or-crop-weather Oregon Crop Weather Released: April 13, 2009 Week ending: April 12, 2009 OR-CW1405 OREGON CROP WEATHER NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS SERVICE USDA, NASS, Oregon Field Office Phone: 503-326-2131 Released: April 13, 2009 Toll Free: 1-800-338-2157 Week ending: April 12, 2009 Email: nass-or@nass.usda.gov Volume: 02-09 Internet: www.nass.usda.gov/or Weather: Conditions were generally warmer through the first part of the week, with precipitation increasing towards the weekend throughout the State. High temperatures ranged from 79 degrees in Medford, down to 63 degrees in Joseph. Low temperatures ranged from 41 degrees in Aurora and Portland, down to 13 degrees in Christmas Valley. All forty-three stations reporting received a measurable amount of precipitation last week. The Detroit Lake station reported the most with 1.57 total inches. Field Crops: Growers were embracing the wet weather conditions, but were hoping for warmer temperatures soon to aid with crop growth and development. Thus far, grains have been reported in good condition throughout the State. Hop trellises were being prepared in Marion County. Ryegrass and fescue were reported to be ten days behind average but were doing well. Grasses were growing rapidly. Vegetables: Field preparation and early-season vegetable planting was underway in areas where the weather allowed. Most areas were just planting early sweet corn and other cold weather hardy vegetable crops. Temperatures will need to increase for more planting to get underway. Fruits and Nuts: Continued cool temperatures at night have grape growers protecting their crop from frost. Vineyards in Jackson County have completed pruning. Caneberries were being fertilized and weeded. Eastern Filbert Blight sprays on hazelnuts continue to be applied. Plums, cherries, pears, and apples were blooming. Nurseries and Greenhouses: Greenhouses were busy with new vegetable and ornamental starts. Nurseries continued getting trees and shrubs ready for sale. New starts were also being planted. Some nurseries were also busy with spraying activities. Livestock, Range and Pasture: Pasture growth was still slow due to cooler temperatures, but was expected to speed up with projected warmer days and nights. Some producers in Lake County have started harrowing their pastures and throughout the State producers have been turning out their cattle. Also, calving continues to be in full swing. Soil Moisture-Week Ending 04/12/09 ------------------------------------------------------------------ : Very : : : : short : Short : Adequate : Surplus ------------------------------------------------------------------ : Percent : Topsoil : 1 11 68 20 Subsoil : 6 11 68 15 ------------------------------------------------------------------ Crop Progress-Week Ending 04/12/09 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : This : Last : Last : 5 year Crop : week : week : year : average -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : Barley planted : 57 49 79 68 Barley emerged : 38 34 39 39 Spring wheat planted : 44 40 80 74 Spring wheat emerged : 6 2 39 36 : Days suitable for fieldwork : 4.6 4.1 4.9 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop Condition-Week Ending 04/12/09 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Very : : : : Crop : poor : Poor : Fair : Good : Excellent ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : Winter wheat : 1 13 42 37 7 Range and pasture : 2 19 36 39 4 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Western Oregon BENTON/LINN/LANE: Ground heat units still behind average for this time of year. One week of good weather still leaves us behind for the year. Pastoral grasses are behind and most ranchers were putting spring nitrogen on this last week. Winter wheat looks good, have not had any reports of disease. Ryegrass and fescue varieties are 10 days behind average but look good at this