OR-crop-weather Oregon Crop Weather Released: September 8, 2009 Week ending: September 6, 2009 OR-CW2309 OREGON CROP WEATHER NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS SERVICE USDA, NASS, Oregon Field Office Phone: 503-326-2131 Released: September 8, 2009 Toll Free: 1-800-338-2157 Week ending: September 6, 2009 Email: nass-or@nass.usda.gov Volume: 23-09 Internet: www.nass.usda.gov/or Weather: This week's lows were higher and highs were lower than last week's, as stations reported a more moderate range of temperatures. Highs ranged from 97 degrees in Ontario, down to 67 degrees in Bandon. Low temperatures ranged from 32 degrees in Christmas Valley, up to 56 degrees in Portland. Twenty-six of the forty-three stations reported a measurable amount of rain, concentrated especially along the Coast and in northwestern Oregon. Five stations accumulated over an inch of rainfall, while four stations that reported rainfall accumulated less than a tenth of an inch. Field Crops: Fall field preparation was prevalent as most crops have been harvested. Some wheat ground was too dry for planting. There was corn silage and red clover still to be harvested. Haying was active. Sugarbeet for seed harvest was complete, and the new crop was being seeded. Rain briefly delayed carrot seed harvest, but things dried and the harvest progressed. Sales of grass seed and prices were both low as growers considered alternatives. Vegetables: Lots of fresh vegetables were at farmers markets and roadside stands. Sweet corn harvest was about 50 percent complete in Washington County, while potatoes were being rolled in preparation for harvest in Klamath County. Additionally, squash, pumpkins and early onions were being harvested in other parts of the State. Fruits and Nuts: Fair weather aided progress in the Bartlett pear harvest, which was nearing completion in southwest Oregon. Preparations began for the winter pear harvest. Apples and grapes will soon be ready as well. Some peaches and plums were picked. In Washington County, filberts fell and walnuts were sizing, the blueberry and blackberry harvests were finishing. Nurseries and Greenhouses: Greenhouses continued getting fall vegetables and ornamentals started. Nurseries remained busy with irrigation and plant care. Livestock, Range and Pasture: Weekend rains helped pastures in western counties. More rain was still needed across the State. Ranchers were busy irrigating, supplementing feed, and working calves for sale. Douglas County reported that pasture reseeding will begin in two weeks. Morrow reported rangeland to be particularly short and dry, with some areas at their driest in 30 years. Livestock were generally doing well, with reported improvement in areas that received rain this weekend. Soil Moisture - Week Ending 09/06/09 ------------------------------------------------------------------ : Very : : : : short : Short : Adequate : Surplus ------------------------------------------------------------------ : Percent : Topsoil : 27 50 23 0 Subsoil : 35 43 22 0 ------------------------------------------------------------------ Crop Progress - Week Ending 09/06/09 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : This : Last : Last : 5 year Crop : week : week : year : average -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : Alfalfa hay, third cutting : 85 80 69 62 Barley harvested : 96 93 98 94 Spring wheat harvested : 98 94 96 95 : Days suitable for fieldwork : 6.5 6.8 6.9 6.7 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop Condition - Week Ending 09/06/09 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Very : : : : Crop : poor : Poor : Fair : Good : Excellent ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : Spring wheat : 9 39 31 17 4 Barley : 4 10 35 45 6 Corn : 0 2 18 65 15 Range and pasture : 18 20 39 22 1 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Western Oregon CLACKAMAS: Some heavy rains came late in the week, with half an inch or more by the weekend. Some wind with the rain lodged some corn. Rain was welcome nearly everywhere except on the Red clover in windrows. Prunes were getting ripe and pumpkins were turning orange as fall, the richest of seasons, began. COOS/CURRY: Low temperatures were nearly 2 degrees below the 5-year average in both Coos and Curry counties. High temperatures through the week were 2.5 degrees below the 5-year average in Coos, but over 20 degrees below the 5- year average on the southern Curry Coast. There was precipitation on 2 days over the weekend in both Coos and Curry. On Saturday, Bandon received nearly half an inch of rain and Brookings nearly three-fourths of an inch. The rain, although spoiling some celebration plans, was a much needed relief for area farmers and ranchers. Morning fog persisted near the Coast most of the week, preventing grasses from drying any further. Bandon (Coos & Northern Curry): The low temperature for the period was 