Ag Weather Impacts

Ag Weather Impacts

Rainfall over the Memorial Day weekend tallied only a quarter inch or less across most of the Columbia Basin. Many farms in Yakima and Grant Counties had ¼ to ¾ inch though. Scattered showers are expected again today, but will be mainly south of Sunnyside to Connell on Wednesday. Only isolated showers are possible on Thursday and then little or no rain is expected for Friday into the middle of next week. Rainfall through Thursday should be under a quarter inch, so little or no delays for field work are likely. A warming trend will have temperatures averaging 3 to 5 degrees above normal by tomorrow and 8 to 12 degrees above normal for Friday through Monday. Hay drying rates will increase as we go through this week and into early next week. Hay cut Thursday or Friday will likely cure without rain damage. Afternoon humidity will drop in the 20 to 25 percent range which may limit the hours for baling. Light to moderate dew is likely most mornings, but should decrease this weekend. Crop water use this past week was around an inch and a quarter for lawns and an inch and a half for alfalfa and wheat. Plan on irrigation needs to increase the next 7 days to an inch an ¾ for wheat and alfalfa and an inch and a half for lawns. Although there will be isolated to scattered showers today through Thursday, the timing will be mainly in the afternoon, so fast acting chemicals applied in the morning could have 6 to 8 hours before the washoff risk increases.
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