point. Fertilization of grass varieties is almost complete. Some plowing on vegetables fields has begun. CLATSOP: Still cold and wet with some grass silage and green chop harvested. COLUMBIA: Monday and Tuesday were in the low 70's and clear with little wind. Broad spectrum herbicide was being sprayed in some fields in the Willamette Valley and soil preparation and planting was beginning for spring wheat. Monday and Tuesday (4/6 and 4/7) also saw some spraying in open areas at several nurseries and in hazelnut orchards. It was rainy and blustery for the remaining part of the week with a small break in the weather Saturday the 11th. Cherries were beginning to bloom in the North Willamette Valley and rapeseed is also blooming. Some clover is also starting to blossom. No information for barley. Winter wheat is around four to five inches high. No heads visible. COOS/CURRY: Low temperatures were 3 to 5 degrees below the 5-year average for the week in both Coos and Curry counties. High temperatures through the week were near average over the week. Producers were starting preparations for the coming spring weather, but wet weather limited farming operations most of the week. Bandon (Coos & Northern Curry): Low temperature for the period was 35.36 degrees, 5.41 degrees below the 5-year average. High temperature for the period was 71.6 degrees, 0.15 degrees above the 5-year average. Precipitation for the period was 1.24 inches, compared to a 5-year (including drought in 2004 & 2005) average of 0.77 inches. Precipitation for Current weather year precipitation (began 10/08) stands at 36.74 inches, 11.88 inches below the 5 year average, and 16.11 inches below the long-term historical average. Historical average precipitation through April is 52.85 inches. Brookings (Southern Curry): Low temperature for the period was 39.36 degrees, 3.15 degrees below the 5-year average. High temperature for the period was 70.2 degrees, 0.19 degrees below the 5-year average. Precipitation for the period was 1.53 inches, compared to a 5-year (including drought in 2004 & 2005) average of 1.72 inches. Precipitation for Current weather year precipitation (began 10/08) stands at 63.38 inches, 7.46 inches below the 5 year average, and 1.16 inches below the long-term historical average. Historical average precipitation through April is 64.54 inches. DOUGLAS: Normal spring weather this past week, good bloom occurring on plums and cherries. JACKSON: Spring planting of vegetables was in full force because of the suitable weather to begin the week. This may allow for sweet corn harvest prior to the fourth of July. Temperatures cooled off during the second half of the week. Some of the higher elevations received light snowfall. Grain crops look to be off to a good start, but we really need some warmer weather. Hay is off to a slow start, looks to be about two weeks behind. Pears and apples are in bloom, spraying for moth being done, just the normal protection spray during bloom. Vineyards now have all pruning done, and ready for the new growth to start. Nights have been cooler than normal, so some frost protection being done. Some vegetables being planted, but things are still a bit slow in gardening. Onions, some potatoes, and spring peas being planted. Also some early corn and some other cold weather. Greenhouses are really busy now with plant care, and getting early vegetable starts out, as well as spring ornamental starts. Nurseries also very busy with getting out their spring tree and shrub plants that are ready for sale. They too are getting their new starts planted for future years. Most all livestock is now out on valley pastures. There are lots of babies in the fields with their mothers. Pastures are a bit slow, but with some warmer days and nights they should improve. The weather has been a bit too cool, and cloudy. Not much rain, but we need all the rain we can get now. Just needs to warm up a