Ag Weather Impacts

A ridge of high pressure will bring more dry weather to the Columbia Basin through next week. Daytime temperatures are expected to be 5 to 8 degrees above normal this weekend, but a weak disturbance will move through the ridge on Sunday, and briefly drop temperatures to near normal for Monday and Tuesday. Field work, planting, and asparagus harvest should be able to continue unimpeded. Soil temperatures at the 2 inch depth continue upper 50s and lower 60s except lower to mid 50s where the soils are still moist. Soils should warm 5 to 7 degrees over this next week, which will allow germination and early development of even most warm season crops. As the soils dry out, more and more irrigation will need to be used to prevent yield reduction. Crop water use these next 7 days will range between an inch and inch and a quarter for alfalfa, winter wheat and lawns. Light winds will be the rule most days, except for late Sunday and Monday with the weak frontal passage. Looking at the latest drought monitor, there are only small pockets of moderate drought in northern Washington, New Mexico, and Georgia. Only 11 percent of the country is reporting dryness, which is the lowest amount for early May in the 20 year history of the drought monitor. Although this bodes well for early crop development, it appears dryness will be increasing over the Columbia Basin and western states through the middle of this month.