45.43 degrees, 1.45 degrees below the 5-year average. The high temperature for the period was 67.03 degrees, 2.4 degrees below the 5-year average. Precipitation for the period was 0.49 inches (0.43 inches on one day), above the 5-year average for the week (including drought in 2004 & 2005) of 0.14 inches. Precipitation for the current weather year precipitation (began 10/08) stands at 41.71 inches, 14.5 inches below the 5 year average, and 18.69 inches below the long-term historical average. Historical average precipitation through September is 60.4 inches. Brookings (Southern Curry): The low temperature for the period was 48.42 degrees, 1.61 degrees below the 5-year average. The high temperature for the period was 69.51 degrees, 20.75 degrees below the 5-year average. Precipitation for the period was 0.94 inches, compared to a 5-year average (including drought in 2004 & 2005) of 0.14 inches. Precipitation for the current weather year precipitation (began 10/08) stands at 71.56 inches, 10.08 inches below the 5 year average. The historical average precipitation through September is 73.48 inches. DOUGLAS: The County had measureable rainfall on Saturday. A warm, dry week helped to mature all remaining tree fruit and vineyard crops. Grape crops were generally about 7-10 days behind normal pace. The crop looked good with yields expected to be above average. Pear crops were coming in nicely. Bartlett pears were about done with harvest, while winter pears Comice and Anjou will begin harvest in about two weeks and last for another two weeks. Fall seeded crop fields were being prepared as precipitation was on the weekend forecast. Look for cover crops and pasture reseedings to begin big in about two weeks. JACKSON: Some second cutting of grass hay was being done, as well as the third cutting of alfalfa. Some field preparation was being done to get ready for fall grain planting. It looked like all grain had been harvested. The pear harvest continued through really good harvest weather. There were still people out picking wild blackberries, some for home use and some for sale. Some peaches were still being picked as well, but most were now done. Some plums were being harvested. Apples and grapes will soon be ready. The vegetable harvest was quite busy with lots of fresh vegetables at farmers markets and roadside outlets, as well as some you-pick. Greenhouses were getting fall vegetable and fall ornamentals started. Nurseries were keeping busy with lots of up-keep of stock on hand, and requiring lots of watering and care during this part of the year. Ranchers were busy keeping pastures irrigated to keep forage growing. Some cattle were being worked, with some calves being weaned to get ready for fall calf sales. Irrigated pastures were still looking ok, but rain is needed if dry ground pastures will have a good chance for growth for fall feed. This was a week with somewhat cooler temperatures and some clouds, but very little moisture. Nights are getting longer, so night time dew has picked up, but it has not helped much. Of course it was very good harvest weather, and lots of that was being done, mostly in the orchards and vegetable gardens. JOSEPHINE: Weather for the week was warm with daytime temperatures in the upper 90s, and cool nights in the low 40s. Blustery winds blew throughout week. Water for the year is holding up quite well. Animals were doing better this week. Grapes were doing very well. Truck gardens were picking up. Hopefully tomatoes will ripen on the vine before frost. Many were busy winterizing, cleaning yards, planting winter crops of broccoli etc. LINN/BENTON/LANE: Silage corn harvest began. Sweet corn growers were having some of their acreage bypassed. Squash and pumpkins were looking good. Sugarbeet seed was harvested and the new crop was 75 percent planted. Recent rains will prompt a sprout in worked fields allowing growers to control excess ryegrass. Pre-emergence chemicals can be applied to perennial fields. Movement in grass seed sales remained slow with continued low prices. MARION: It was very dry until showers came on Friday night. POLK: Due to low seed prices and lack of contract availability, many acres of Tall Fescue were being taken out of production. Many farmers were planting wheat for a short term cash crop to see if the market turns around. WASHINGTON: Some Red Clover remained to be harvested. Field corn will soon be chopped for silage. Cover crops were sprouting. Blueberries and blackberries were winding down. Filberts were dropping and walnuts were sizing. Sweet corn continued to be harvested and was about 50 percent done. Rain late in the week helped irrigation. Livestock was doing well as rain helped pastures. The week's high temperature was 81 degrees, and the low 51 degrees. Humidity reached a high of 77 percent and a low of 41 percent. Rainfall was 1.3 inches. YAMHILL: Weekend rain was welcomed, but the soil took it in as