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Wood County, WV

Cattle prices near Wood County, West Virginia. The closest sale barn with a recent report is Ripley WV in Ripley, WV, about 29 miles away. On Nov 7, 5-weight steers (500–599 lb) averaged $358.08 per hundredweight on 46 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 Ripley WV 5-wt steers $358per cwt

Wood County rain, outlook and forecast

The Nov 10 U.S. Drought Monitor map shows most of Wood County, WV with no drought. Wood County has had 41% of its normal rain in the past 30 days and 168% over 90 days, so the past month has been drier than the season so far; the 6-10 day outlook for Nov 20–24 leans drier than normal (33% chance of below-normal rain) and no day in the 7-day forecast tops a 12% rain chance. FSA has not added Wood County to its 2026 LFP list, and Ripley WV is the closest USDA-reported sale barn at 29 miles.

Rain vs normal

  • Last 30 days 41% of normal
  • Last 60 days 142% of normal
  • Last 90 days 168% 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 drier than normal (33% chance of below-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 Chance Rain And Snow Showers, high 51°, low 31°, 12% rain, wind 0–7 mph
  2. Monday Mostly Sunny, high 54°, low 26°, 1% rain, wind 0–2 mph
  3. Tuesday Sunny, high 58°, low 27°, 0% rain, wind 0 mph
  4. Wednesday Sunny, high 62°, low 29°, 0% rain, wind 0 mph
  5. Thursday Mostly Sunny, high 63°, low 36°, 0% rain, wind 0–6 mph
  6. Friday Mostly Sunny, high 65°, low 38°, 0% rain, wind 0–2 mph
  7. Saturday Sunny, high 68°, low 42°, 4% rain, wind 0–6 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 Wood 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.

Wood County grass production

In 2025, grassland and pasture in Wood County grew about 2,765 pounds per acre of grass and forbs, 125% of the county's 1991-2020 normal of 2,209 pounds per acre. That was the 2nd best of 40 years on record (1986-2025). Best year: 2017 at 2,853 pounds per acre; worst: 1986 at 1,310.

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 Wood 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 Wood County is on IRS Notice 2026-54 (Jackson County, WV, Pleasants County, WV, Ritchie County, WV). 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 Nov 10, 2026.

Guide: What D0–D4 mean

See the drought map

Text me Wood County changes

Nearest USDA-reported sale barns

  1. Jackson County Regional Ripley, WV 29 mi · sells Saturdays · latest USDA report Nov 7, 2026
  2. Weston Livestock Marketing Weston, WV 58 mi · sells Saturdays · latest USDA report Oct 31, 2026
  3. Buckhannon Stockyards Buckhannon, WV 71 mi · sells Wednesdays · latest USDA report Oct 28, 2026
  4. Preston Farmers Market Terra Alta, WV 107 mi · sells Fridays · latest USDA report Oct 30, 2026
  5. Monterey Stockyard LLC Monterey, VA 118 mi · sells Wednesdays · latest USDA report Oct 21, 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 · Nearest USDA hay reports (none for West Virginia): Kentucky

Common questions and nearby counties

Is Wood 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 Wood County this week?

On the Drought Monitor map of Nov 10, 2026, most of Wood 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 Wood County?

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

What sale barns are near Wood County?

The nearest USDA-reported sale barns: Ripley WV (29 mi), last report Nov 7, 2026; Weston WV (58 mi), last report Oct 31, 2026; Buckhannon WV (71 mi), last report Oct 28, 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.