

Typical last spring frostTypical first fall frost
Frost (32°F)
162-day growing season
 Apr 28
1 year in 10 it's after May 9
 Oct 8
1 year in 10 it's before Sep 24
Hard freeze (28°F)
183-day growing season
 Apr 17
1 year in 10 it's after May 1
 Oct 19
1 year in 10 it's before Oct 3

Webster City weather station (19 mi away)

Typical last spring frostTypical first fall frost
Frost (32°F)
150-day growing season
 May 3
1 year in 10 it's after May 16
 Oct 2
1 year in 10 it's before Sep 18
Hard freeze (28°F)
169-day growing season
 Apr 24
1 year in 10 it's after May 7
 Oct 12
1 year in 10 it's before Sep 27

Source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Ft Dodge 5nnw, Webster City), NOAA files as of Jun 27, 2023. Fetched Nov 11, 2026.

Text me Webster County changes

Nearest USDA-reported sale barns

  1. Denison Livestock Auction (feeder cattle) Denison, IA 67 mi · sells Thursdays · latest USDA report Nov 12, 2026
  2. Dunlap Livestock Auction (feeder cattle) Dunlap, IA 83 mi · sells Fridays · latest USDA report Nov 6, 2026
  3. Tama Livestock Auction (feeder cattle) Tama, IA 88 mi · sells Mondays · latest USDA report Sep 14, 2026
  4. Russell Livestock Market (feeder cattle) Russell, IA 112 mi · sells Mondays · latest USDA report Nov 9, 2026
  5. Lamoni Livestock Auction Market (feeder cattle) Lamoni, IA 126 mi · sells Thursdays · latest USDA report Nov 5, 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 Iowa

Common questions and nearby counties

Is Webster County eligible for LFP in 2026?

Not on FSA's 2026 LFP county list as of Nov 5, 2026. FSA updates the list as drought changes.

Source: FSA LFP county file of Nov 5, 2026

What is the drought level in Webster County this week?

On the Drought Monitor map of Nov 10, 2026, most of Webster 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 Nov 10, 2026

Is there a burn ban in Webster County?

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

What sale barns are near Webster County?

The nearest USDA-reported sale barns: Denison IA (67 mi), last report Nov 12, 2026; Dunlap IA (83 mi), last report Nov 6, 2026; Tama IA (88 mi), last report Sep 14, 2026.

Source: USDA AMS Market News reports

What are the upcoming FSA and farm deadlines?

Next: Nov 20, 2026: Micro Farm 2027: last day to buy crop insurance; Nov 20, 2026: Whole Farm Revenue Protection 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.