Montana Crop Weather Report
Issue: 09-10
For the Week Ending: May 17, 2009
Released: May 11, 2009
For more information contact: Christel Pachlor Steve Anderson at 1-800-835-2612.		 Completed and Summarized by:
USDA, NASS, Montana Field Office
In conjunction with: MSU Extension Agents
and USDA County Service Centers
 
Weather Summary

Montana received limited precipitation throughout the state during the week ending May 17th. Superior received the most weekly accumulated precipitation with 1.35 inches. Highs were mostly in the 70s and 80s, and lows were mostly in the 20s and 30s. Hardin, Roundup, and Superior shared the high temperature at 85 degrees. Wisdom had the weekly low temperature for the second week in a row at 21 degrees. Topsoil moisture adequate and surplus is 91 percent, below last week's 96 percent, but above last year's 45 percent, and the five-year average of 58 percent. Subsoil moisture adequate and surplus is 83 percent, unchanged from last week, but above last year's 26 percent, and the five-year average of 41 percent. The number of days suitable for field work was 4.5, up from last week's 3.4 days.

The weather outlook for May 25th through May 31st is for above normal temperatures and above normal precipitation for both east and west of the continental divide. Normal temperatures for this period in Montana are highs in the upper 50s to the upper 70s and lows ranging from upper 20s to the mid 40s.
 
Soil Moisture Table This Week Last Week Last Year 5 Yr Avg
Topsoil Moisture
 Very Short

1

1

20

13
 Short

8

3

35

29
 Adequate

79

74

44

53
 Surplus

12

22

1

5
Subsoil Moisture
 Very Short

3

2

39

25
 Short

14

15

35

34
 Adequate

78

74

24

38
 Surplus

5

9

2

3
 
Field Work Table This Week Last Week Last Year 5 Yr Avg
Days Suitable for Field Work
 Days

4.5

3.4

5.7

5.1
Field Tillage Work in Progress
 None

9

26

5

n/a
 Just Started

18

28

9

n/a
 Well Underway

73

46

86

n/a
 
Field Crops Report

Nine percent of farmers have not started their field work yet. Warm dry weather allowed farmers back into the fields so planting progress is starting to catch back up to the five-year average. Winter wheat conditions declined slightly from last week with 63 percent good to excellent compared to 68 percent last week, 26 percent last year, and a five-year average of 47 percent.
 
Crop Progress and Condition Table This Week Last Week Last Year <5 Yr Avg
Winter Wheat        
 Very Poor

3

1

13

5
 Poor

5

4

25

16
 Fair

29

27

36

32
 Good

47

53

21

35
 Excellent

16

15

5

12
Planted        
 Barley

61

40

92

91
 Camelina

78

73

96

n/a
 Corn

58

51

59

58
 Dry Peas

85

51

98

74
 Durum Wheat

56

25

81

74
 Lentils

81

45

86

67
 Oats

48

25

79

79
 Spring Wheat

69

48

92

90
 Sugar Beets

92

82

92

95
Emerged        
 Barley

19

9

48

58
 Camelina

25

14

80

n/a
 Corn

2

1

13

16
 Dry Peas

7

3

56

38
 Durum Wheat

4

n/a

39

29
 Lentils

4

1

44

27
 Oats

12

7

37

45
 Spring Wheat

21

8

48

50
 Sugar Beets

48

26

71

65
Boot Stage        
 Winter Wheat

12

2

8

13
 
 
Range & Livestock Table

This Week

Last Week

Last Year

5 Yr Avg
Range and Pasture Feed Condition
 Very Poor

0

1

14

9
 Poor

7

9

22

17
 Fair

30

43

32

33
 Good

45

37

26

33
 Excellent

18

10

6

8
Moved to Summer Ranges
 Cattle & Calves

35

26

48

39
 Sheep & Lambs

53

23

47

36
Receiving Supplemental Feed
 Cattle & Calves

34

53

40

n/a
 Sheep & Lambs

38

54

36

n/a
Livestock Grazing
 Open

87

84

89

n/a
 Difficult

8

9

8

n/a
 Closed

5

7

3

n/a
Livestock Birthing        
 Calving Complete

96

92

97

97
 Lambing Complete

91

86

91

91
 
Weather Information for the Week ending 05/17/2009                         

Station ID

  

Precipitation

Temperature

GDDs

This Week

April 1 to Date

October 1 to Date

Hi

LOW

AVG

B50

DFN

Total

DFN

Total

DFN

%NRM

Total

DFN

%NRM

NORTHWEST

                          

