Ag Weather Impacts

Ag Weather Impacts

Showers on Wednesday night and early Thursday brought rain totals mainly just a tenth of an inch or less across the Columbia Basin. Isolated heavier amounts between and quarter and half inch were measured in the Toppenish and Sunnyside areas southeast to the Horseheaven hills south of the Tri Cities. The next chance for rain may hold off until after Labor Day, so this presents a good opportunity for haying, finishing grain harvest, and picking summer fruit and vegetables to proceed at a rapid pace, or at least rapid for late August. We're losing 3 minutes of daylight per day and average temperatures are falling about 2 degrees per week. Another aspect of the longer nights is that it allows humidity to rise a little higher by sunrise than earlier this summer. Overnight humidity this weekend will be in the 60 to 70 percent range and then trending lower next week. Plan on afternoon humidity to fall to between 20 and 30 percent most days, which will continue to limit quality baling of alfalfa to the morning hours. Look for temperatures on Saturday to average 5 to 8 degrees above normal. A dry pacific cold front will knock temperatures to near or slightly below normal for Sunday and Monday before turning above normal again the rest of the week. Breezy winds with the front will hamper spraying efforts. Crop water use will be close to normal for late August. Alfalfa, corn, and apples will use between an inch and a half and inch and 2/3. Lawns will use around an inch and a quarter.
Previous ReportAg Weather Impacts
Next ReportAg Weather Impacts