Montana Crop Weather Report
Issue: 09-23
For the Week Ending: August 16, 2009
Released: August 17, 2009
For more information contact: Lindsey Houska or 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 had below normal temperatures with above normal rainfall for the week ending August 16th. Temperatures varied greatly throughout the week. Wolf Point and Miles City shared the high temperature of 98 degrees, and Cooke City and Sula shared the low temperature of 28 degrees. Culbertson received the greatest amount of precipitation with 2.84 inches during the week. Bozeman received 0.45 of an inch on the 14th, breaking the old daily precipitation record of 0.39 of an inch set in 1972. Topsoil moisture is 71 percent adequate and surplus, up from last year's 21 percent and the five-year average of 20 percent. Subsoil moisture is 47 percent adequate and surplus, up from last year's 21 percent and the five-year average of 20 percent. The number of days suitable for field work was 4.0, compared to last year's 6.5 days. Montana temperatures are forecasted to be above normal and precipitation is forecasted to be below normal for August 24th to the 30th. Normal temperatures for this period in the state are highs in the mid 70s to the upper 80s and lows in the upper 30s to the upper 50s.
 
Soil Moisture Table This Week Last Week Last Year 5 Yr Avg

Topsoil Moisture

 Very Short

8

10

29

38

 Short

21

18

50

42

 Adequate

67

67

20

19

 Surplus

4

5

1

1

Subsoil Moisture

 Very Short

16

13

32

39

 Short

37

37

47

41

 Adequate

46

49

20

20

 Surplus

1

1

1

0

 
Field Work Table This Week Last Week Last Year 5 Yr Avg

Days Suitable for Field Work

 Days

4.0

4.8

6.5

6.4

 
Field Crops Report

Cool and wet weather conditions continue to delay harvest and crop development in most areas of the state. Most of the winter wheat is ready for harvest, but dry weather is needed for producers to get in the fields. Hay is getting rained on once it is cut, making it hard for producers to bale. Hail, grasshoppers, and sawfly damage are visible in some areas of the state. Overall, the rain has helped to improve winter wheat and durum wheat conditions from last week.
 
Crop Progress  Table This Week Last Week Last Year 5 Yr Avg
Turning
  Barley

77

62

96

95

Durum Wheat

66

53

91

84

Oats

96

95

95

97

Spring Wheat

79

70

98

98

Winter Wheat

98

95

100

100

Hay- Second Cutting
Alfalfa

42

17

53

61

Other Hay

21

20

30

47

Harvested        
  Barley

7

3

27

45

Dry Peas

37

21

75

n/a

Durum Wheat

2

1

37

31

Lentils

21

15

67

n/a

Oats

24

13

40

52

Spring Wheat

4

1

33

44

Winter Wheat

56

42

66

84

 
Crop Condition Table This Week Last Week Last Year 5 Yr Avg
Winter Wheat
 Very Poor

3

3

2

n/a

 Poor

8

12

9

n/a

 Fair

32

36

30

n/a

 Good

51

40

43

n/a

 Excellent

6

9

16

n/a

Barley
 Very Poor

2

2

2

n/a

 Poor

10

9

8

n/a

 Fair

31

23

42

n/a

 Good

42

49

39

n/a

 Excellent

15

17

9

n/a

Spring Wheat
 Very Poor

5

6

7

n/a

 Poor

13

11

15

n/a

 Fair

35

31

34

n/a

 Good

39

40

39

n/a

 Excellent

8

12

5

n/a

Durum Wheat
 Very Poor

3

5

19

12

 Poor

12

9

26

23

 Fair

36

43

30

26

 Good

35

28

24

31

 Excellent

14

15

1

8

 
 
Livestock Report

Range and pasture feed conditions have declined from last week with 28 percent good to excellent, down from 37 percent last week and last year's 33 percent.
 
Range & Livestock Table This Week Last Week Last Year 5 Yr Avg
Range and Pasture Feed Condition
 Very Poor

9

7

8

11

 Poor

19

16

24

22

 Fair

44

40

35

36

 Good

26

32

25

26

 Excellent

2

5

8

5

 