Alberton

76

32

49

9

-16

0.38

-0.04

2.03

-0.03

99

13.60

+5.80

174

Anaconda

80

28

47

11

-3

0.41

-0.01

3.39

+1.28

161

11.95

+5.46

184

Clinton

83

32

51

15

+3

0.64

+0.23

2.05

+0.13

107

8.80

-0.63

93

Corvallis

83

33

50

17

-12

0.13

-0.26

0.48

-1.39

26

5.54

-0.57

91

Creston

82

33

49

14

-7

0.39

-0.17

1.84

-1.16

61

10.02

-1.18

89

Deer Lodge

80

27

47

10

-2

0.19

-0.23

0.86

-0.77

53

4.22

+0.18

104

Drummond

84

22

47

7

-12

0.05

-0.39

0.75

-1.22

38

7.64

+1.16

118

Hamilton

76

31

50

11

-15

0.33

-0.08

1.12

-0.84

57

8.33

+0.61

108

Kalispell

72

32

50

9

-12

0.22

-0.23

1.68

-0.55

75

9.18

-0.86

91

Missoula

74

32

49

10

-15

0.09

-0.33

0.89

-1.17

43

7.00

-0.80

90

Olney

66

26

43

0

-14

0.66

+0.16

2.21

-0.30

88

12.96

-1.38

90

Polson

80

32

49

10

-21

0.28

-0.25

0.92

-1.61

36

6.51

-2.44

73

St Ignatius

81

34

50

16

-15

0.45

-0.14

1.70

-1.05

62

10.01

+1.07

112

Seeley Lake

82

27

46

11

-3

0.43

+0.00

1.66

-0.37

82

17.09

+3.48

126

Sula

80

27

48

8

+1

0.32

-0.17

1.42

-1.23

54

8.12

-0.59

93

Superior

85

33

52

22

-14

1.35

+0.93

2.76

+0.61

128

12.62

+2.14

120

Swan Lake

70

29

45

1

-15

0.84

+0.27

3.04

+0.09

103

18.00

-1.51

92

Thompson Falls

83

35

52

20

-22

1.15

+0.65

2.89

+0.23

109

16.03

-0.15

99

West Glacier

81

32

48

11

-9

1.32

+0.74

3.85

+0.75

124

19.28

+0.56

103

NORTH CENTRAL

                          

Chester

75

29

49

13

-16

0.03

-0.36

2.43

+0.88

157

7.82

+3.89

199

Chinook

71

28

48

7

-29

0.07

-0.46

1.57

-0.59

73

4.73

-0.47

91

Choteau

78

30

50

16

-10

0.02

-0.43

2.01

+0.32

119

4.58

+1.13

133

Cut Bank

67

31

47

10

-5

0.13

-0.36

0.59

-1.38

30

1.96

-2.43

45

Ft Assinniboine

70

29

48

5

-30

0.35

-0.14

2.48

+0.41

120

6.47

+1.18

122

Fort Benton

74

30

49

9

-37

0.19

-0.32

2.77

+0.42

118

6.80

+0.81

114

Goldbutte

77

28

49

17

-5

0.16

-0.32

1.43

-0.72

67

4.09

-1.17

78

Harlem

78

30

50

15

-22

0.15

-0.30

1.19

-0.52

70

4.47

+0.31

107

Havre

70

31

49

11

-22

0.13

-0.29

1.65

-0.14

92

4.37

-0.52

89

Malta

77

28

52

22

-13

0.12

-0.38

3.13

+1.15

158

7.17

+2.26

146

Rudyard

76

32

49

11

-19

0.44

-0.02

1.65

-0.03

98

5.20

+1.70

149

Shelby

76

30

50

15

-8

0.33

-0.16

2.26

+0.15

107

5.22

+0.17

103

Turner

76

25

49

12

-16

0.10

-0.28

1.04

-0.29

78

3.39

-0.17

95

Valier

74

30

49

14

-11

0.31

-0.18

2.78

+0.80

140

5.77

+1.50

135

NORTHEAST

                          

Bredette

76

25

49

18

-23

0.15

-0.25

2.35

+0.63

137

6.96

+2.85

169

Culbertson

77

22

51

20

-32

0.43

-0.03

2.07

+0.16

108

6.23

+1.67

137

Glasgow

68

27

49

18

-25

0.13

-0.25

1.74

+0.17

111

4.94

+0.83

120

Glendive

79

27

54

35

-15

0.05

-0.41

2.48

+0.28

113

5.91

+0.53

110

Jordan

70

27

48

15

-24

0.05

-0.44

2.89

+0.83

140

6.49

+1.14

121

Nashua

80

24

51

21

-34

0.12

-0.29

2.03

+0.19

110

5.65

+1.56

138

Opheim

78

23

48

10

-17

0.04

-0.41

1.29

-0.29

82

4.17

+0.48

113

Plentywood

77

23

50

14

-29

0.14

-0.26

1.95

+0.27

116

6.32

+1.91

143

St Marie

74

28

50

11

-32

0.09

-0.29

1.10

-0.47

70

2.74

-1.37

67

Scobey

76

22

48

12

-20

0.21

-0.14

2.21

+0.63

140

6.37

+2.55

167

Sidney

76

23

52

21

-36

0.20

-0.23

1.42

-0.61

70

5.17

-0.30

95

Wolf Point

72

23

47

16

-38

0.14

-0.21

1.88

+0.32

121

3.75

-0.44

89

CENTRAL

                          

