or-crop-weather Oregon Crop Weather Released: July 16, 2012 Week ending: July 15, 2012 OR-CW1405 OREGON CROP WEATHER NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS SERVICE USDA, NASS, Oregon Field Office Phone: 503-326-2131 Released: July 16, 2012 Toll Free: 1-800-338-2157 Week ending: July 15, 2012 Email: nass-or@nass.usda.gov Volume: 16-12 Internet: www.nass.usda.gov/or Weather: The temperatures climbed once again last week. Almost all stations reported averages above normal for this time, with a few exceptions along the Coast. The hot weather has brought an increased danger for fires. The Miller Homestead Fire has burned over 150,000 acres in Harney County alone, and the Long Draw Fire, having burned over 580,000 acres, has become the largest fire in Oregon in over a century. However, the Long Draw Fire has been completely contained and the Miller Homestead Fire has been 70 percent contained. High temperatures were once again in the 90's, with the exception of the coastal stations. Lows also remained mostly steady from last week, and no station reported any temperature below freezing. Joseph reported the most precipitation, at 1.42 inches, but only the other northeastern and north central stations reported any measureable precipitation. Thunderstorms were reported in Hood River, Union, and Baker counties, although only Union and Baker counties reported possible damage to crops, namely grass seed. Irrigation continued to be a major activity due to the hot weather. Field Crops: Wheat harvest began in the west end of Umatilla County, yields above average. Corn responded well to heat there. The wheat harvest neared in the north end of Wasco County. Washington County wheat was turning color rapidly, kernels were well filled. Tall fescue has been swathed and ready for harvest there. Crimson clover in windrow, harvest soon, some grass for seed in windrow. In the south Willamette Valley, grass seed was being cut, dried and seed harvested. In the Union and Baker area, most grass seed swathing was completed, with combining starting up this upcoming week. Thunderstorms there resulted in wind damage to some grass seed crops. Sugarbeets, potatoes, corn, sunflowers are now growing vigorously. Hay was harvested across Oregon, including meadow hay in Harney County. Fruits and Nuts: The Bing cherry harvest has almost been completed in Wasco County. The quality of the harvested fruit was very good. The harvests for late season varieties such as Lapins, Skeena, Regina and Sweetheart should start soon. Growers hope to have good fruit quality through the end of harvest. Cherry harvest started in the lower Hood River Valley. Late week thunderstorms may have caused cherry damage, but damages have yet to be reported. Hand thinning of summer pears continued in the upper Hood River Valley, and apple thinning and routine summer orchard operations continued throughout the Hood River Valley. Cherries were nearly done in the south Willamette Valley. Hazelnuts were looking very good. Apples and pears were sizing well there. Sweet cherry harvest continued in Yamhill County. The warm weather has enhanced the maturity levels of peaches. Some filbertworm spraying has begun to happen on hazelnuts. More reports of Spotted Winged Drosophila in Lane and Douglas counties. Hazelnuts were looking very good. Cherries were nearly done. Apples and pears were sizing well. The blueberry harvest continued. Vegetables: Weather last week was very beneficial for vegetables and the crops were looking good. Cole crops appeared ready to go to seed. Sweet corn growing well, squash, and cucumbers nearing picking, beans for cannery growing well, tomatoes sizing. Nurseries and Greenhouses: Transplanted plants being irrigated. Shrub and tree growth doing well. Livestock, Range and Pasture: Hot, dry weather persisted throughout the week in Harney County, making conditions challenging for suppression activities on the Miller Homestead Fire in southern Harney County. To date, the fire has burned over 150,000 acres, displacing cattle relying on those rangelands for summer and fall grazing. In Washington County, all cattle were looking good. Buffalo calves were doing well. Pastures holding up. Soil Moisture - Week Ending 07/15/12 ------------------------------------------------------------------ : Very : : : : short : Short : Adequate : Surplus ------------------------------------------------------------------ : Percent : Topsoil : 6 35 58 1 Subsoil : 9 25 65 1 ------------------------------------------------------------------ Crop Progress - Week Ending 07/15/12 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : This : Last : Last : 5 year Crop : week : week : year : average -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : Alfalfa hay, first cutting : 99 93 93 97 Alfalfa hay, second cutting : 17 12 5 37 : Days suitable for fieldwork : 6.7 6.8 6.4 6.8 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop