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Wheeler County, TX

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CRP emergency haying & grazing: Wheeler County is on FSA's list (since Sep 1, 2026). Check with your FSA county office first. Details · FSA list as of Oct 29, 2026.

Wheeler County rain, outlook and forecast

On the Oct 27 U.S. Drought Monitor map, most of Wheeler County, TX was in severe drought (D2), with 8% at extreme drought (D3); week 32 in a row with some severe drought (D2) or worse. Over 90 days rain is at 98% of normal, and the last 30 days came in at 139% (above normal); today carries the week's highest rain chance at 65% (high 69°) and the 6-10 day outlook for Nov 7–11 leans toward near-normal rain. FSA's 2026 LFP list includes Wheeler County (county seat: Wheeler) with up to 5 monthly payments, and the nearest USDA-reported sale barn is Woodward, 87 miles away.

Rain vs normal

  • Last 30 days 139% of normal
  • Last 60 days 135% of normal
  • Last 90 days 98% 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 Cloudy, high 69°, low 60°, 65% rain, wind 15–20 mph
  2. Monday Slight Chance Rain Showers then Mostly Sunny, high 77°, low 49°, 18% rain, wind 15–20 mph
  3. Tuesday Sunny, high 65°, low 43°, 0% rain, wind 5–25 mph
  4. Wednesday Sunny, high 69°, low 45°, 10% rain, wind 5–10 mph
  5. Thursday Sunny, high 64°, low 40°, 3% rain, wind 5–15 mph
  6. Friday Sunny, high 63°, low 42°, 7% rain, wind 0–5 mph
  7. Saturday Slight Chance Rain Showers, high 65°, low 44°, 19% 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 Wheeler 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

Wheeler 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)

Prices

5-wt steers, nearest barns

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

BarnLast sale5-wt steers
Woodward 87 miOct 29$394
Beaver 100 miOct 27$433
Tulia 105 miOct 29$386
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.

Price history · Barn map

All weights at the 3 nearest barns

Woodward 87 mi

Woodward, OK
Sale of Oct 29, 2026
CattleHead$/cwt≈ $/head
Heifers 400-499 lb79399.28$1,800
Heifers 500-599 lb114348.44$1,920
Heifers 600-699 lb182329.16$2,140
Heifers 700-799 lb51319.77$2,400
Steers 400-499 lb21512.65$2,310
Steers 500-599 lb95393.97$2,170
Steers 600-699 lb179370.22$2,410
Steers 700-799 lb98327.28$2,450

USDA report (PDF) · Price history

Beaver 100 mi

Beaver, OK
Sale of Oct 27, 2026
CattleHead$/cwt≈ $/head
Heifers 400-499 lb280428.35$1,930
Heifers 500-599 lb151372.37$2,050
Heifers 600-699 lb145336.31$2,190
Heifers 700-799 lb187347.77$2,610
Steers 400-499 lb230486.69$2,190
Steers 500-599 lb448432.58$2,380
Steers 600-699 lb426380.37$2,470
Steers 700-799 lb500356.46$2,670

USDA report (PDF) · Price history

Tulia 105 mi

Tulia, TX
Sale of Oct 29, 2026
CattleHead$/cwt≈ $/head
Heifers 400-499 lb46373.14$1,680
Heifers 500-599 lb97344.54$1,890
Heifers 600-699 lb39276.56$1,800
Heifers 700-799 lb12291.67$2,190
Steers 400-499 lb20441.50$1,990
Steers 500-599 lb81385.58$2,120
Steers 600-699 lb80332.29$2,160
Steers 700-799 lb5285.00$2,140

USDA report (PDF) · Price history

7 more within 200 mi: Wildorado (106 mi), Apache (112 mi), El Reno (129 mi), Dalhart (137 mi), Dodge City (163 mi), Pratt (179 mi), Clovis (182 mi).

Drought

Drought, past 12 months

72% of the county in severe drought or worse, 32 weeks running.

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: 72% of the county is in severe drought or worse; some of it has been for 32 weeks running. Source: U.S. Drought Monitor, map of Oct 27, 2026.

