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From the Faulk County Record
It has been many days since Faulkton weather observer Tom Bartholomew has recorded significant moisture (0.11 on July 5, 0.07 on July 9 and 0.01 on July 11). What he has recorded are plenty of very hot days (101 on July 2, 101 on July 15 and 99 on Monday) with wind to match.
That combination spells big trouble for area row crops. Total rainfall in July through the 17th was 0.19. The 110 year average moisture for July is 2.35 inches.
May and June totals were also off pace. Total rain in May 2012 was 2.09 inches compared to the average here of 2.96. The 2012 June total was 2.20 inches compared to the average June moisture of 3.51.
This year’s total rainfall in Faulkton through July 17 was 9.70, nearly 10 inches behind last year’s total at this time of 19.60.
In Orient, Rex Young reported a temperature of 102 on Monday, July 16.
“In all we may have had ten drops of rain this morning,” he said on Tuesday, July 17. “The winter wheat has turned out better than anybody expected. For the row crops, well every day our yields will be getting a little worse. This weather’s been good for swimming pools and bad for the water bills. Guys who have cattle will have plenty of feed for them this fall. Still, we can’t complain too much. The Orient area is doing better than a lot of other places around the state.”
“Thing are getting dryer every day,” said Doug Roggow at the Wecota Farmers Union. “We need rain. If you know anybody who can make that happen, tell them to get on it.”
No precipitation was reported in Chelsea either.
“It’s been hot and dry,” said Jerod Woodring in Chelsea. “Spring wheat harvest is in full swing, it’s maybe not as good as winter wheat harvest was but it’s pretty good. With row crops, yeah, we’re losing yield by the day, and I only hope there will be a yield left by fall. We need a rain in a hurry.”
Shannon Waldman in Onaka reported trace amounts of rain.
“And only slight trace amounts,” he said. “The guys are out combining the winter wheat and I’m hearing that it’s going pretty good at about 50 bushels per acre. I know the guys started on spring wheat this Sunday so I haven’t heard how that’s going quite yet. The row crops are hanging in there so far, but the pastures are getting pretty stressed.”
Kirk Hoefert in Seneca likewise reported no rain. “Things are holding on, but it’s getting kinda mean out there,” he said. “The winter wheat was great. Guys are just getting going on the spring, but the winter wheat was tremendous. Guys saw yields for 60, 80 even up to 100 bushels per acre. Makes a lot of guys wish they’d planted more of it. Still, if we can get some rain we’ll be able to salvage some of these row crops. We just hope that Mother Nature will turn on the spigot soon.”
