OR-crop-weather Oregon Crop Weather Released: October 26, 2009 Week ending: October 25, 2009 OR-CW3009 OREGON CROP WEATHER NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS SERVICE USDA, NASS, Oregon Field Office Phone: 503-326-2131 Released: October 26, 2009 Toll Free: 1-800-338-2157 Week ending: October 25, 2009 Email: nass-or@nass.usda.gov Volume: 30-09 Internet: www.nass.usda.gov/or Weather: Leaves continued to show fall colors this week. High temperatures ranged from 75 degrees in Bend (the only station to exceed 70 degrees), down to 57 degrees in Joseph. Lows ranged from 15 degrees in Christmas Valley, up to 45 degrees in Crescent City and North Bend. Nearly all stations in central and eastern Oregon reported sub-freezing temperatures at night, although mild temperatures remained above freezing in western Oregon. Rainfall continued across the State, especially along the Coast and in the Willamette Valley. All forty-three stations reported measurable rainfall, thirty stations with more than 0.1 inches. Field Crops: Winter wheat was planted this past week in anticipation of late week showers. Some grass seed fields in the Valley were replaced with winter wheat as the grass seed industry struggled with high inventories. Statewide, winter wheat plantings neared completion, while emergence was about half complete. Corn silage in Washington County was wrapping up. Sugarbeet and field corn harvests continued in Malheur County. Vegetables: Most vegetables have been harvested, but some fall squash and other fall greens were still being harvested. Tomatoes, squash, and cauliflower were available at roadside stands. All commercial sweet corn has been harvested. Fruits and Nuts: Wine grape harvest in the western part of the State was mostly completed this week. Growers this year reported excellent quality and quantity. The hazelnut harvest continued in most areas; yields were above average and quality was good. Walnuts were abundant and harvest was wrapping up in some areas. The cranberry harvest was in full swing. Tree fruit harvest was nearly complete with only a few late variety pears and apples remaining to be harvested. Nurseries and Greenhouses: Seasonal greenhouses were shutting down for the year. Other greenhouses had finished with fall vegetable and decorative plants and some were starting holiday-season plants. Nurseries continued preparing fall plants. Lower demand for balled and burlapped trees and shrubs slowed digging in some areas. Chrysanthemums and ornamental kales were ready for sale. Livestock, Range and Pasture: Pasture conditions improved with last week's rain showers. Ranchers were busy preparing for winter. Cattle were being moved onto winter pastures and spring calves were being prepared for sale. Supplemental feeding started in some areas and the fall calves were arriving. Soil Moisture - Week Ending 10/25/09 ------------------------------------------------------------------ : Very : : : : short : Short : Adequate : Surplus ------------------------------------------------------------------ : Percent : Topsoil : 7 23 62 8 Subsoil : 16 34 50 0 ------------------------------------------------------------------ Crop Progress - Week Ending 10/25/09 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : This : Last : Last : 5 year Crop : week : week : year : average -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : Winter wheat planted : 87 77 86 81 Winter wheat emerged : 49 43 36 47 : Days suitable for fieldwork : 5.1 4.3 6.9 6.0 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop Condition - Week Ending 10/25/09 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Very : : : : Crop : poor : Poor : Fair : Good : Excellent ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : Winter wheat : 0 0 59 33 8 Range and pasture : 15 23 44 18 0 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Western Oregon CLACKAMAS: Weather was mostly fair this week. Foggy mornings then very nice afternoons. There has been no killing frost yet. Some rain fell late in the week. Conditions were good for seeding. Lots of wheat was going in where grass seed came out. Cauliflower harvest was winding down. Grapes were mostly all in the fermentation tanks, a large and very good crop this season. Hazelnut harvest continued. Walnuts were down and in abundance. Fall calves arrived, but pasture grass was in short supply so the cheap hay crop was used for feeding. COOS/CURRY: Low temperatures were slightly below the 5-year average in Coos, but slightly above the 5-year average in southern Curry County. Cranberry harvest was in full swing and ranchers were preparing for winter operations. Bandon (Coos & Northern Curry): Temperatures ranged from 42-63 degrees. Precipitation