Weather and Wheat

 The United States Department of Agriculture says that wet, cold temperatures across the country the past few weeks have drastically slowed field work from Maine to Montana. But the USDA added that stalled plantings shouldnt drastically affect the 2010 harvest. About 64 percent of the wheat crop rated to excellent condition. That's similar to last year's rating at this time. In terms of wheat in Idaho, Blaine Jacobson, Executive Director of the Idaho Wheat Commission had this to say: “Spring planting is going very well. Northern Idaho started a couple of weeks ago and Southern Idaho is getting into it as well. In Eastern Idaho the dry farms haven’t started yet but within the next few days it should begin. We did have a cold snap that lasted about a week but this week we’re back into it.” Temperatures in Idaho ranged from three to ten degrees below normal for the month. While rain and snow has slowed planting, it's added to snowpack levels. Storms have blanketed the state and all regions of the state reported precipitation, but the north and east still report below-normal precipitation. The Snake River above Palisades continues to lag behind normal levels. Even though the late March storm added 4 percentage points to the snowpack in a single day, it's still just 55 percent of the March average.

While cool temps have held mountain snowpack and extended snowmelt, Jefferson County got 6-12 inches of snow while cool, wet weather in Twin Falls stalled sugar beet plantings. Yet, winter wheat is in mostly good to excellent condition. Farmers have managed to plant 43 percent of the nation's oat crop and that's average. Cattlemen report the calving season is 79 percent complete.