or-crop-weather

Oregon Crop Weather
Released: July 9, 2007 
Week ending: July 8, 2007     
OR-CW1507

                              OREGON CROP WEATHER                               
                                                                                

NATIONAL
AGRICULTURAL
STATISTICS
SERVICE

USDA, NASS, Oregon Field Office

Phone: 503-326-2131
Released: July 9, 2007 
Toll Free: 1-800-338-2157
Week ending: July 8, 2007    
Email: nass-or@nass.usda.gov
OR-CW1507
Internet: www.nass.usda.gov/or

Weather:  It was a hot, dry week across the State, especially to the east of 
the Cascades.   The highest temperature recorded was 107 degrees in 
Hermiston, though Echo, Pendleton, Ontario, and Rome were all close with a 
high of 106 degrees.   A total of 16 stations recorded triple digits.  The 
coastal areas were cooler, with Bandon recording a high of only 71 degrees.  
Lows ranged from 59 degrees in Ontario, down to 42 degrees in Condon, 
Christmas Valley, and Worden.   Precipitation was minimal, with only 7 
stations reporting measurable moisture.   Lorella was the only station to 
report over 0.05 inches, with 0.37 inches.  The Klamath Basin experienced 
severe thunderstorms on Friday evening, resulting in temporary flooding and 
hail, and losing of entire fields of grain, potatoes, onions, and 
strawberries.  

Field Crops:  Hot and dry weather conditions prevailed this past week across 
the State.  Grass seed harvest as well as grass hay and grass silage harvest 
continued throughout the Willamette Valley last week.  Crops were growing and 
maturing rapidly with the warmer temperatures, but soil moisture levels were 
extremely low.  Producers in Washington County are preparing for triple digit 
temperatures that are anticipated this week.  Grasshoppers were feasting on 
crops throughout Baker County.  Some frost and heat damage was showing in 
grain crops too.  Kentucky bluegrass for seed was swathed in Jefferson County 
last week.  A rain storm brought hail and large amounts of rain in Klamath 
County, which caused temporary flooding.  Extremely hot and dry conditions in 
Eastern Oregon have stressed dry land crops this past week. Emergency grazing 
of CRP ground was requested in Wallowa County and County Commissioners have 
sent a disaster declaration to the governor.

Vegetables: Onions were in full production in Benton, Linn, and Lane 
counties.  Snap beans were growing rapidly in the Willamette Valley.  The 
sweet corn crop was showing substantial growth due to the hotter weather.  
Carrots grown for seed were in full bloom and conditions were favorable for 
good pollination.  Large amounts of rain in Klamath County damaged complete 
fields of potatoes and onions.  

Fruits and Nuts: Most areas in the Willamette Valley were finished with their 
strawberry crops for the season. Raspberries were winding down. Blackberries, 
blueberries, and early currants and gooseberries were available through local 
venues. Sweet cherry harvest was wrapping up in Washington County and in 
higher elevations of Yamhill County.  There has been some rain induced cherry 
cracking in the southern Willamette Valley where yields are varied. Tart 
cherry harvest continued. Apricot and peach harvest should begin soon. The 
second generation codling moth controls were applied to apples and pears. 
Hazelnuts and walnuts continued to size. Dry and warm to hot weather 
prevailed during the week in Hood River County. Cherry harvest was ongoing in 
the lower and middle Hood River Valley. A few days with calm conditions 
provided opportunities for applying summer orchard cover sprays. Summer 
orchard activities continued throughout the valley. Sweet cherry harvest 
continued in The Dalles area on Bings and Rainiers. 

Nurseries and Greenhouses:   Greenhouses kept busy with routine summer 
maintenance including feeding, watering, weeding, and other stock care. 

Livestock, Range and Pasture: Pastures and rangeland continued to dry out 
across the State. Several range fires were burning in eastern Oregon forcing 
ranchers to move cattle in some cases. Many other areas remained very 
vulnerable to wild fires because of the dry conditions. Entering the warmest 
summer months, most areas will need considerable rain or pasture conditions 
will continue to deteriorate rapidly. Water hauling continued in rangeland 
areas where waterholes were dry. Livestock were in good condition throughout 
the State.

