Ag Weather Impacts

Ag Weather Impacts

Although summer doesn't officially start until another 10 days, it's going to feel like mid summer much of this week across the Columbia Basin. A ridge of high pressure will trap a bubble of very warm air with temperatures 10 to 15 degrees above normal today and Wednesday. High temperatures in the mid and upper 90s on Wednesday, may cause some heat stress for outdoor work and livestock. A weak disturbance will flatten the ridge on Thursday with a dry westerly flow prevailing into the weekend. The well above normal temperatures will push crop development, especially with the nighttime temperatures remaining warm as well. You can expect a bump in crop water use with wheat in the heading and filling stage, tree fruit, alfalfa needing about 2 inches, early corn, lawns and mint an inch and a half to ¾. Dryland shallow rooted crops will likely be stressed in many areas this week. Now, I did see some winter wheat already turning color between Hermiston and Pendleton. The warm dry weather will be good though for hay drying and ripening cherries the next 10 days. Alfalfa cut today should dry quickly and be ready for baling this weekend. Afternoon humidity getting down into the 15 to 25 percent range will limit the hours of baling and only light dew is expected overnight with humidity remaining below 65 percent in most areas. Chemical applications may be shut down on Thursday due to breezy conditions.
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