for the period was 0.4 inches, 0.43 inches below the 5-year average for the week. Brookings (Southern Curry): Temperatures ranged from 47-66 degrees. Precipitation for the period was 0.26 inches, compared to a 5-year average of 1.46 inches. DOUGLAS: Light rain during the week continued to help fall planted cover crops, pastures, and lawns. The rain has not been heavy enough to stop most field work. Grape harvest was nearing completion, at 95 percent complete. The yields and quality of this year's crop were excellent. Tree fruit harvest was complete for pears and apples. Filbert and walnut harvest was also complete. Yields for filberts and walnuts were both lower than last year, but still nice crops. Fall nursery digging for balled and burlapped trees or shrubs was very slow despite the good weather. Demand for nursery plants was low compared to the previous few years. JACKSON: Still some more grain planted, which should get off to a good start with some limited rain showers. There were still some hay fields that could be cut, if some warmer days could get it dry. Wine grape harvest was well underway. There were still some late season pears being picked, but most have been picked now. Some apples were still being picked. Most all vegetables have now been harvested, but some fall squash and some other fall greens were still being harvested. Greenhouses have finished with fall vegetable and decorative plants. Some were getting started with holiday season plants. Nurseries were busy getting out fall planting season plants. All livestock made it through the summer looking quite good. Irrigation districts were mostly done for the season. Light rain showers helped pastures regain some growth, but it has been slow coming on. Some ranchers were working their herds getting spring calves weaned and ready for fall sales. Light rains this week has helped, but heavier rain would be a bigger help. Ground preparation, some late harvest, and of course wine grape harvest was the busy work for this week. JOSEPHINE: Pumpkins were plentiful for Halloween next weekend. Weather was great this week: Overcast with sprinkles some days. Mornings were dewy, although no measurable rain fell here. Temperatures were between 65-70 degrees in daytime, and 40-50 degrees at night. Fields were being cleared. Still have tomatoes, squash, apples available. Grapes were in, an excellent yield and quality. It was working weather all week, with lots of chores done for winter. BENTON/LANE/LINN: All commercial sweet corn now harvested. Hazelnuts were also wrapping up. Some squash was still in the field. Wheat planting was well under way, and may continue all winter as growers come to grips with the poor grass seed market. Grass seed inventories extremely high on farm with the majority of the 2009 and much of the 2008 crop still in grower hands. The 2010 grass seed crop was looking very good after favorable late summer and fall weather for the perennials and for new planting. Slugs now on surface. Voles at background levels. Fall herbicide spraying was underway. Strawberries, cherries, prunes, peaches, and currants were all done. Asian and other pears were still being picked. They were smaller in size this year, but good crop. Apples were a moderate crop. Raspberries and black raspberries were done, but some fall berries remain to be picked. Some late varieties of blueberries remain as well. Garlic planting started. Tomatoes were ripening. Farmers markets slowed down with the cold and rain, but still had an array of fresh local vegetables available. Greenhouses were shutting down. MARION: A lot of wheat was planted this week in anticipation of some rains at the end of the week. POLK: Rains came in the past few weeks, with a few periods of heavy rainfall. Temperatures have been mostly mild, although there was frost on four occasions so far this fall. Once the temperature dropped into the upper 20s. Most vegetable crops have been harvested with winter crops, like squash, being placed in storage. Pastures were starting to show slight hoof damage due to rains. WASHINGTON: Cover crops were emerging well. Most small grains were planted. Haying was finished for year. Silage corn was nearing the end of harvest. Walnut harvest began; Filberts finished. Grapes were picked and in vats and barrels, a good looking crop. Most pumpkins were harvested. Cauliflower was at roadside stands and going to processors. Tomatoes, pears, and apples were at produce stands. Trees and shrubs were balled and burlapped. Chrysanthemums and ornamental kales were ready for sale. Pasture grass was green with rains and mild temperatures. Cattle looked good. The high temperature was 68 degrees, and the low 33 degrees. Humidity reached a high of 