Ag Weather Impacts

Ag Weather Impacts

Rainfall on Tuesday and Tuesday night ending up being mainly a quarter inch or less. However, there were heavier amounts between ½ and ¾ inch fell in the Hermiston, Pendleton, Walla, Walla and the Tri Cities area. With nearly all of the Columbia Basin receiving near to above normal precipitation in January, the drought monitor has removed the moderate drought designation for the time being. Now we're looking at an upper level developing high pressure ridge that will produce dry weather across the Columbia Basin this weekend. We DO expect the ridge to flatten a little by the middle of next week and allow a few light showers to develop. In the meantime, though, the high pressure ridge means that cold air in the basin coupled with warmer air aloft will produce an inversion and light winds with patchy fog developing this weekend. So far this month, temperatures have averaged 2 to 4 degrees above normal on most farms, except 5 to 6 degrees above normal in the Moses Lake and Ephrata areas. And unlike a couple years ago, little or no snow has fallen and that which has fallen has melted within a day or so and winter wheat has continued to continue grow slowly. There has actually been enough growing degree warmth to allow another leaf to develop especially in fields across the southern Columbia Basin. The outlook into the first week of February is calling for above normal temperatures, so further vegetative development is likely for both wheat and pastures.
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