nd-crop-weather STATE NORTH DAKOTA CROP, LIVESTOCK & WEATHER REPORT RELEASE DATE, WEEK ENDING DATE Released: April 18, 2005 For Week Ending: April 17,2005 ISSUE ND-CW1605 AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY General: Welcomed rains came across most of the state last week, according to the North Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service. Producers in the north central and northeast districts continued to wait for soils to warm up and dry out before planting begins. Topsoil moisture supplies were rated 7 percent very short, 21 short, 67 adequate and 5 surplus. This compared with the five-year (2000-2004) average of 5 percent very short, 16 short, 67 adequate and 12 surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies were rated 11 percent very short, 24 short, 60 adequate and 5 surplus. The statewide average starting date for fieldwork was April 14, same as last year. Expected starting dates ranged from April 6 in the southwest district to April 21 in the northeast. Statewide, on average, there were 4.3 days suitable for field work. FIELD CROPS REPORT Crops: Small grain seeding continued, slightly ahead of the five-year average. Eleven percent of the hard red spring wheat was seeded compared with 17 percent last year and 8 percent average. Six percent of the barley and durum wheat were seeded compared with 3 and 2 percent average, respectively. Dry edible peas were 5 percent seeded, while canola was 4 percent. Sugarbeet planting began with 1 percent planted, behind the average of 6 percent. LIVESTOCK, PASTURE AND RANGE REPORT Livestock: Calving and lambing continued with little to no problems reported. Calving was 76 percent complete and lambing was 86 percent complete compared with 77 and 85 percent last year, respectively. Shearing was 92 percent complete. Hay and forage supplies were rated 2 percent very short, 16 short, 77 adequate and 5 surplus. Grain and concentrate supplies were 1 percent very short, 6 short, 85 adequate and 8 surplus. Pasture conditions were 55 percent growing compared to 36 percent a year ago. Pasture and range conditions were rated 9 percent very poor, 20 poor, 42 fair, 28 good and 1 excellent. CROP PROGRESS TABLES Planting: Percent Completed Week Ending Crop April 17, April 10, April 17, 2000-2994 2005 2005 2004 Average (Percent) SMALL GRAINS Barley 6 1 8 3 Durum Wheat 6 1 7 2 HRS Wheat 11 3 17 8 Oats 9 4 9 4 LATE SEASON CROPS Canola 4 1 4 1 Sugarbeets 1 0 16 6 Dry Edible Peas 5 NA NA NA NA = Not Available SOIL TEMPERATURES Soil Temperatures: Average soil temperatures on April 17 ranged from a low of 48 degrees F in Langdon and Robinson to a high of 58 in Watford City. These readings reflect daily average temperatures under 4 inches of bare soil recorded by the North Dakota Agricultural Weather Network (NDAWN). SOIL TEMPERATURE TABLE Average Soil Temperatures*, April 17, 2005 Station Temperature Station Temperature Degrees F Degrees F NORTHWEST CENTRAL Bowbells 50 Carrington 56 Minot 56 Robinson 48 Williston 56 Streeter 51 NORTH CENTRAL EAST CENTRAL Baker 56 Dazey 52 Bottineau 50 Fargo 49 Rolla 53 SOUTHWEST NORTHEAST Bowman 55 Cavalier 55 Dickinson 56 Grand Forks 53 SOUTH CENTRAL Langdon 48 Linton 54 WEST CENTRAL SOUTHEAST Turtle Lake 57 Oakes 52 Watford City 58 Wyndmere 52 * Thermometers located 4 inches under bare soil. Source: NDAWN, Department of Soil Science, NDSU. SOIL MOISTURE TABLE Soil Moisture: North Dakota Week Ending Date April 17, April 10, April 17, 2000-2004 2005 2005 2004 Average (Percent) TOPSOIL Very Short 7 8 6 5 Short 21 22 19 16 Adequate 67 66 67 67 Surplus 5 4 8 12 SUBSOIL Very Short 11 12 11 7 Short 24 22 25 21 Adequate 60 62 60 64 Surplus 5 4 4 8 WEATHER SUMMARY Weather: The second week of April began on a wet note. A strong low pressure system brought widespread showers and thunderstorms across most of the state. A trough of low pressure moved across the Red River Valley area on Tuesday, bringing more scattered showers to that area. Rainfall amounts ranged from 0.08 of an inch to just over 1.00 inch. Cool temperatures also prevailed across the state, due to the clouds and rain. Highs ranged from the upper 40s to upper 