Cascade

78

23

48

12

-2

0.00

-0.63

2.17

-0.40

84

5.91

-0.15

98

Grass Range

80

31

52

21

-3

0.17

-0.53

4.64

+1.65

155

10.11

+2.87

140

Great Falls

72

31

50

15

-5

0.16

-0.40

3.27

+0.59

122

7.88

+0.82

112

Harlowton

70

26

46

5

-16

0.00

-0.49

1.31

-1.08

55

5.13

-0.59

90

Helena

73

32

51

19

-6

0.11

-0.31

0.96

-0.86

53

4.72

-0.22

96

Lewistown

66

30

46

5

-10

0.27

-0.39

3.05

+0.21

107

6.35

-1.73

79

Martinsdale

77

22

48

13

+0

0.11

-0.38

1.95

-0.36

84

6.38

+0.77

114

Neihart

76

29

50

14

+3

0.12

-0.69

2.28

-1.37

62

8.95

-1.05

90

Rogers Pass

67

28

46

9

-6

0.00

-0.77

2.22

-1.08

67

7.91

-0.55

93

Roundup

85

30

54

32

-7

0.20

-0.35

1.90

-0.61

76

6.24

+0.49

109

Ryegate

71

30

48

9

-9

0.07

-0.35

2.62

+0.57

128

6.63

+1.42

127

Stanford

75

28

49

12

-10

0.16

-0.48

2.86

-0.12

96

7.35

-0.06

99

Townsend

78

28

51

13

-17

0.17

-0.21

1.03

-0.51

67

4.28

+0.27

107

Valentine

71

30

48

9

-16

0.08

-0.59

3.45

+0.81

131

7.61

+1.58

126

Wht Sulphur Spr

74

29

46

7

-7

0.36

-0.16

1.91

-0.44

81

8.92

+3.00

151

SOUTHWEST

                          

Boulder

78

27

47

10

-4

0.43

-0.03

1.73

-0.04

98

5.73

+1.15

125

Bozeman

81

31

52

22

+1

0.26

-0.37

4.23

+1.18

139

9.47

+1.39

117

Butte

70

28

45

5

+0

0.37

-0.10

1.84

-0.21

90

4.90

-0.89

85

Dillon

75

30

50

17

+1

0.00

-0.42

1.96

+0.07

104

4.43

+0.34

108

Ennis

74

26

49

13

-4

0.04

-0.45

2.16

-0.25

90

6.60

+0.33

105

Lakeview

78

26

49

9

+9

0.08

-0.51

3.12

+0.26

109

9.80

-0.37

96

W Yellowstone

68

25

44

0

+0

0.27

-0.22

4.28

+1.64

162

13.64

-0.19

99

Wisdom

76

21

44

4

+4

0.32

-0.06

1.64

-0.20

89

7.50

+1.62

128

SOUTH CENTRAL

                          

Billings

73

37

53

29

-10

0.22

-0.34

2.36

-0.74

76

7.83

-0.44

95

Cooke City

77

27

48

8

+8

0.23

-0.38

3.00

-0.15

95

8.04

-7.09

53

Gardiner

81

27

50

20

-7

0.03

-0.38

2.70

+1.22

182

5.13

+0.50

111

Hardin

85

34

56

45

-8

0.25

-0.21

3.48

+1.05

143

6.72

+0.33

105

Huntley

75

28

51

19

-14

0.30

-0.26

2.62

-0.26

91

8.39

+1.17

116

Hysham

80

30

52

23

-21

0.64

+0.06

3.28

+0.64

124

9.11

+2.59

140

Joliet

74

29

48

9

-21

0.12

-0.58

2.70

-0.91

75

8.08

-1.04

89

Livingston

74

27

50

15

-7

0.26

-0.37

3.17

+0.14

105

5.95

-1.52

80

Nye

80

26

50

15

-6

0.20

-0.50

2.78

-0.87

76

9.99

+1.11

113

Rapelje

83

27

50

11

-14

0.11

-0.52

2.61

-0.52

83

7.23

-0.55

93

SOUTHEAST

                          

Albion

72

27

48

11

-17

0.29

-0.28

2.57

-0.30

90

9.75

+3.86

166

Baker

72

26

49

22

-16

0.85

+0.35

2.79

+0.25

110

6.09

-0.44

93

Broadus

80

27

54

36

-8

0.28

-0.21

2.57

-0.17

94

8.96

+2.14

131

Ekalaka

73

25

50

17

-21

0.26

-0.32

2.67

-0.55

83

10.36

+2.32

129

Miles City

74

32

53

37

-13

0.33

-0.16

2.30

-0.22

91

5.27

-0.75

88

Plevna

76

22

50

24

-14

0.50

+0.00

2.68

+0.14

106

6.97

+0.44

107

Compiled by AWIS Inc. based on NWS data.  DFN-Departure from normal 1971-2000.  GDD-Growing degree days
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