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Yellowstone County, MT

Cattle prices near Yellowstone County, Montana. The closest sale barn with a recent report is Billings MT (BLC) in Billings, MT, about 17 miles away. On Nov 9, 5-weight steers (500–599 lb) averaged $408.25 per hundredweight on 46 head (USDA). Check a bid against your own costs with Ring Price.

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CRP emergency haying & grazing: Yellowstone 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 No droughtNone · most of county Drought pay (LFP) Eligibleup to 2 payments Burn ban Checkcall the county Billings MT (BLC) 5-wt steers $408per cwt

Yellowstone County rain, outlook and forecast

The Nov 10 U.S. Drought Monitor map shows most of Yellowstone County, MT with no drought, though 8% at moderate drought (D1); 8% of the county is in moderate drought (D1) or worse, the same as four weeks earlier. Rain has run 114% of normal over the last 30 days (near normal); the 6-10 day outlook for Nov 20–24 leans toward near-normal rain and the best rain chance this week is 59% on Tuesday (high 51°). FSA's 2026 LFP list includes Yellowstone County with up to 2 monthly payments, and Billings MT (BLC) is the closest USDA-reported sale barn at 17 miles.

Rain vs normal

  • Last 30 days 114% of normal
  • Last 60 days not read yet
  • 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 toward near-normal rain
  • 8-14 day outlook (Nov 22–28) Leans toward near-normal rain

NOAA Climate Prediction Center precipitation outlook, issued Nov 14, 2026. Source.

Next 7 days

  1. Today Mostly Sunny, high 58°, low 34°, 0% rain, wind 6 mph
  2. Monday Mostly Cloudy, high 57°, low 35°, 0% rain, wind 1–5 mph
  3. Tuesday Mostly Cloudy then Slight Chance Rain Showers, high 51°, low 34°, 59% rain, wind 1–7 mph
  4. Wednesday Slight Chance Rain And Snow Showers then Mostly Sunny, high 47°, low 27°, 23% rain, wind 3–7 mph
  5. Thursday Mostly Cloudy, high 43°, low 30°, 34% rain, wind 2 mph
  6. Friday Chance Snow Showers, high 42°, low 28°, 42% rain, wind 5 mph
  7. Saturday Slight Chance Snow Showers then Mostly Sunny, high 42°, low 25°, 17% rain, wind 2–3 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 Yellowstone 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.

Yellowstone County grass production

In 2025, grassland and pasture in Yellowstone County grew about 1,183 pounds per acre of grass and forbs, 134% of the county's 1991-2020 normal of 885 pounds per acre. That was the 2nd best of 40 years on record (1986-2025). Best year: 2018 at 1,258 pounds per acre; worst: 2002 at 572.

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 Yellowstone 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

Yellowstone 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)

Next 7 days · National Weather Service

Weather for Yellowstone County

Forecast for the center point of Yellowstone County.

  • Freeze on 4 nights
  1. Today Mostly Sunny 58° 34° SW 6 mph 0% rain
  2. Mon Mostly Cloudy 57° 35° SSW 1–5 mph 0% rain
  3. Tue Mostly Cloudy then Slight Chance Rain Showers 51° 34° NNW 1–7 mph 59% rain
  4. Wed Slight Chance Rain And Snow Showers then Mostly Sunny 47° 27° WNW 3–7 mph 23% rain
  5. Thu Mostly Cloudy 43° 30° ENE 2 mph 34% rain
  6. Fri Chance Snow Showers 42° 28° NNW 5 mph 42% rain
  7. Sat Slight Chance Snow Showers then Mostly Sunny 42° 25° WNW 2–3 mph 17% rain

Forecast from the National Weather Service, updated Nov 15, 2026 old. 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 Montana; 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
1.03 in 74% of normal
Last 12 months
14.32 in 98%
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 1.39 in; same month last year 2.42 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

Nearest current perimeter: Birney Road (Wildfire, MT), about 98 mi from the county center; 48 acres, containment not reported, perimeter of Oct 7, 2026.

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

Huntley Exp Stn weather station (2 mi away)

Typical last spring frostTypical first fall frost
Frost (32°F)
136-day growing season
 May 12
1 year in 10 it's after May 26
 Sep 25
1 year in 10 it's before Sep 13
Hard freeze (28°F)
157-day growing season
 Apr 30
1 year in 10 it's after May 14
 Oct 4
1 year in 10 it's before Sep 23

Billings Wtp weather station (15 mi away)

Typical last spring frostTypical first fall frost
Frost (32°F)
142-day growing season
 May 10
1 year in 10 it's after May 24
 Oct 1
1 year in 10 it's before Sep 19
Hard freeze (28°F)
166-day growing season
 Apr 27
1 year in 10 it's after May 10
 Oct 12
1 year in 10 it's before Sep 27

Source: NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020 (Huntley Exp Stn, Billings Wtp), NOAA files as of Jun 27, 2023. Fetched Nov 11, 2026.

Text me Yellowstone County changes

Nearest USDA-reported sale barns

  1. Billings Livestock Commission Billings, MT 17 mi · sells Mondays · latest USDA report Nov 9, 2026
  2. Public Auction Yards Billings, MT 17 mi · sells Wednesdays · latest USDA report Nov 11, 2026
  3. Miles City Livestock Commission Miles City, MT 121 mi · sells Tuesdays · latest USDA report Nov 10, 2026
  4. Winter Livestock Auction Riverton, WY 201 mi · sells Tuesdays · latest USDA report Nov 10, 2026
  5. St. Onge Livestock Ltd St. Onge, SD 242 mi · sells Fridays · latest USDA report Nov 13, 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 Montana

Common questions and nearby counties

Is Yellowstone County eligible for LFP in 2026?

Yes. Yellowstone County is on FSA's 2026 Livestock Forage Disaster Program county list, with up to 2 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 Yellowstone County this week?

On the Drought Monitor map of Nov 10, 2026, most of Yellowstone County was in no drought, and the worst part was moderate drought (D1) on 8% 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 Yellowstone County?

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

What sale barns are near Yellowstone County?

The nearest USDA-reported sale barns: Billings MT (BLC) (17 mi), last report Nov 9, 2026; Billings MT (PAYS) (17 mi), last report Nov 11, 2026; Miles City MT (121 mi), last report Nov 10, 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.