79 percent and a low 61percent. The County received 2.5 inches of rainfall over the past two weeks. Precipitation was a little above average for the month of October. YAMHILL: Cleanup was being performed this last week in some fruit and nut orchards. Raking and burning was being done. Wine grape harvest was mostly complete in this area. Final harvest for the hazelnut crop was being completed this week. Yield reports were coming in at above average with very good quality. Eastern Oregon GILLIAM: Rainfall received in Condon this last week totaled 0.28 inches. Wheat growers were finishing up fall seeding. HARNEY: A weak weather system with associated rain showers moved through the area late in the week. Varying amounts of precipitation were received depending on location. Cattle were being moved off rangeland pastures to meadow aftermath or rake-bunched meadowland. Some supplemental feeding of cattle began. LAKE: Received some precipitation during the week. Morning and daytime temperatures cooled off. MALHEUR: About 0.4 inches of rain the first of the week stopped most field work for 1 or 2 days depending on field conditions. Another 0.1 inches of rain fell over Saturday night followed by frost Sunday night. Sugarbeets were 50 percent or more harvested. Beets and field corn were the major crops remaining. UNION: Sugarbeet harvest was complete. Digging and planting peppermint rootstock was underway. Rainfall at the end of the week brought much needed moisture. WASCO: Several days of rain occurred while cool nights and warm days continued through the week. Winds were very mild and the fall foliage was starting to gain color in the hills and Columbia Gorge. The grain farmers would like to see more rain soon. Winter wheat seeding continued with some wheat emerging. Fruit and hay harvests were in the final cleanup stages. Cattle were being rounded up and moved to winter pastures. Weather data for selected stations in Oregon, Week ending: October 25, 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 : 43 64 54 +4 31 +16 1.55 0.09 3 7.85 0.71 110 23 Bandon 8/ : 42 63 53 +1 26 +2 0.40 -0.71 5 2.97 -1.59 65 27 Crescent City : 45 64 56 +2 42 +6 0.14 -1.17 4 2.84 -2.30 55 16 Florence : 40 66 53 -1 24 -3 2.05 0.50 3 7.12 0.36 105 16 North Bend : 45 64 55 +1 37 +7 0.43 -0.81 3 4.08 -0.94 81 19 Tillamook : 43 66 55 +5 38 +22 1.32 -0.51 2 4.45 -4.54 49 20 WILLAMETTE : VALLEY : Aurora 8/ : 40 65 53 +3 26 +11 0.71 -0.11 5 3.50 -0.64 85 21 Corvallis : 41 65 52 +2 20 +4 0.65 -0.17 4 3.00 -0.72 81 20 Detroit Lake 8/ : 35 62 51 +6 12 +5 1.71 0.40 5 6.75 1.00 117 18 Eugene : 41 64 53 +2 22 +0 0.66 -0.26 2 3.11 -0.90 78 17 Hillsboro : 37 65 52 +2 24 +10 0.75 0.02 3 3.27 -0.28 92 20 McMinnville : 36 67 52 +1 21 +4 0.39 -0.44 2 1.35 -2.60 34 11 Portland : 41 64 55 +3 34 +10 0.99 0.31 6 3.14 -0.56 85 25 Salem : 40 66 54 +4 28 +13 0.47 -0.31 2 3.03 -0.66 82 16 SW VALLEYS : Grants Pass : 44 66 54 +1 30 -2 0.31 -0.34 2 2.35 -0.25 90 11 Medford : 40 69 55 +3 33 +6 0.06 -0.33 2 0.51 -1.41 27 8 Roseburg : 44 68 56 +3 43 +11 0.22 -0.41 4 2.77 0.00 100 14 NORTH CENTRAL : Condon : 31 61 47 +1 1 -6 0.27 0.01 3 1.99 0.53 136 10 Echo 8/ : 29 67 50 +2 14 +2 0.26 0.11 2 1.27 0.41 148 10 Heppner : 32 64 50 +1 7 -7 0.22 -0.03 3 1.24 -0.35 78 10 Hermiston : 28 67 50 +1 13 +1 0.29 0.14 3 1.44 0.58 167 9 Madras 8/ : 26 63 48 +1 5 -5 0.06 -0.11 1 1.21 0.18 117 7 Moro : 31 63 49 +3 4 -3 0.25 0.07 3 1.61 0.53 149 9 Parkdale 8/ : 29 62 48 -2 5 -7 0.48 -0.10 3 3.26 0.57 121 15 Pendleton : 29 63 50 -1 7 -8 0.21 0.00 2 1.14 -0.07 94 7 Prairie City 8/ : 26 63 48 +1 5 -5 0.06 -0.11 1 1.21 0.18 117 7 The Dalles : 34 69 53 +6 30 +23 0.07 -0.14 2 0.94 -0.19 83 11 SOUTH CENTRAL : Agency Lake 8/ : 21 61 42 -3 - -2 0.04 -0.31 1 0.55 -1.07 34 4 Bend : 27 75 46 +1 7 +0 0.07 -0.10 1 0.47 -0.46 51 2 Burns : 17 59 44 +2 - +0 0.05 -0.13 3 0.97 -0.13 88 10 Christmas Valley 8/ : 15 63 43 -5 - -10 0.07 -0.18 3 0.23 -1.09 17 5 Klamath Falls : 26 63 46 -2 - -8 0.06 -0.22 1 0.31 -1.01 23 3 Klamath Falls 8/ : 25 64 45 -2 - -8 0.06 -0.22 1 0.31 -1.01 23 4 Lakeview : 20 61 44 -3 - -7 0.16 -0.14 1 0.64 -0.88 42 6 Lorella 8/ : 18 64 44 -4 - -8 0.04 -0.24 1 0.60 -0.72 45 5 Redmond : 21 63 46 -1 - -7 0.08 -0.06 2 0.91 0.13 117 5 Worden 8/ : 22 64 45 -3 - -8 0.08 -0.20 2 0.37 -0.95 28 5 NORTHEAST : Baker City : 19 58 44 -2 1 -1 0.16 0.02 4 1.04 -0.20 84 11 Joseph : 25 57 42 +2 - +0 0.26 -0.19 4 2.44 -0.33 88 10 La Grande : 23 61 46 -2 2 -6 0.36 0.03 3 1.38 -0.55 72 8 Union : 23 62 46 +0 3 -4 0.34 0.12 3 1.55 -0.25 86 9 SOUTHEAST : Ontario : 29 65 51 +3 20 +10 0.47 0.33 4 1.28 0.31 132 9 Rome : 22 65 47 +1 2 -5 0.19 0.05 2 0.73 -0.29 72 7 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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.