nd-crop-weather

STATE
NORTH DAKOTA CROP, LIVESTOCK & WEATHER REPORT

RELEASE DATE, WEEK ENDING DATE
Released: April 25, 2005
For Week Ending: April 24, 2005

ISSUE
ND-CW1705

AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY
General: Producers made excellent progress planting last week due to the
warm, dry conditions, according to the North Dakota Agricultural Statistics
Service. Fieldwork was reported across the entire state as the north
central and northeast districts have begun to dry out. Topsoil moisture
supplies were rated 7 percent very short, 26 short, 64 adequate and 3
surplus. This compared with the five-year (2000-2004) average of 4 percent
very short, 16 short, 69 adequate and 11 surplus. Statewide, on average,
there were 6.3 days suitable for fieldwork.

FIELD CROPS REPORT
Crops: Excellent progress was made seeding small grains, which was well
ahead of the five-year average. Hard red spring wheat was 29 percent
seeded, about a week ahead of average, and 3 percent emerged. This compared
with 30 percent last year and 17 percent average, while 5 percent was
emerged last year and 2 percent on average. Durum wheat was 15 percent
seeded compared with 6 percent on average. Barley was 22 percent seeded and
oats was 28 percent seeded.

Producers showed the most seeding progress on sugarbeets with 34 percent
seeded compared with the average of 19 percent. All other crop plantings,
except potatoes, were ahead of average. Corn was 11 percent planted
compared with 7 percent average. Dry peas were 21 percent seeded.

LIVESTOCK, PASTURE AND RANGE REPORT
Livestock: Calving and lambing season continued, slightly ahead of the
five-year average. Calving was 84 percent complete and lambing was 89
percent complete compared with 83 and 88 percent on average, respectively.
Shearing was 94 percent complete.

Hay and forage supplies were rated 5 percent very short, 17 short, 73
adequate and 5 surplus. Grain and concentrate supplies were 3 percent very
short, 9 short, 80 adequate and 8 surplus. Pastures were rated 68 percent
growing compared to 54 percent last year. Pasture and range conditions were
rated 7 percent very poor, 21 poor, 43 fair, 27 good and 2 excellent.

CROP PROGRESS TABLES
                        Crop Development Progress 1/
                      April 24, 2005 with Comparisons
                                   Week Ending              2000-
 Crop                April 24,   April 17,    April 24,     2004
                        2005       2005         2004        Avg.
                                      (Percent)
 BARLEY
    Planted              22          6          21           10
    Emerged               1         NA           2            1
 DURUM WHEAT
    Planted              15          6          16            6
    Emerged               2         NA           3            1
 HRS WHEAT 
    Planted              29         11          30           17
    Emerged               3         NA           5            2
 OATS
    Planted              28          9          25           12
    Emerged               1         NA           2            1
 CANOLA
    Planted              13          4          13            6
 CORN, ALL
    Planted              11          0          15            7
 DRY EDIBLE BEANS
    Planted               0         NA           0            0
 DRY EDIBLE PEAS
    Planted              21          5          NA           NA
 FLAXSEED
    Planted               5         NA           5            2
 POTATOES
    Planted               4         NA           5            5
 SOYBEANS
    Planted               0         NA           1            0
 SUGARBEETS
    Planted              34          1          34           19
 1/ Crop development percents represent all acreage in or beyond each
 stage. NA = Not Available

SOIL TEMPERATURES
Soil Temperatures: Average soil temperatures on April 24 ranged from a low
of 44 degrees F in Langdon to a high of 56 in Watford City. These readings
reflect daily average temperatures under 4 inches of bare soil recorded by
the North Dakota Agricultural Weather Network (NDAWN).

SOIL TEMPERATURE TABLE
 Average Soil Temperatures*, April 24, 2005
 Station                Temperature      Station             Temperature
                         Degrees F                            Degrees F
 NORTHWEST                            CENTRAL
   Bowbells                  50         Carrington                52
   Minot                     54         Robinson                  46
   Williston                 55         Streeter                  48
 NORTH CENTRAL                        EAST CENTRAL
   Baker                     51         Dazey                     50
   Bottineau                 46         Fargo                     46
   Rolla                     49       SOUTHWEST
 NORTHEAST                              Bowman                    51
   Cavalier                  50         Dickinson                 53
   Grand Forks               51       SOUTH CENTRAL
   Langdon                   44         Linton                    52
 WEST CENTRAL                         SOUTHEAST
   Turtle Lake               55         Oakes                     50
   Watford City              56         Wyndmere                  46
 * Thermometers located 4 inches under bare soil.
 Source: NDAWN, Department of Soil Science, NDSU.