bit. JOSEPHINE: Livestock looks good. Pastures are looking really good. We had 0.50 inches of rain for week with moderate temperatures 5 out of 7 days. Two days a.m. we had temperatures in the 27 - 29 degree range. Day time temperatures were in the upper 50's and 70's range. Beautiful weather for working ground and preparing, pruning, top dressing crops, flower beds, planting cool weather crops, fertilizing, and liming lawns. Berry vines are looking really good, some blueberries were leafing out with flower clusters visible. Blueberries are a good commercial crop for this area. Grapes are not showing any sign of leafing out yet. Really too early for our area. For those people who use weed and feed very good week for that application with dew in the morning and moderate temperatures. MARION: This week started out with nice sunny days up to the low 70's, but about midweek overcast and showers started. Showery weather continued the rest of the week with Easter Sunday becoming very rainy. Caneberry growers are fertilizing, and working the ground between the rows to control growth of spring grasses and weeds. Hop growers are stringing the hop trellises. Grass, wheat, and other crops are being fertilized and sprayed as weather permits. Soil is being tilled and readied for spring and summer crops as soil conditions allow. WASHINGTON: Winter wheat greening up, red and crimson clover growing well, grasses growing rapidly. Catkins off filberts, ready to leaf out. Cole crops are gaining strength. Small shrubs being pruned, digging ornamental trees and shipping. Calving occurring and cattle in fair condition. Temperature high 59.9 degrees, low 42.2 degrees. Humidity high 58 percent, low 41 percent. YAMHILL: Peaches are in full bloom. Brown rot sprays are being applied. Hazelnut growers are applying Eastern Filbert Blight sprays. Eastern Oregon BAKER: Finally warming up enough for field work and for the grass to start growing. Received good moisture this past week. HARNEY: Received approximately 0.2 inches of rainfall late last week. Dry and cool spring conditions have slowed green-up and delayed turnout on some range pastures. GRANT: Plenty of rain and snow, grass still not growing much. HOOD RIVER: Warm dry conditions with temperatures above seasonal means early in the week accelerated bud development but moderated toward the end of the week. At week's end crop development in the lower Hood River Valley was as follows: d'Anjou pear at tight cluster (WSU stage 3); Red Delicious apple at half-inch green (WSU stage 3); Bing cherry at green tip to tight cluster (WSU stages 3&4); Pinot noir grape at budswell (Eichhorn-Lorenz stage 2). KLAMATH: Some precipitation this week. The amount has varied greatly by location ranging from 0.00" to 1.00". Alfalfa is greening up. The irrigation water deliveries are scheduled to start next week. Limited spring field prep work is occurring. LAKE: Received large amount of precipitation mid-week in the form of snow. It ranged from 8" in the Goose Lake Valley to 11" at the ski hill. Livestock producers are starting to turn out onto their desert allotments. Some producers have started harrowing their pastures. MALHEUR: For Malheur County high temperatures a little above normal this week. Low temperatures near frost. Scattered showers not producing much overall moisture. Field preparation and planting continues. Water in all the main ditches. Still turning out cattle. SHERMAN: Continued dry but with warmer temperatures for most days and evenings, which has sped plant growth. Rain showers Thursday night ranged from 0.18 to .25 to 0.46 to 0.5. Creeks not running very high or full indicating that we will likely see water and feed being hauled earlier this fall or even late summer than we'd like. WALLOWA: Good moisture and warmer weather have helped winter wheat get started and helped producers get ready for spring plantings. WASCO: With cool and showery weather, crops are still at least two weeks behind in growth and development. Still cold at night, which prevents much spraying of cheat and goat grasses. Weather data for selected stations in Oregon, Week ending: April 12, 2009 (as of 11:00 am) 1/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : : Growing : Last week precip. 