50s on Monday and Tuesday. A large area of high pressure moved in from Canada, bringing fair weather and warm temperatures on Wednesday. High temperatures were in the 60s to low 70s. Highs reached into the low 80s in the western areas for the weekend. The rest of the state saw highs generally in the 70s under mostly clear skies. Morning lows on Friday and Saturday started out chilly, with lows in the upper 20s to low 30s across the state. Outlook, April 18-24: Warm temperatures and a chance of thunderstorms will start the third week of April, followed by cooler temperatures for the rest of the week. A low pressure system will move across the state on Monday, bringing a chance of scattered showers and thunderstorms. Winds out ahead of the system will bring humidity and above average temperatures to the state once again. Look for highs generally in the 70s across the west and north to mid-80s southeast. Temperatures behind the system will cool into the 50s to low 60s as an area of high pressure from Canada builds across the state. A lingering trough in the eastern areas will bring scattered showers to those areas on Tuesday. More average late April temperatures will be in store for the rest of the week, with highs generally in the 50s to around 60. Look for a chance of rain in the southwest on Thursday. The weekend will bring a slight chance of showers across the state and temperatures at or slightly above seasonal normals. WEATHER INFORMATION TABLES Temperature & Precipitation: Districts and Stations North Dakota, Week ending April 17, 2005 Average Seasonal Precipitation District Temperature Beginning April 1 Averages Past Depart Past Depart Week Normal 1/ Week Total Normal 1/ (Degrees F) (Inches) Northwest (1) 55 5 0.20 0.20 -0.58 N. Central (2) 53 3 0.33 0.33 -0.52 Northeast (3) 51 0 0.65 0.65 -0.07 W. Central (4) 54 4 0.29 0.29 -0.65 Central (5) 53 3 0.43 0.43 -0.46 E. Central (6) 52 0 0.52 0.52 -0.52 Southwest (7) 54 6 0.13 0.17 -0.67 S. Central (8) 54 4 0.81 0.81 -0.11 Southeast (9) 52 1 0.62 0.64 -0.38 1/ Normal is the 1961-90 average. NA=Not Available. Weather data collected from NDAWN stations and compiled by UND Aerospace Regional Weather Information Center. Temperature & Precipitation: Districts and Stations North Dakota, Week ending April 17, 2005 Temperature Seasonal Precipitation Stations Past Week Beginning April 1 by Past Depart District High Low Week Total Normal 1/ (Degrees F) (Inches) (1) Bowbells 78 34 0.15 0.15 -0.56 Williston 83 30 0.00 0.00 -0.70 Mohall 75 32 0.38 0.38 -0.41 Minot 78 33 0.25 0.25 -0.69 (2) Baker 74 35 0.50 0.50 -0.49 Bottineau 77 24 0.18 0.18 -0.53 Rugby 77 31 0.32 0.32 -0.54 (3) Cando 71 29 0.39 0.39 -0.25 Cavalier 71 32 0.83 0.83 0.18 Forest River 70 36 0.87 0.87 0.01 Grand Forks 70 33 0.34 0.34 -0.40 Langdon 67 32 0.76 0.76 0.19 St. Thomas 68 35 0.71 0.71 -0.15 (4) Hazen 79 28 0.56 0.56 -0.51 Turtle Lake 74 30 0.31 0.31 -0.68 Watford City 82 33 0.00 0.00 -0.75 (5) Carrington 74 33 0.53 0.53 -0.37 Harvey 75 28 0.34 0.34 -0.38 Jamestown 76 32 0.41 0.41 -0.46 Robinson 74 29 0.35 0.35 -0.51 Streeter 74 34 0.50 0.50 -0.59 (6) Dazey 70 33 0.36 0.36 -0.59 Fargo 70 38 0.75 0.75 -0.39 Hillsboro 71 31 0.45 0.45 -0.57 (7) Beach 80 28 0.00 0.11 -0.62 Bowman 82 25 0.00 0.00 -0.75 Dickinson 81 29 0.08 0.08 -0.87 Hettinger 81 26 0.45 0.50 -0.44 (8) Mandan 77 29 1.01 1.01 0.14 Linton 76 35 0.61 0.61 -0.35 (9) Edgeley 76 30 0.65 0.68 -0.41 Oakes 77 29 0.55 0.55 -0.55 Wyndmere 70 33 0.67 0.68 -0.19 1/ Normal is the 1961-90 average. NA=Not Available. Weather data collected from NDAWN stations and compiled by UND Aerospace Regional Weather Information Center. CONTACT INFORMATION North Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service, USDA Cooperating with: NDSU Extension Service, Farm Service Agency, ND Ag Weather Network (NDAWN) and UND Aerospace Regional Weather Information Center FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: David Knopf, Director North Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service NDSU, IACC Bldg., Room 448 P.O. Box 3166 Fargo, ND 58108-3166 Telephone: (701) 239-5306 E-Mail: nass-nd@nass.usda.gov Internet: http://www.nass.usda.gov/nd/