See the drought map

Programs

Drought pasture pay (LFP)

On FSA's 2026 list for 6 pasture types. Up to 5 monthly payments.

Bring head counts, grazing leases and pasture acres to your county FSA office.

How to read this

Each bar is a pasture type; the number is how many monthly payments it qualifies for (1 to 5).

Pasture table
Pasture typeGrazing periodQualifying datePayments
Full Season Improved2026-01-01 to 2026-12-312026-04-205
Native Pasture2026-01-01 to 2026-12-312026-04-205
Annual Ryegrass2026-01-01 to 2026-05-312026-04-204
Long Season Small Grains2025-11-01 to 2026-05-312026-04-204
Short Ssn Spring Sml Grn2025-11-15 to 2026-05-312026-04-204
Forage Sorghum2026-07-15 to 2026-10-312026-08-043

FSA "Counties & Pasture Types Eligible for 2026 LFP", file dated Oct 29, 2026 (download). FSA decides eligibility. Fetched Nov 1, 2026.

USDA disaster declarations

  • Jun 4, 2026 · Drought
    Neighboring county declared (counts for Wheeler) · crop year 2026
  • May 6, 2026 · Drought
    Wheeler declared · crop year 2026
  • Apr 10, 2026 · Drought
    Neighboring county declared (counts for Wheeler) · crop year 2026
  • Jun 2, 2025 · Drought
    Neighboring county declared (counts for Wheeler) · crop year 2025
  • Jun 2, 2025 · Drought
    Neighboring county declared (counts for Wheeler) · crop year 2025
  • Mar 25, 2025 · Drought
    Neighboring county declared (counts for Wheeler) · crop year 2025

"Declared" means USDA named this county. "Neighboring" means it touches a declared county. Either way, FSA emergency loans can open for about 8 months. FSA designation files (dated Jan 28, 2026, Oct 19, 2026). Fetched Nov 1, 2026.

CRP emergency haying and grazing

Open Wheeler County is on FSA's emergency haying and grazing list, starting Sep 1, 2026. Trigger: D2 (severe) drought on the Drought Monitor. Get an updated conservation plan from FSA before cutting or turning out.

Before haying and grazing, contact your FSA county office to see if your county remains eligible and/or obtain a modified conservation plan. This list is cumulative for the year and current local conditions may have changed.

Source: FSA eligible-county table posted Oct 29, 2026 · map · FSA program page. FSA posts a new file every Thursday. Fetched Nov 1, 2026.

Screwworm (Texas Animal Health Commission)

Not in a screwworm zone

Nearest infested zone: 313 mi straight-line (Infested Zone 20). Statewide: 13 counties touch an infested zone, 1 the surveillance zone. See the map.

Latest statewide screwworm orders and animal-health alerts

Check wounds and navels. Suspect a case? Call the Commission's veterinarian on call, 1-800-550-8242.

Source: Texas Animal Health Commission screwworm zone map (zones as of Nov 1, 2026), screwworm orders and news releases; each item is dated by the Commission. Its orders, not this page, set movement rules. Fetched Nov 1, 2026.

New FSA programs: watch list

Weather & fire

Next 7 days · National Weather Service

Weather for Wheeler County

Forecast for the center point of Wheeler County.

  • Windy on 1 day
  1. Today Cloudy 69° 60° SSE 15–20 mph 65% rain
  2. Mon Slight Chance Rain Showers then Mostly Sunny 77° 49° SSW 15–20 mph 18% rain
  3. Tue Sunny 65° 43° NW 5–25 mph 0% rain
  4. Wed Sunny 69° 45° SW 5–10 mph 10% rain
  5. Thu Sunny 64° 40° N 5–15 mph 3% rain
  6. Fri Sunny 63° 42° SW 0–5 mph 7% rain
  7. Sat Slight Chance Rain Showers 65° 44° WNW 5–10 mph 19% 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

Burn ban ON

In effect since Aug 3, 2026.

Texas A&M Forest Service map (source), as of Nov 1, 2026. County judges set bans; check with the county before burning. Fetched Nov 1, 2026.