                                                                  
                Soil Moisture-Week Ending 07/08/07                
------------------------------------------------------------------
                :   Very    :           :             :           
                :   short   :   Short   :  Adequate   :  Surplus  
------------------------------------------------------------------
                :                     Percent                     
                :                                                 
Topsoil         :    31          48           21            0     
Subsoil         :    32          45           23            0     
------------------------------------------------------------------

                                                                                
                       Crop Progress-Week Ending 07/08/07                       
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                :   This    :   Last    :   Last    :  5 year   
              Crop              :   week    :   week    :   year    :  average  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                :                    Percent                    
                                :                                               
Alfalfa hay, second cutting     :   55          31          35           7      
Winter wheat harvested          :    4           3           3           4      
                                :                                               
Days suitable for fieldwork     :    6.8         6.5         6.6         6.6    
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                           Crop Condition-Week Ending 07/08/07                           
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                         :   Very    :           :           :           :               
           Crop          :   poor    :   Poor    :   Fair    :   Good    :   Excellent   
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                         :                            Percent                            
                         :                                                               
Winter wheat             :     0          13          45          39             3       
Spring wheat             :     1          14          44          39             2       
Barley                   :     1           6          62          30             1       
Corn                     :     0           0           7          60            33       
Range and pasture        :     7          22          52          19             0       
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                 WESTERN OREGON                                 

BENTON/LINN/LANE:  The weather has remained on the dry and hot side for the 
valley. Cherries are doing well for the wet and hot weather. There has been 
some rain cracking and yields are different in areas of the county. 
Strawberry yields are good so far. Blueberry picking has started, with very 
nice berries. Wholesale prices are between $1.75 and $2.00 per pound. Early 
raspberry picking started.  Blackberries are nice and big, but plants are 
looking stressed.  Early picking of currants and gooseberries is going on. 
The fruit crops are looking good with plenty of fruit on the trees. Onions, 
fresh & processed vegetables, potatoes, etc, are in the full production 
cycle. Hot weather may affect some plants. Most of the grass seed crops have 
now been cut and many are being harvested. Some of the specialty crops won't 
be ready for cutting for another week. The grass on the foot hills and 
pastures around the valley are drying out making them a fire hazard.

CLACKAMAS:  It is hot and dry now. We are well into the summer drought 
western Oregon is known for. Grass seed harvest is getting started. Grass hay 
harvest is all but over. Pastures are drying out. Marion berries are ready, 
raspberries are about done, and blueberries going strong. Anybody with 
irrigation is busy.

CLATSOP:  It is dry and some rain is needed for pastures.  Grass silage 
harvest continues.  

MARION:  With the 4th of July comes summer in the Willamette Valley. This 
week saw no rain, with highs in the mid to upper 80's and lows in the 50's. 
Crops are growing and maturing rapidly with the warmer temperatures. Much of 
the grass for seed has been swathed. Blueberry pickers were in the field. 
There are apricots that are ripe and ready to pick. Caneberries are in full 
harvest. Corn is starting to grow rapidly with the warmer weather. The busy 
days of summer are upon us.  Very hot this week. Snap beans are growing 
rapidly and sweet corn is up.

POLK:   Grass seed harvest is in full swing. Soil moisture level is extremely 
low. Aphids have been noted to be a problem this year. Tart cherries are 
being harvested.

WASHINGTON:  Producers are preparing for the triple digit temperatures that 
are anticipated for Tuesday and Wednesday this week. Strawberries and 
raspberries are finished; except for late bearing variety. Grass seed and 
clovers are being swathed in all of Washington County.  Some grass was being 
swathed. Grass was being hayed and oats were being baled and stored. 
Blueberries were doing well at stands and some going to processors. Cherries 
were winding down.  Peaches were getting ready to pick.  Sweet corn was well over 
knee-high the Fourth of July.  Greenhouses & nurseries continued to weed and 
spray.  Irrigation is ongoing.  Buffalo calves are growing well as are other 
beef breeds. The high temperature was 90.6 degrees, and the low was 39.9 
degrees. No rain.

YAMHILL:  Sweet cherry harvest is wrapping up in the higher elevations. The 
second generation codling moth controls are being applied to apples and 
pears.