fast as it came. No doubt the few crops that have been planted will benefit as long as showers continue to keep them going. The harvest in the County was complete, with the exception of corn for silage, grapes, hazelnuts, apples, prunes and our farmers' market crops. A few farmers may be trying to finish up but for the most part the spring and summer crops were done and were looking ahead to fall crops. Fall prep work continued and so did the hard choices of what to plant. Eastern Oregon JEFFERSON: The carrot seed harvest was briefly delayed because of a rain shower, however things were dry by the end of the week and the harvest progressed. KLAMATH: The grain harvest continued. Hay continued to be dropped. Potatoes were being rolled in preparation for harvest. Temperatures were cool at night. LAKE: There was no precipitation during the week. Temperatures continued to cool off (day and night). MALHEUR: High temperatures ranged from 5 to 10 degrees above normal with threats of thunderstorms but no significant moisture. Early potatoes and onions were being harvested. Fall work was being done following grain harvest. Many hay producers were doing their fourth cutting. MORROW: Some areas were as dry as they have been in 30 years. Range was particularly short and dry. Grazing CRP in 2008 benefitted the grass far more than it did the cows, but under USDA rules, timing was very poor for stockmen. Harvest was complete and growers attended the County Fair last week. Many are now on vacation or trying to figure out how to qualify for CSP offerings. Grain prices continued to tank and there was much to be thankful for in crop insurance. Ground was essentially too dry for seeding at this time. Cooler evening temperatures were bringing moisture up, but a couple inches of rain would also be welcomed over this weekend. WALLOWA: Weather conditions were favorable for most producers but some heat was needed for grain to mature. Weather data for selected stations in Oregon, Week ending: September 6, 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 : 49 72 61 +1 78 +8 1.40 0.89 3 61.02 -6.08 91 175 Bandon 8/ : 45 67 58 +0 60 +4 0.49 0.17 2 41.99 -17.45 71 182 Crescent City : 50 68 59 +0 64 +1 0.39 0.09 2 48.41 -17.35 74 135 Florence : 44 72 59 -2 65 -12 1.17 0.74 2 66.20 -10.95 86 150 North Bend : 48 70 60 +0 71 +1 0.58 0.25 2 46.34 -17.54 73 150 Tillamook : 46 73 62 +4 85 +22 0.80 0.14 3 46.34 -43.21 52 160 WILLAMETTE : VALLEY : Aurora 8/ : 53 84 66 +2 111 +11 1.19 0.84 3 33.43 -8.08 81 153 Corvallis : 48 84 64 -1 101 +0 0.88 0.60 2 28.81 -14.33 67 163 Detroit Lake 8/ : 51 89 66 +7 110 +44 1.46 1.04 2 80.94 12.73 119 173 Eugene : 48 85 65 +0 109 +0 0.87 0.52 3 27.80 -22.09 56 130 Hillsboro : 48 84 64 +2 103 +8 0.99 0.70 3 24.26 -13.73 64 129 McMinnville : 49 83 65 +1 103 +2 0.46 0.17 2 19.01 -24.63 44 119 Portland : 56 85 67 +2 124 +9 1.05 0.69 4 27.20 -9.55 74 152 Salem : 51 85 66 +3 116 +14 0.75 0.47 2 27.73 -11.84 70 133 SW VALLEYS : Grants Pass : 48 93 70 +2 138 +10 - -0.14 - 23.28 -8.01 74 112 Medford : 49 94 71 +2 145 +10 - -0.16 - 13.81 -5.27 72 93 Roseburg : 54 88 68 +2 127 +11 0.54 0.33 1 23.84 -9.21 72 119 NORTH CENTRAL : Condon : 43 90 66 +5 113 +33 0.07 -0.14 1 11.57 -2.68 81 94 Echo 8/ : 46 93 69 +2 135 +13 0.10 -0.04 2 7.65 -1.45 84 93 Heppner : 46 92 69 +5 136 +31 0.09 -0.06 1 11.64 -2.42 83 99 Hermiston : 47 94 70 +4 143 +21 0.15 0.01 1 6.53 -2.57 72 79 Madras 8/ : 45 92 66 +4 114 +26 0.18 0.04 1 8.28 -2.29 78 86 Moro : 46 93 68 +5 126 +33 0.22 0.08 1 10.43 -0.84 93 80 Parkdale 8/ : 46 87 63 -2 88 -7 0.46 0.25 2 37.69 6.53 121 126 Pendleton : 49 91 70 +3 139 +15 0.02 -0.11 1 13.10 0.93 108 94 Prairie City 8/ : 45 92 66 +4 114 +26 0.18 0.04 1 8.28 -2.29 78 86 The Dalles : 51 94 70 +8 142 +48 0.17 0.03 2 12.32 -0.36 97 100 SOUTH CENTRAL : Agency Lake 8/ : 33 83 58 -1 57 -5 - -0.14 - 13.89 -2.49 85 84 Bend : 38 87 62 +4 86 +20 - -0.14 - 11.35 -0.52 96 56 Burns : 36 89 63 +4 92 +25 - -0.14 - 11.15 1.06 111 93 Christmas Valley 8/ : 32 87 60 -4 69 -22 - -0.14 - 9.40 -3.14 75 100 Klamath Falls : 41 85 62 -1 84 -6 - -0.14 - 9.01 -4.66 66 85 Klamath Falls 8/ : 40 85 62 -2 82 -8 - -0.14 - 10.80 -2.87 79 107 Lakeview : 34 85 60 -2 68 -12 - -0.14 - 9.53 -6.26 60 102 Lorella 8/ : 34 86 61 -3 78 -12 - -0.14 - 7.95 -5.72 58 79 Redmond : 36 90 63 +3 94 +17 - -0.13 - 7.76 -0.95 89 72 Worden 8/ : 33 85 59 -5 63 -27 - -0.14 - 7.41 -6.26 54 93 NORTHEAST : Baker City : 42 92 66 +6 114 +32 - -0.21 - 11.45 0.39 104 115 Joseph : 44 85 65 +9 107 +55 0.05 -0.23 1 21.92 -3.24 87 127 La Grande : 43 95 68 +5 131 +31 - -0.24 - 12.33 -5.35 70 88 Union : 43 93 68 +8 131 +47 - -0.28 - 15.15 1.13 108 111 SOUTHEAST : Ontario : 52 97 73 +5 161 +35 - -0.14 - 9.95 0.13 101 75 Rome : 47 93 72 +9 156 +56 - -0.14 - 9.89 1.49 118 78 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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, 2009. 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.