Ag WEather Impacts

Ag WEather Impacts

We're gonna have to get use to these hot days as it does not appear to be a break in the heat wave until August. Daytime high Temperatures the next couple weeks across the Columbia Basin will be mainly in the lower 90s to slightly over 100 degrees. Crop water needs will be the highest of the season at around 2 and a quarter inches for the next 7 days. Lawns will need about an inch and ¾. Crops and garden vegetables and fruit will be pushed to ripeness quickly so daily diligence will be needed to pick at the peak flavor. Bugs and weeds will also be active with the warm weather. Fortunately, winds for spraying will be light with no chance for washoff. Where are those thunderstorms that occasionally dot the skies during summer? The tropical moisture that originates in Mexico and the southwest states has been moving just to the southeast of the inland northwest so far this summer. This has been good to limit wild fire starts, but also has really allowed soils and vegetation to dry out where irrigiation is not available. Dangerous heat stress will be a daily concern for livestock, so shading, artificial cooling, and limited movement are advised. This extended hot spell may stress potatoes and certain varieties of apples so sprinkling will help lower the temperature 20 to 25 degrees during the hottest part of the day. The dry weather will be good for wheat harvest and hay curing, but very low humidity will limit the hours suitable for alfalfa baling.
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