                                 EASTERN OREGON                                 

BAKER:  Baker has been hot and dry. The first cutting of hay is about 
complete. Grasshoppers have moved in and are feasting on crops throughout the 
county. Hot and dry conditions have played havoc on the irrigators to get 
everything irrigated. Irrigated grain crops are fairing. Hay yields for the 
first cutting are down thus far.  Bluegrass is swathed and combining is 
starting. Fescue seed is being swathed. Frost and heat damage was showing up 
in grain crops. Dry, hot weather is causing pasture to deteriorate rapidly.

HOOD RIVER:  Dry and warm to hot weather prevailed during the week. Cherry 
harvest was ongoing in the lower and middle Hood River Valley. A few days 
with calm conditions provided opportunities for applying summer orchard cover 
sprays. Summer orchard operations continued throughout the valley.

JEFFERSON:  Hot weather and no thunderstorms have made for favorable 
conditions for completing field work in a timely manner.  Swathing of 
Kentucky bluegrass grown for seed is complete and threshing is well underway.  
First cut of mint leaf for tea is complete.  Carrots grown for seed are in 
full bloom and conditions have been favorable for good pollination.

KLAMATH:  The county experienced hot weather during the first part of the 
week. Some second cutting hay was being dropped and early varieties of 
potatoes were blooming. There were reports of low yields for some first 
cutting hay fields due to frost and heat. On Friday evening severe 
thunderstorms and high wind gusts hit the basin. Large amounts of rain 
resulted in temporary flooding. Reported losses of complete fields of grain, 
potato, onions and strawberries. All other types of crops received damage of 
some sort. The storm also brought hail to some areas.

MALHEUR:  Several range fires are burning at this time. Some ranches have had 
to move cattle. Water hauling has begun to those areas of rangeland on which 
the waterholes have dried up completely. The corn crop has shown excellent 
growth the last week.

SHERMAN:  Barley harvest is started but reports on quality show light test 
weights. Wheat harvest will start early next week if not Saturday. Impeccably 
warm (i.e. darn hot). Fire danger is very high for this year. The heat is 
hurting spring crops and will impact winter wheat a little less.

WASCO:  Weather conditions were hot and dry through the week. Cherry harvest 
continued on Bings and Rainers. Wheat fields ripening rapidly with the hot 
temperatures. Wheat harvest started around The Dalles on sandy soils. Other 
field activity included summer fallow cultivation and fertilization. Apricots 
were not quite ripe, while peaches are sizing nicely. Second cutting of 
alfalfa hay was under way all week. Livestock were in good condition with 
adequate forage.

WALLOWA:  Very hot temperatures have caused considerable loss in quality and 
quantity for dryland hay crops. Most dryland farms are in serious trouble for 
hay crops. Emergency grazing of CRP is being requested and County 
Commissioners have sent a disaster declaration to the governor.

