Ag Weather Impacts

Ag Weather Impacts

Westerly breezes are bringing Pacific air into the Columbia Basin today and trimming temperatures back to near normal. It's good winter wheat harvest weather, but By now, you've probably heard about the extreme heat that farmers in the southwest states have been facing for the past week or so. Look for some of that heat to push into our area this week with temperatures in the mid to upper 90s. The hottest will be Thursday and Friday with many areas bumping up to or surpassing 100 degrees, especially south of Selah to Lind. Actually, above normal temperatures are likely to dominate the rest of the month. Now this is our first real extended hot spell and comes right on schedule as these next two weeks are normally the hottest of the summer. I expect this heat will likely cause stress on several ag sectors. First of all, dairy cows may need some shade or water cooling to avoid significant declines in milk production and It would be best to avoid livestock movement during the afternoon. Apple sunburn will also be a concern for susceptible varieties that have not been treated. Evaporative cooling from water sprinkling should lower the temperature by 20 to 25 degrees during the hottest part of the afternoon. Outdoor workers are encouraged schedule the most strenuous activities to the morning or evening hours. Spraying conditions will improve with lighter winds beginning Wednesday. Plan on crop water use to be high, totaling around 2 inches for the week. Lawns will need about an inch and a half. Alfalfa baling will be limited to the morning hours due to the low humidity.
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