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

Sep 2026
2.51 in 113% of normal
Last 12 months
13.61 in 57%
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 2.22 in; same month last year 2.04 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).

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

Shamrock #2 weather station (12 mi away)

Typical last spring frostTypical first fall frost
Frost (32°F)
202-day growing season
Apr 9
1 year in 10 it's after Apr 26
Oct 30
1 year in 10 it's before Oct 17
Hard freeze (28°F)
222-day growing season
Mar 31
1 year in 10 it's after Apr 17
Nov 6
1 year in 10 it's before Oct 22

Mc Lean weather station (22 mi away)

Typical last spring frostTypical first fall frost
Frost (32°F)
201-day growing season
Apr 10
1 year in 10 it's after Apr 29
Oct 30
1 year in 10 it's before Oct 14
Hard freeze (28°F)
224-day growing season
Mar 30
1 year in 10 it's after Apr 18
Nov 9
1 year in 10 it's before Oct 23

short record Based on only 17 years of records here (30 is normal), so treat it as rougher.

Source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Shamrock #2, Mc Lean), NOAA files as of Jun 27, 2023. Fetched Oct 18, 2026.

Money

FSA grain loan rates (2026)

What FSA will lend on stored grain, per bushel. Lets you hold grain instead of selling at harvest.

CropWheeler CountyNational average
Corn$2.67 /bu $2.42 /bu
Grain sorghum$4.55 /cwt
($2.55 /bu)
$2.42 /bu
Soybeans$6.58 /bu $6.82 /bu
Hard red winter wheat$3.55 /bu $3.72 /bu

County marketing-loan rates. Sorghum's county rate is set per 100 lb; the per-bushel figure uses 56 lb a bushel. Source: FSA 2026 corn/sorghum/soybean schedule, wheat schedule, national rates. Fetched Nov 1, 2026.

FSA farm loan interest rates

FSA direct loanRate
Farm Operating - Direct5.375%
Farm Operating - Microloan5.375%
Farm Ownership - Direct6.250%
Farm Ownership - Microloan6.250%
Farm Ownership - Direct, Joint Financing4.250%
Farm Ownership - Down Payment2.250%
Emergency Loan - Amount of Actual Loss3.750%

Set nationally by FSA; the same in every county. Effective Oct 1, 2026. Source: FSA current loan interest rates. Fetched Nov 1, 2026.

Farm program payments by crop (ARC and PLC)

ARC pays when county crop revenue falls below its guarantee. PLC pays when the national price falls below the reference price. You picked one per crop when you enrolled.

2026 program year guarantees only FSA file of Jan 16, 2026

CropGuaranteeMost it can pay
Barley $308.62 $41.15
Corn $682.49 $91.00
Oats $169.04 $22.54
Peanuts $1,031.75 $137.57
Safflower $91.59 $12.21
Seed Cotton irrigated $752.30 $100.31
Seed Cotton nonirrigated $278.03 $37.07
Show the math
CropBenchmark yield × priceBenchmark revenue
Barley53.33 bushel/ac × $6.43$342.91
Corn150.76 bushel/ac × $5.03$758.32
Oats47.67 bushel/ac × $3.94$187.82
Peanuts3639.33 pound/ac × $0.32$1,146.39
Safflower367.0 pound/ac × $0.28$101.77
Seed Cotton irrigated1938.98 pound/ac × $0.43$835.89
Seed Cotton nonirrigated716.59 pound/ac × $0.43$308.92

Dollars per base acre, before the 85% payment-acre factor and sequestration. Source: FSA ARC-CO 2026 county data.

