Ag Weather Impacts

Ag Weather Impacts

Plan on mostly dry conditions and very warm temperatures into Thursday under a high pressure ridge. With temperatures in the upper 80s to around 90, this may be near the critical threshold for wheat in the flowering stage. As the ridge slides east on Friday, it looks like a low pressure area will enter northern California and cause the atmosphere to become more moist and unstable with scattered showers and a few thunderstorms. Rainfall amounts of ¼ to ½ inch are possible. So hay on the ground may risk some moisture damage, but dryland crops may get some relief. Good drying conditions will resume Sunday through much of next week though. If you need to spray, plan on light winds into Thursday and then again next week. Look for crop water use over the next 7 days to range between an inch an a third and 2/3s for wheat and alfalfa and turf grass will need between and inch and an inch and a quarter. Now For planning purposes, growing degree days at base 40 since March 1 are running one to two weeks ahead of normal and 2017. Base 50 numbers since April first are also 8 to 14 days ahead. So far in May, temperatures across the Columbia Basin area averaged 6 to 8 degrees above normal. This trend looks like it will continue as NOAA's climate prediction center is calling for temperatures to average above normal in June as well.
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