The aim of this study was to characterize changes in quarter-level SCC for cows at dry off and the first 2 weeks postpartum. Milk samples were collected at dry off (S1) and postpartum wk 1 (S2) and wk 2 (S3) from quarters (n = 660) of 185 cows at the UW dairy farm. Microbiological analysis of milk samples was performed at the UW Milk Quality Laboratory. The SCC at each sampling period was used to determine postpartum categories: (1) Healthy (SCC < 150,000 at S1,S2,S3), (2) DryCure (S1 ≥ 150,000; S2 & S3 < 150,000), (3) Chronic (S1,S2,S3 all ≥ 150,000), (4) PostChronic (S < 150,000; S2 & S3 ≥ 150,000), (5) LateCure (S1 & S2 ≥ 150,000, S3 < 150,000), (6) LateInf (S1 & S2 < 150,000, S3 ≥ 150,000),(7) ShortNew (S1 & S3 < 150,000, S2 ≥ 150,000). Univariate analyses were performed to determine risk factors associated with Chronic quarters. Average DIM was 6.1 and 13.6 for S1 and S2, respectively. Median SCC were 117,000, 42,000, and 18,000 cells/mL for S1, S2 and S3, respectively. The prevalence of SCC ≥ 150,000 cells/ml was 43.6%, 13.5%, and 9.4% for S1, S2, and S3, respectively. The distribution of quarters was: Healthy (n = 321; 48.6%), DryCure (221; 33.5%), Chronic (20; 3.0%), PostChronic (13, 2.0%), LateCure (33, 5.0%), LateInf (29, 4.4%), and ShortNew (23, 3.5%). The occurrence of a clinical case in the lactation before dry off was associated with postpartum category (P = 0.004). Fewer quarters that had previously experienced a clinical case were categorized as healthy and a greater proportion were categorized as LateCure and PostChronic. Parity was associated with postpartum category (P < 0.001). As compared with younger cows, quarters of cows in parity ≥ 3 were 10.9 (3.6–34.6) times more likely to be categorized as chronic (rather than healthy). The number of days dry was greater for quarters categorized as Chronic (66.8d) and LateCure (66.4) as compared with quarters categorized as DryCure (59.1), PostChronic (57.6), LateInf (54.2), Healthy (53.1), or ShortNew (50.5) (P < 0.001). Only 8.6% of Chronic quarters were microbiologically positive at dry off. Results of this study demonstrate the dynamic nature of quarter SCC values during the dry and immediate postpartum period.