                        Weather data for selected stations in Oregon, Week ending: July 8, 2007 (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        :  50       72     61       +3       80      +17     0.02     -0.32     1      70.09     5.77     109       181  
  Bandon 8/              :  53       71     62       +5       85      +30     -        -0.13     -      55.12    -2.56      96       156  
  Crescent City          :  48       69     59       +2       63       +7     0.01     -0.11     1      57.91    -6.09      90       120  
  Florence               :  43       75     59       +0       67       +1     -        -0.27     -      84.44     9.87     113       142  
  North Bend             :  50       72     60       +2       73      +10     -        -0.15     -      59.65    -2.42      96       135  
  Tillamook              :  46       73     60       +3       72      +18     -        -0.46     -      53.68   -32.13      63       162  
WILLAMETTE               :                                                                                                                
 VALLEY                  :                                                                                                                
  Aurora 8/              :  51       94     71       +6      145      +40     -        -0.20     -      40.59     0.93     102       139  
  Corvallis              :  46       90     68       +4      125      +24     0.05     -0.09     1      45.98     4.50     111       138  
  Detroit Lake 8/        :  53       92     71      +10      151      +69     -        -0.27     -      86.63    20.96     132       159  
  Eugene                 :  48       91     69       +3      131      +18     -        -0.15     -      38.21    -9.75      80       123  
  Hillsboro              :  47       92     68       +4      127      +24     -        -0.16     -      34.48    -1.67      95       136  
  McMinnville            :  48       93     69       +5      136      +33     -        -0.14     -      35.68    -6.45      85       139  
  Portland               :  54       90     71       +5      147      +28     -        -0.17     -      33.56    -1.22      96       148  
  Salem                  :  49       92     70       +5      140      +34     -        -0.17     -      39.56     1.52     104       126  
SW VALLEYS               :                                                                                                                
  Grants Pass            :  52       96     75       +5      173      +30     -        -0.07     -      29.33    -1.06      97        96  
  Medford                :  54       99     78       +7      196      +46     -        -0.07     -      16.99    -1.17      94        93  
  Roseburg               :  55       93     73       +7      164      +43     -        -0.14     -      30.24    -1.60      95       111  
NORTH CENTRAL            :                                                                                                                
  Condon                 :  42       97     71       +8      152      +51     -        -0.14     -      14.11     1.05     108        99  
  Echo 8/                :  56      106     78       +7      198      +47     -        -0.07     -       8.98     0.56     107        95  
  Heppner                :  54      102     75       +8      180      +56     -        -0.10     -      14.08     1.09     108       103  
  Hermiston              :  56      107     80       +9      211      +60     -        -0.07     -       8.36    -0.06      99        84  
  Madras 8/              :  49      102     72       +7      155      +45     -        -0.14     -       6.65    -2.95      69        79  
  Moro                   :  54      102     74       +9      167      +54     -        -0.07     -      11.26     0.81     108        83  
  Parkdale 8/            :  48       96     68       +4      131      +22     -        -0.07     -      33.97     3.91     113       106  
  Pendleton              :  58      106     78       +8      201      +51     -        -0.10     -       9.97    -1.29      89        89  
  Prairie City 8/        :  49      102     72       +7      155      +45     -        -0.14     -       6.65    -2.95      69        79  
  The Dalles             :  57      100     77      +13      193      +85     -        -0.07     -      12.43     0.61     105        76  
SOUTH CENTRAL            :                                                                                                                
  Agency Lake 8/         :  47       96     70       +9      143      +55     -        -0.07     -      14.89    -0.33      98        97  
  Bend                   :  48       99     70       +9      141      +56     -        -0.14     -      10.20    -0.59      95        69  
  Burns                  :  47      102     73      +10      163      +61     -        -0.12     -       8.53    -0.51      94        79  
  Christmas Valley 8/    :  42      102     71       +4      147      +27     0.01     -0.13     1       5.72    -5.74      50        75  
  Klamath Falls          :  46       98     71       +6      150      +36     -        -0.08     -       9.50    -3.14      75        74  
  Klamath Falls 8/       :  46       97     72       +6      155      +41     0.02     -0.06     1      10.52    -1.84      85        96  
  Lakeview               :  45       99     73       +8      160      +53     -        -0.11     -       3.70   -11.15      25        48  
  Lorella 8/             :  43       96     70       +4      141      +27     0.37      0.29     1       9.72    -2.92      77        87  
  Redmond                :  45      103     72       +8      155      +54     -        -0.14     -       4.50    -3.23      58        51  
  Worden 8/              :  42       94     69       +3      133      +19     0.01     -0.07     1       7.83    -4.81      62        93  
NORTHEAST                :                                                                                                                
  Baker City             :  47      103     71       +7      149      +42     -        -0.17     -       5.33    -4.22      56        80  
  Joseph                 :  49       95     71      +13      150      +89     -        -0.24     -      13.53    -9.66      58       106  
  La Grande              :  52      102     77      +10      189      +65     -        -0.17     -       7.26    -8.86      45        70  
  Union                  :  52      105     75      +11      175      +72     -        -0.19     -       9.70    -2.75      78        89  
SOUTHEAST                :                                                                                                                
  Ontario                :  59      106     83       +8      231      +56     -        -0.07     -       5.84    -3.28      64        65  
  Rome                   :  48      106     77       +8      194      +51     -        -0.11     -       3.23    -4.33      43        59  
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1/  Summary based on NWS data. Copyright 2007: 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, 2006.                                                                             
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.