Condition - Week Ending 07/15/12 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Very : : : : Crop : poor : Poor : Fair : Good : Excellent ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : Winter wheat : 0 9 14 55 22 Spring wheat : 0 6 29 57 8 Barley : 1 3 11 75 10 Corn : 0 0 14 86 0 Range and pasture : 1 9 29 56 5 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Western Oregon CLACKAMAS: Grass hay and blueberry harvest continued with the good weather. COOS/CURRY: Lows were above the 5-year average for the period in both Coos Curry County, while highs were below the 5-year average. Cool conditions prevailed all week in both Coos and Curry counties, with traces of rainfall through the week. Hay making was in full swing most of the week. Bandon (Coos and Northern Curry): Official Low temperature for the period was 51.87 degrees, 4.16 degrees above the 5-year average. High temperature for the period was 66.03 degrees, 1.03 degrees below the 5-year average. Precipitation for the period was 0.2 inches, which is 0.03 inches below the 5-year average. Weather year 2012 (began 10/1/2011) precipitation stands at 64.65 inches, 12.98 inches above the 5-year average. Average precipitation through the month of July is 57.92 inches. Brookings (Southern Curry): Low temperature for the period was 51.4 degrees, 1.9 degrees above the 5-year average. High temperature for the period was 71.0 degrees, 3.27 degrees below the 5-year average. Precipitation for the period was 0.03 inches, which is 0.03 inches above the 5-year average. Weather year 2012 (began 10/1/2011) precipitation stands at 90.8 inches, 18.78 inches above the 5-year average. Historical average precipitation through July is 70.49 inches. DOUGLAS: The hot weather continues in July. Weather has been very beneficial for vegetable and fruit producers. So far orchard and vineyard crops are developing very nicely at a more normal pace from the past two cool, late years. The heat unit accumulation is well ahead of the past two years and about on the 20 year average. Crop disease incidence is low with just a few outbreaks of powdery mildew in grapes and tree fruit. Water supplies are very good for irrigation this year with the late rains and ample snow melt feeding rivers. We are seeing some serious pressure on raspberry and cherry crops this year from the Spotted Wing Drosophila. Commercial growers are doing a good job of controlling the pest, but hobby farmers and homeowners have been slow to apply controls leading to lost crops. LANE: Weather was warm, windy, overall very nice. Hay was being baled, according to growers and another cutting was possible. Grass seed was being cut, dried and seed harvested. Some strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, and Marionberries were harvested as well. More reports of Spotted Winged Drosophila. Hazelnuts were looking very good. Cherries were nearly done. Apples and pears were sizing well. Vegetable crops were growing very well. Cole crops were ready to go to seed. YAMHILL: Sweet cherry harvest continued this week. The warm weather has enhanced the maturity levels of peaches. Some filbertworm spraying has begun to happen on hazelnuts. WASHINGTON: Tall fescue has been swathed and ready for harvest. Truck farm crops were irrigated. Winter wheat was turning color rapidly, kernels well filled, crimson clover in windrow, harvest soon, some grass for seed in windrow. Blueberries at stands and markets, strawberries done except for everberries, blackberries nearing maturity. Raspberries top of season. Filberts filling well, walnuts sizing, apples sizing, cherries good. Grapes looking good and near normal stage. Sweet corn growing well, squash and cucumbers nearing picking, beans for cannery growing well, tomatoes sizing. Transplanted plants being irrigated. Shrub and tree growth doing well. Buffalo calves doing well, all cattle looking good. Pastures holding up. High temperature 82 degrees, low 49 degrees. No rainfall. JOSEPHINE: Hot and more hot. Overnight temperatures ranged from 60's to 70's, while daytime temperatures ranged from 90-100 degrees with hot, dry winds most of week. Watering main occupation for week. Eastern Oregon HOOD RIVER: The week began and ended warm and wet from intermittent thunderstorms, with more typical, dry conditions and seasonable temperatures during the middle of the week. Cherry harvest started in the lower Hood River Valley. Late week thunderstorms may have caused cherry damage in Hood River, damages have yet to be reported. Hand thinning of summer pears continued in the upper Valley, and apple thinning and routine summer orchard operations continued throughout the Valley. HARNEY: Hot, dry weather persisted throughout the week making conditions challenging for suppression activities on the Miller Homestead Fire in southern Harney County. To date, the fire has burned over 150,000 acres, displacing cattle relying