2025 program year final payment rates FSA file of Sep 30, 2026

CropGuaranteeActual revenueARC payment
Barley $294.65 $16.38$39.29
Corn $759.13 $760.45$0.00
Grain Sorghum $272.13 $102.65$36.28
Oats $164.75 $203.49$0.00
Peanuts $1,031.75 $910.16$121.59
Safflower $122.52 $90.17$16.34
Seed Cotton irrigated $789.69 $649.49$105.29
Seed Cotton nonirrigated $300.70 $287.60$13.10
Soybeans $540.32 $294.00$72.04
Wheat $182.62 $247.94$0.00
Show the math
CropBenchmark yield × priceBenchmark revenue
Barley53.67 bushel/ac × $6.10$327.39
Corn167.69 bushel/ac × $5.03$843.48
Grain Sorghum57.05 bushel/ac × $5.30$302.37
Oats47.67 bushel/ac × $3.84$183.05
Peanuts3639.33 pound/ac × $0.32$1,146.39
Safflower494.67 pound/ac × $0.28$136.13
Seed Cotton irrigated2035.32 pound/ac × $0.43$877.43
Seed Cotton nonirrigated775.01 pound/ac × $0.43$334.11
Soybeans49.33 bushel/ac × $12.17$600.35
Wheat29.07 bushel/ac × $6.98$202.91

Dollars per base acre, before the 85% payment-acre factor and sequestration. Source: FSA ARC-CO 2025 county data.

PLC, 2026 FSA table of Oct 9, 2026

CropReference priceSeason avg pricePLC payment
Wheat /bushel$6.35$6.30 projected$0.05 projected
Barley /bushel$5.58$5.70 projected$0.00 projected
Oats /bushel$3.05$3.35 projected$0.00 projected
Corn /bushel$4.42$4.70 projected$0.00 projected
Grain Sorghum /bushel$4.67$4.50 projected$0.17 projected
Soybeans /bushel$10.71$12.00 projected$0.00 projected

PLC rates are national (paid on the farm's PLC yield). Source: FSA 2026 PLC table. FSA decides who is paid.

FSA payments in Wheeler County

$5,690,884

1,265 payments dated Jan 3, 2025 to Dec 17, 2025 (FSA payment file 2025).

ProgramYearTotal
Emergency Commodity Assistance Program2024$1,277,225
Emergency Livestock Relief (2023-24 drought)2023$1,266,802
Non-Insured Assistance Program2024$1,055,351
Ecpcof–$488,436
LFP drought pasture pay2024$375,221
Supplemental disaster relief (crops)2024$214,443
Price Loss Coverage2024$181,139
Emerg Assist Livestock Bees Fish (Elap)2024$180,081

Plus 20 smaller program lines.

County totals only: Cownty sums FSA's public payment file by county and never stores names or addresses. FSA files payments under its administrative county (Wheeler), which may differ from where the land is. Source: FSA payment file via the FOIA reading room.

Crop conditions (statewide)

Texas crop and pasture condition

Texas statewide, not just your county. Wheat planting is on pace with normal (70% vs 70%). From USDA's weekly Crop Progress report, week ending Oct 25, 2026.

ConditionPoor or
very poor
FairGood or
excellent
Pasture and Range45%35% 20%
+2 vs last week
Corn35%30% 35%
+0 vs last week
Cotton52%30% 18%
+0 vs last week
Peanut23%38% 39%
-1 vs last week

Progress

TexasThis weekLast weekNormal (5-yr avg)
Winter Wheat Planted70%64%70%
Winter Wheat Emerged55%46%46%
Sorghum Harvested95%90%97%
Cotton Harvested55%46%43%
Corn Harvested95%92%95%

Wheat pasture condition

Data pending. The Texas Field Office has not posted a 2026 weekly Texas Crop Progress and Condition file on its page, and the national report has no wheat-pasture rating. Check the NASS Texas Crop Progress & Condition page.

Source: USDA NASS Crop Progress released Oct 26, 2026 (ESMIS), Texas rows. Week ending Oct 25, 2026. Fetched Oct 26, 2026.