Weather Information for the Week ending 08/16/2009                         

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

90

45

62

87

-35

0.63

+0.35

6.98

+0.57

109

18.55

+6.40

153

Anaconda

85

39

59

63

-37

0.30

-0.05

10.53

+3.39

147

19.09

+7.57

166

Clinton

89

44

63

92

+11

0.48

+0.27

7.00

+0.94

116

13.75

+0.18

101

Corvallis

93

45

62

86

-31

0.12

-0.15

3.59

-2.22

62

8.65

-1.40

86

Creston

89

49

62

84

-18

0.89

+0.54

6.63

-3.01

69

14.81

-3.03

83

Deer Lodge

88

37

57

53

-30

0.29

-0.04

6.16

-0.31

95

9.52

+0.64

107

Drummond

91

39

60

74

-28

0.13

-0.15

5.73

-0.66

90

12.62

+1.72

116

Hamilton

94

44

63

93

-19

0.28

+0.01

4.77

-1.19

80

11.98

+0.26

102

Kalispell

88

43

60

74

-25

1.04

+0.76

7.75

+0.14

102

15.25

-0.17

99

Missoula

91

46

64

99

-23

0.42

+0.14

5.57

-0.84

87

11.68

-0.47

96

Olney

84

38

56

45

-35

1.25

+0.90

7.55

-1.40

84

18.30

-2.48

88

Polson

88

47

63

94

-35

0.82

+0.54

5.39

-2.35

70

10.98

-3.18

78

St Ignatius

91

48

63

96

-29

0.60

+0.32

6.01

-2.33

72

14.32

-0.21

99

Seeley Lake

86

41

58

58

-38

0.30

+0.02

6.81

-0.25

96

22.24

+3.60

119

Sula

86

28

54

39

-35

0.39

+0.05

8.88

+0.84

110

15.58

+1.48

110

Superior

91

49

65

106

-26

1.04

+0.76

6.78

+0.54

109

16.64

+2.07

114

Swan Lake

87

43

60

71

-8

1.88

+1.50

7.90

-1.46

84

22.86

-3.06

88

Thompson Falls

86

49

65

108

-33

0.38

+0.10

7.19

-0.60

92

20.33

-0.98

95

West Glacier

85

45

60

72

-26

1.04

+0.69

10.32

-0.11

99

25.75

-0.30

99

NORTH CENTRAL

                         

Chester

92

43

62

84

-33

0.62

+0.34

7.07

+0.28

104

12.46

+3.29

136

Chinook

96

49

66

110

-21

0.71

+0.43

6.49

-1.39

82

9.65

-1.27

88

Choteau

86

36

60

73

-45

0.52

+0.18

7.61

+0.73

111

10.18

+1.54

118

Cut Bank

88

38

61

82

-14

0.03

-0.39

3.64

-4.41

45

5.01

-5.46

48

Ft Assinniboine

95

47

66

116

-23

0.44

+0.16

7.51

-0.45

94

11.50

+0.32

103

Fort Benton

95

45

66

112

-26

0.18

-0.17

7.35

-0.71

91

11.38

-0.32

97

Goldbutte

89

37

60

72

-31

0.66

+0.25

6.00

-2.21

73

8.66

-2.66

77

Harlem

92

48

64

100

-31

0.43

+0.22

6.14

-1.09

85

9.42

-0.26

97

Havre

97

47

66

113

-18

0.26

-0.02

5.60

-1.16

83

8.32

-1.54

84

Malta

94

50

70

139

+7

0.57

+0.29

6.81

-1.35

83

10.85

-0.24

98

Rudyard

93

45

65

103

-20

0.60

+0.31

6.63

+0.08

101

10.18

+1.81

122

Shelby

83

40

60

72

-33

1.15

+0.80

6.66

-0.73

90

9.62

-0.71

93

Turner

93

48

66

117

-2

0.62

+0.41

5.97

-1.28

82

8.32

-1.16

88

Valier

86

40

62

88

-30

0.29

-0.09

7.70

-0.23

97

10.69

+0.47

105

NORTHEAST

                         

Bredette

94

51

69

135

-3

1.54

+1.23

8.78

+0.02

100

13.39

+2.24

120

Culbertson

96

43

70

142

-3

2.84

+2.56

9.06

+0.27

103

13.22

+1.78

116

Glasgow

97

50

71

148

+3

1.10

+0.82

6.56

-0.55

92

9.76

+0.11

101

Glendive

97

44

73

161

+3

1.75

+1.46

9.76

+1.47

118

13.19

+1.72

115

Jordan

97

48

70

142

-10

0.08

-0.20

7.37

-0.44

94

10.97

-0.13

99

Nashua

97

49

71

147

-12

1.19

+0.91

6.87

-0.91

88

10.49

+0.46

105

Opheim

91

46

65

105

-7

1.47

+1.19

7.41

-1.14

87

10.29

-0.37

97

Plentywood

94

45

69

136

+4

2.13

+1.83

8.99

+0.57

107

13.36

+2.21

120

St Marie

92

49

71

146

+1

0.98

+0.70

6.10

-1.01

86

7.74

-1.91

80

Scobey

95

45

68

127

+8

2.35

+1.96

9.53

+0.90

110

13.69

+2.82

126

Sidney

97

48

71

148

-3

0.77

+0.49

7.43

-1.30

85

11.18

-0.99

92

Wolf Point

98

45

70

139

-19

1.35

+1.07

6.58

-0.96

87

8.45

-1.72

83

CENTRAL

                         

