Ag Weather Impacts

Weakening high pressure will bring another mild dry day to the Columbia Basin today, but change are in the works beginning Wednesday. A pacific cold front will push through the region late Wednesday and overnight with scattered showers each day into early next week. The showers will be more numerous near the Cascades and Blue Mountains. Rainfall amounts up to a quarter inch can be expected, but farms near the Blues and Cascades could get ¼ to ¾ inch, so significant field work delays are possible in these areas. After temperatures mainly in the 60s again today, you can expect cooler days and milder nights the rest of the week due to cloud cover and a little stronger winds. The wind and rain may cause periods of moderate cold stress for exposed weak or newborn livestock, especially at night. The temperatures will continue warm enough though for winter wheat to germinate and develop. Soil temperatures which dipped into the mid and upper 40s over the weekend in some spots have recovered to mainly the upper 40s and lower 50s and should show little change through the weekend. Field burning will have limited opportunities with poor smoke dispersion today, improving Wednesday and then rain chances the rest of the week. Look for a drier period returning Tuesday. The longer range outlook from the middle of next week til the end of October is showing warmer and drier than normal.