Deadlines

  • Nov 13, 2026in 12 days
    Apply for NRCS conservation cost-share (EQIP, CSP, ACEP) to be considered for 2027 money
    NRCS conservation programs
    Details and source
    NRCS takes applications year-round; apply by this date to be ranked for this fiscal year's funding.
    Source: USDA NRCS · checked Nov 1, 2026
  • Dec 1, 2026in 30 days
    Last day to buy 2027 pasture rain insurance (PRF)
    Crop insurance (RMA)
    Details and source
    Plans: Rainfall Index
    Source: USDA RMA · more · checked Aug 28, 2026
  • Jan 1, 2027in 61 days
    Property values set for the tax year
    Texas property tax · January 1 every year · Tax Code Sec. 23.01(a)
    Details and source
    What the law saysDate that taxable values (except for inventories appraised Sept. 1) and qualification for certain exemptions are determined for the tax year (Secs. 11.42(a), 23.01(a), 23.12(f)).
    Source: Texas Comptroller · checked Nov 1, 2026
  • Feb 1, 2027in 92 days
    Last year's property taxes become delinquent if not paid
    Texas property tax · February 1 every year · Tax Code Sec. 31.02(a)
    Details and source
    What the law saysDate that taxes imposed the previous year become delinquent if a bill was mailed on or before Jan. 10 of the current year (Secs. 31.02(a), 31.04(a)).
    Source: Texas Comptroller · checked Nov 1, 2026
  • Mar 1, 2027in 120 days
    Livestock Forage Disaster Program (LFP): application and papers for 2026 losses are due by this date.
    FSA disaster programs · 7 CFR 1416.206(a)
    Details and source
    Source: USDA FSA · checked Oct 18, 2026

All deadlines and report dates · FSA disaster-program deadlines are pending (no official feed).

Coming up: EQIP and CSP FY2027 first ranking cutoff (12 days left) · PRF rainfall insurance for 2027 (30 days left) · ARC/PLC 2026 election and enrollment (40 days left) · LFP, LIP and ELAP for 2026 losses (120 days left)

Land

Where it is, with barns within 200 mi

Dots are sale barns USDA reports on. Tap one for its latest prices.

Who owns this land? Open the appraisal district map

Grass grown on rangeland and pasture

Grass grown in 2025: 2,191 lb per acre, a little above normal (113% of the 1991-2020 average of 1,947).

How to read this

Each bar is one year's grass (darker = perennial grasses, lighter = annuals). The dashed line is the 1991-2020 average. A county average with cropland excluded, not your pasture.

How we got this

Satellite estimate of new above-ground growth of grasses and forbs for the year (annual + perennial, lb/acre), averaged over the county's grassland, pasture and shrubland (77% of the county in USDA's 2025 cropland map; farm fields are left out because the estimate isn't valid there, and the same 2025 map is used for every year). About about 120 m (RAP overview). Source: Rangeland Analysis Platform biomass v3 (data, Jones et al. 2021, CC0) and USDA NASS Cropland Data Layer.

Source: Rangeland Analysis Platform, 2025 season. Fetched Nov 1, 2026.

Nearest USDA-reported sale barns

  1. Woodward Livestock Auction (feeder cattle) Woodward, OK 87 mi · sells Thursdays · latest USDA report Oct 29, 2026
  2. Beaver Livestock Auction (feeder cattle) Beaver, OK 100 mi · sells Tuesdays · latest USDA report Oct 27, 2026
  3. Tulia Livestock Auction Tulia, TX 105 mi · sells Thursdays · latest USDA report Oct 29, 2026
  4. Lonestar Stockyards Wildorado, TX 106 mi · sells Tuesdays · latest USDA report Oct 27, 2026
  5. Apache Livestock Auction Apache, OK 112 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

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

Common questions and nearby counties

Is Wheeler County eligible for LFP in 2026?

Yes. Wheeler 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 Oct 29, 2026

What is the drought level in Wheeler County this week?

On the Drought Monitor map of Oct 27, 2026, most of Wheeler County was in severe drought (D2), and the worst part was extreme drought (D3) on 8% of the county. 32 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 Wheeler County?

Yes, a burn ban is in effect for Wheeler County (since Aug 3, 2026). Check with the county before burning.

Source: official state burn-ban map, as of Nov 1, 2026

What sale barns are near Wheeler County?

The nearest USDA-reported sale barns: Woodward (87 mi), last report Oct 29, 2026; Beaver (100 mi), last report Oct 27, 2026; Tulia (105 mi), last report Oct 29, 2026.

Source: USDA AMS Market News reports

What are the upcoming FSA and farm deadlines?

Next: Nov 13, 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.