on those rangelands for summer and fall grazing. Much of the meadow hay has been harvested. MALHEUR: Hot weather continued. High temperatures expected to continue until Sunday, July 15th. It was too early to assess heat damage, if any. Irrigation has been the main focus. SHERMAN/WASCO: The Bing cherry harvest has almost been completed in Wasco County. The quality of the harvested fruit was very good. The harvests for late season varieties such as Lapins, Skeena, Regina and Sweetheart should start soon. Growers hope to have good fruit quality through the end of harvest. Wheat harvest almost here in the north end of Wasco County. Probably start in the next few days. LAKE: No precipitation during the week. Lake County remained at 82 percent of average for precipitation for the water year. UMATILLA: High temperatures continued this week, with intermittent thunderstorms occurring sporadically across the County. Wheat harvest began in the western end of the County, with yields coming in above average. Corn really grew with the increased heat units this past week. UNION/BAKER: Thunderstorms last Saturday and Sunday resulted in wind damage to some grass seed crops. A majority of the 1st cutting of hay was rained on either in the windrow, in the bale, or both. Most grass seed swathing was completed, with combining starting up this upcoming week. Winter wheat at Feekes growth stage 11.0 to 11.1. Grass hay baling nearly completed. Temperatures have been very hot lately. Not much precipitation in the thunderstorms that occurred late last week. Sugarbeets, potatoes, corn, sunflowers are now growing vigorously. WALLOWA: Very warm temperatures throughout the week has caused some stress on all crops, especially in the dryland areas. Weather data for selected stations in Oregon, Week ending: July 15, 2012 (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 : 54 67 60 -1 69 -1 0.04 -0.22 1 71.63 +7.01 111 187 Bandon 8/ : 52 66 59 +2 66 +10 0.02 -0.05 1 65.29 +7.52 113 178 Crescent City : 53 62 57 -2 51 -5 - -0.07 - 59.45 -4.63 93 129 Florence : 43 69 59 -2 66 -4 0.02 -0.17 1 73.58 -1.21 98 170 North Bend : 54 66 60 +1 71 +8 0.02 -0.06 1 40.17 -22.00 65 135 Tillamook : 48 70 61 +4 81 +25 0.01 -0.36 1 61.78 -24.46 72 185 WILLAMETTE : VALLEY : Aurora 8/ : 53 89 70 +5 142 +30 - -0.14 - 44.44 +4.62 112 185 Corvallis : 47 88 67 +3 124 +16 - -0.12 - 46.44 +4.82 112 177 Detroit Lake 8/ : 50 91 70 +7 138 +47 - -0.21 - 98.51 +32.60 149 175 Eugene : 46 90 69 +2 133 +13 - -0.10 - 42.08 -6.00 88 143 Hillsboro : 48 88 68 +3 127 +17 - -0.11 - 31.76 -4.52 88 155 McMinnville : 50 90 69 +4 131 +21 - -0.14 - 40.31 -1.97 95 161 Portland : 55 86 69 +2 136 +10 0.11 -0.03 1 40.16 +5.22 115 163 Salem : 49 88 69 +3 134 +22 - -0.14 - 44.91 +6.71 118 153 SW VALLEYS : Grants Pass : 56 98 76 +5 182 +31 - -0.02 - 27.92 -2.50 92 124 Medford : 57 97 77 +5 192 +33 - -0.06 - 17.55 -0.67 96 100 Roseburg : 53 91 71 +3 148 +20 - -0.07 - 30.33 -1.59 95 133 NORTH CENTRAL : Condon : 53 94 74 +9 169 +58 0.04 -0.04 1 14.91 +1.75 113 99 Echo 8/ : 58 100 79 +7 202 +43 0.21 +0.18 1 8.16 -0.30 96 94 Heppner : 56 98 76 +8 186 +53 0.21 +0.14 2 12.55 -0.52 96 89 Hermiston : 56 99 79 +7 206 +47 0.23 +0.20 1 9.13 +0.67 108 79 Madras 8/ : 51 94 71 +5 150 +32 - -0.10 - 8.62 -1.10 89 88 Moro : 50 100 75 +8 175 +52 0.07 +0.00 1 10.64 +0.11 101 87 Parkdale 8/ : 46 92 68 +2 129 +12 0.18 +0.11 1 46.28 +16.14 154 157 Pendleton : 59 97 78 +6 196 +36 0.09 +0.02 3 11.77 +0.43 104 87 Prairie City 8/ : 51 94 71 +5 150 +32 - -0.10 - 8.62 -1.10 89 88 The Dalles : 59 93 77 +11 187 +71 - -0.06 - 13.09 +1.20 110 95 SOUTH CENTRAL : Agency Lake 8/ : 42 90 65 +2 108 +11 - -0.07 - 14.36 -0.95 94 88 Bend : 50 91 71 +8 148 +55 0.08 -0.04 1 9.86 -1.07 90 44 Burns : 47 99 74 +8 168 +53 - -0.07 - 8.63 -0.49 95 71 Christmas Valley 8/ : 45 95 70 +2 142 +11 - -0.12 - 5.71 -5.88 49 80 Klamath Falls : 47 92 69 +3 137 +13 - -0.07 - 7.46 -5.26 59 73 Klamath Falls 8/ : 47 91 69 +2 136 +12 - -0.07 - 9.12 -3.60 72 95 Lakeview 8/ : 45 92 69 +3 132 +14 - -0.07 - 7.85 -7.08 53 87 Lorella 8/ : 44 93 69 +2 132 +8 - -0.07 - 8.70 -4.02 68 83 Redmond : 48 94 70 +5 142 +32 0.03 -0.06 1 8.31 +0.47 106 62 Worden 8/ : 44 89 67 -2 120 -4 - -0.07 - 7.65 -5.07 60 74 NORTHEAST : Baker City : 49 96 70 +4 144 +28 0.41 +0.28 3 8.12 -1.58 84 82 Joseph : 55 94 73 +14 160 +90 0.60 +0.42 3 13.27 -10.13 57 122 La Grande : 52 93 73 +4 160 +25 1.42 +1.28 3 11.93 -4.36 73 92 Imbler 8/ : 51 94 71 +5 145 +29 0.28 +0.14 3 17.02 -5.32 76 120 SOUTHEAST : Ontario : 59 105 83 +7 229 +42 0.01 -0.04 1 7.78 -1.40 85 65 Rome : 52 104 78 +7 197 +44 - -0.07 - 5.71 -1.93 75 54 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1/ Summary based on NWS data. Copyright 2012: 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, 2011. 6/ DFN=Departure from normal (using 1961-1990 normal period). 7/ Precipitation days = Days with precipitation of 0.01 inch or more. 8/ Agri-Met weather stations.