4/ : Season cum. precipitation 5/ : Air temperature 2/ : degree days 3/ :-------------------------------------------------------------- Station :-------------------------------:-----------------: Total : : : Total : : Pct. : : Low : High : Avg. :DFN 6/ : Total :DFN 6/ : inches :DFN 6/ :Days 7/: inches :DFN 6/ : normal :Days 7/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ COASTAL AREAS : Astoria/Clatsop : 37 73 51 +4 7 +0 1.18 0.00 3 50.37 -5.90 90 124 Bandon 8/ : 35 72 49 +2 7 +0 1.24 0.10 5 37.02 -14.23 72 139 Crescent City : 36 67 50 +1 8 -13 0.61 -0.61 3 43.71 -13.84 76 96 Florence : 34 71 48 +0 3 -5 0.63 -0.76 5 56.43 -9.18 86 115 North Bend : 37 66 50 +2 7 -4 0.63 -0.58 4 39.85 -15.39 72 112 Tillamook : 34 72 50 +4 6 -1 1.40 -0.16 2 36.99 -37.77 49 122 WILLAMETTE : VALLEY : Aurora 8/ : 41 77 54 +6 26 +12 0.73 0.04 3 25.84 -8.36 76 117 Corvallis : 37 71 50 +3 9 -5 0.30 -0.36 2 22.20 -14.77 60 128 Detroit Lake 8/ : 33 77 49 +7 8 +2 1.57 0.45 5 68.08 10.30 118 127 Eugene : 35 72 51 +2 10 -5 0.18 -0.63 3 21.21 -21.57 50 100 Hillsboro : 34 76 52 +4 17 +3 0.39 -0.17 3 17.56 -14.44 55 96 McMinnville : 35 77 51 +3 14 +0 0.08 -0.58 1 14.96 -22.99 39 92 Portland : 41 78 55 +6 38 +22 0.46 -0.14 3 19.32 -10.53 65 114 Salem : 38 74 52 +5 16 +3 0.26 -0.35 3 21.07 -12.41 63 100 SW VALLEYS : Grants Pass : 31 78 51 -1 14 -13 0.25 -0.22 2 17.84 -10.01 64 88 Medford : 36 79 52 +3 19 -2 0.26 -0.02 3 10.06 -5.88 63 71 Roseburg : 39 78 52 +3 20 -2 0.43 -0.15 3 20.16 -8.13 71 95 NORTH CENTRAL : Condon : 32 71 48 +6 9 +2 0.45 0.17 3 8.52 -1.43 86 71 Echo 8/ : 28 74 52 +3 20 -1 0.03 -0.17 1 5.80 -1.10 84 74 Heppner : 33 71 50 +5 14 +1 0.11 -0.20 1 8.05 -1.75 82 71 Hermiston : 28 77 54 +4 26 +5 0.01 -0.19 1 4.33 -2.57 63 58 Madras 8/ : 29 72 49 +4 5 -9 0.20 0.00 2 4.71 -2.85 62 61 Moro : 31 72 49 +4 10 +3 0.60 0.39 2 8.10 -0.49 94 63 Parkdale 8/ : 30 71 47 -1 2 -12 0.73 0.31 3 32.21 4.57 117 100 Pendleton : 36 74 53 +4 22 +5 - -0.28 - 9.37 0.38 104 71 Prairie City 8/ : 29 72 49 +4 5 -9 0.20 0.00 2 4.71 -2.85 62 61 The Dalles : 33 77 54 +8 31 +20 0.19 -0.02 1 10.78 0.70 107 80 SOUTH CENTRAL : Agency Lake 8/ : 32 66 44 +4 - -6 0.21 0.00 3 9.70 -3.14 76 63 Bend : 17 70 45 +4 - -7 - -0.14 - 4.73 -3.96 54 36 Burns : 22 67 44 +3 - -7 0.18 0.04 3 5.15 -1.58 77 60 Christmas Valley 8/ : 13 70 43 -1 - -12 0.12 -0.03 4 4.17 -4.77 47 64 Klamath Falls : 22 68 43 +0 - -7 0.49 0.28 3 5.82 -4.84 55 54 Klamath Falls 8/ : 24 68 43 +0 - -7 0.62 0.41 4 6.76 -3.90 63 72 Lakeview : 20 65 41 -1 - -7 0.94 0.66 3 5.33 -6.14 46 71 Lorella 8/ : 16 69 41 -2 - -7 0.52 0.31 3 4.80 -5.86 45 55 Redmond : 25 73 47 +5 1 -6 0.07 -0.07 1 3.64 -2.17 63 47 Worden 8/ : 23 68 43 -1 - -7 0.29 0.08 3 4.28 -6.38 40 62 NORTHEAST : Baker City : 21 69 45 +3 1 -6 0.08 -0.06 1 4.99 -1.20 81 77 Joseph : 28 63 43 +4 - -5 0.71 0.29 3 10.51 -7.62 58 78 La Grande : 28 72 49 +5 3 -8 0.05 -0.30 1 7.57 -4.50 63 58 Union : 33 72 50 +6 13 +5 0.51 0.23 2 9.53 1.26 115 74 SOUTHEAST : Ontario : 27 71 51 +3 15 -7 0.11 -0.03 1 5.82 -1.43 80 47 Rome : 23 74 46 +2 1 -9 0.25 0.10 4 3.88 -1.15 77 50 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1/ Summary based on NWS data. Copyright 2009: AWIS, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 2/ Air temperature in degrees Fahrenheit. 3/ Growing degree days base-50 degrees Fahrenheit. 4/ Precipitation (rain or melted snow/ice) in inches. 5/ Season cumulative precipitation starts September 1, 2008. 6/ DFN=Departure from normal (using 1961-1990 normals period). 7/ Precipitation days = Days with precipitation of 0.01 inch or more. 8/ Agri-Met weather stations.