Cascade

85

35

59

64

-25

0.30

-0.03

6.96

-1.74

80

10.70

-1.49

88

Grass Range

87

49

65

103

-15

0.89

+0.54

11.82

+1.59

116

17.29

+2.81

119

Great Falls

90

44

64

99

-17

0.57

+0.18

9.35

+0.89

111

13.96

+1.12

109

Harlowton

90

42

63

93

-19

1.53

+1.12

9.42

+0.59

107

13.24

+1.08

109

Helena

92

46

67

119

-4

0.74

+0.42

5.97

-0.56

91

9.73

+0.08

101

Lewistown

89

44

63

89

-20

0.58

+0.16

9.08

-1.24

88

12.38

-3.18

80

Martinsdale

87

40

61

78

-7

0.31

-0.04

8.07

-0.25

97

12.50

+0.88

108

Neihart

85

37

58

60

-36

1.17

+0.68

10.28

-1.74

86

16.95

-1.42

92

Rogers Pass

87

40

62

85

-18

0.29

-0.13

9.19

-0.89

91

14.88

-0.36

98

Roundup

94

49

68

131

-14

1.20

+0.92

9.44

+1.32

116

13.78

+2.42

121

Ryegate

87

45

64

99

-20

0.59

+0.24

9.12

+1.15

114

13.13

+2.00

118

Stanford

88

40

62

86

-33

0.71

+0.29

7.65

-2.68

74

12.14

-2.62

82

Townsend

90

41

62

87

-29

0.40

+0.05

7.19

+0.65

110

10.44

+1.43

116

Valentine

92

48

67

122

-7

0.72

+0.37

9.22

+0.78

109

13.38

+1.55

113

Wht Sulphur Spr

83

36

59

63

-34

0.58

+0.32

8.79

+0.97

112

15.80

+4.41

139

SOUTHWEST

                         

Boulder

88

40

61

78

-25

0.38

+0.03

8.99

+1.99

128

12.99

+3.18

132

Bozeman

88

43

62

83

-26

0.83

+0.55

11.10

+2.02

122

16.34

+2.23

116

Butte

84

35

58

58

-29

0.35

+0.00

7.72

+0.40

105

10.78

-0.28

97

Dillon

87

38

61

76

-28

0.18

-0.03

6.57

+0.42

107

9.04

+0.69

108

Ennis

89

34

59

66

-33

0.34

+0.03

6.41

-1.40

82

10.85

-0.82

93

Lakeview

79

38

57

53

-10

0.11

-0.24

7.37

-2.14

77

14.05

-2.77

84

W Yellowstone

86

38

60

71

+10

0.16

-0.12

11.03

+2.57

130

20.39

+0.74

104

Wisdom

81

29

53

30

-20

0.33

+0.05

7.79

+1.41

122

13.65

+3.23

131

SOUTH CENTRAL

                         

Billings

96

50

71

146

-10

0.10

-0.04

5.77

-2.03

74

11.24

-1.73

87

Cooke City

75

28

52

25

-17

0.04

-0.45

10.29

-0.22

98

15.33

-7.16

68

Gardiner

89

39

65

106

-25

0.00

-0.21

5.42

+0.07

101

7.85

-0.65

92

Hardin

97

46

71

146

-18

0.00

-0.14

5.90

-0.57

91

9.14

-1.29

88

Huntley

95

45

67

123

-15

0.11

-0.10

8.55

+0.70

109

14.32

+2.13

117

Hysham

92

47

68

129

-22

0.40

+0.19

9.97

+2.25

129

15.80

+4.20

136

Joliet

92

41

65

107

-22

0.00

-0.21

6.81

-1.41

83

12.19

-1.54

89

Livingston

90

44

64

99

-25

0.44

+0.16

10.81

+1.76

119

13.59

+0.10

101

Nye

91

43

65

106

+1

0.30

-0.01

8.78

-1.83

83

15.99

+0.15

101

Rapelje

90

44

65

108

-24

0.54

+0.26

10.45

+1.77

120

15.07

+1.74

113

SOUTHEAST

                         

Albion

94

47

68

127

-10

0.74

+0.39

10.94

+1.29

113

18.12

+5.45

143

Baker

96

49

69

137

-7

0.43

+0.08

10.17

+1.51

117

13.47

+0.82

106

Broadus

95

48

71

147

-7

0.27

+0.06

6.57

-1.46

82

12.96

+0.85

107

Ekalaka

92

45

69

133

-12

0.33

+0.05

8.08

-2.17

79

15.77

+0.70

105

Miles City

98

51

73

162

-8

0.12

-0.16

7.88

-0.38

95

10.85

-0.91

92

Plevna

96

48

70

139

-5

0.18

-0.17

9.94

+1.28

115

14.23

+1.58

112

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

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