SOIL MOISTURE TABLE
 Soil Moisture: North Dakota
                                    Week Ending                2000-
                         April 24,   April 17,   April 24,     2004
 Date                      2005        2005        2004         Avg.
                                          (Percent)
 TOPSOIL
    Very Short               7           7           8           4
    Short                   26          21          22          16
    Adequate                64          67          64          69
    Surplus                  3           5           6          11

 SUBSOIL
    Very Short              13          11          11           7
    Short                   23          24          29          20
    Adequate                60          60          57          65
    Surplus                  4           5           3           8

WEATHER SUMMARY
Weather: Temperatures continued above average for the third week of April.
Precipitation was below average for most of the state. Near record
temperatures were reported across the eastern third of the state. A cold
front bringing scattered showers and some thunderstorms moved across the
state late on Monday and into Tuesday. The heaviest rain was reported in
the southwestern and south central areas. The week remained mostly dry with
only widely scattered showers across the state on Tuesday and Wednesday.
Highs were mostly in the 50s and 60s on Tuesday and Wednesday. Temperatures
warmed briefly again on Thursday to above seasonal averages. Another cold
front brought cooler temperatures for the end of the week and into the
weekend. Highs ranged from the upper 40s in the northeast to the mid-50s in
the southwest. Low temperatures dipped below freezing in most areas for the
week's end, with lows mostly in the 20s to near 30. Temperatures slowly
warmed to slightly above seasonal levels by the end of the weekend.

Outlook, April 25-May 1: An end to the above average temperatures the state
has been enjoying for the entire month looks likely for the last week of
April. There will also be a daily chance of showers across the state for
the majority of the workweek. Rain may mix with snow in some of the
northern areas on Wednesday and Thursday. High temps will be in the 40s to
mid-50s on Monday and Tuesday, with low temperatures in the 30s. A frontal
boundary will move across the state late on Tuesday and bring even cooler
temperatures for the middle and end of the week. High temperatures for the
period of Wednesday through Friday will be mostly in the 40s, with low
temperatures ranging from the mid-20s to low 30s. Temperatures will warm
only slightly for the weekend, with highs in the upper 40s to mid- 50s and
low temperatures in the upper 20s to upper 30s.

WEATHER INFORMATION TABLES
 Temperature & Precipitation: Districts and Stations
 North Dakota, Week ending April 24, 2005
                               Average           Seasonal Precipitation
 District                    Temperature           Beginning April 1
 Averages                  Past      Depart    Past              Depart
                           Week    Normal 1/   Week     Total    Normal 1/
                             (Degrees F)              (Inches)
 Northwest  (1)             50        5        0.00      0.20      -0.94
 N. Central (2)             49        4        0.01      0.34      -0.87
 Northeast  (3)             51        5        0.15      0.80      -0.26
 W. Central (4)             48        1        0.01      0.30      -1.06
 Central    (5)             52        6        0.00      0.43      -0.90
 E. Central (6)             54        7        0.00      0.52      -0.96
 Southwest  (7)             49        2        0.44      0.62      -0.65
 S. Central (8)             53        5        0.03      0.84      -0.56
 Southeast  (9)             54        6        0.00      0.64      -0.83
 1/ Normal is the 1961-90 average. NA=Not Available. Weather data
 collected from NDAWN stations and compiled by UND Aerospace Regional
 Weather Information Center.

 Temperature & Precipitation: Districts and Stations
 North Dakota, Week ending April 24, 2005
                          Temperature           Seasonal Precipitation
 Stations                  Past Week               Beginning April 1
    by                                         Past               Depart
 District                High      Low         Week     Total   Normal 1/
                          (Degrees F)                  (Inches)
 (1) Bowbells             70       26          0.00      0.15      -0.87
   Williston              73       31          0.00      0.00      -1.05
   Mohall                 71       28          0.00      0.38      -0.70
   Minot                  73       24          0.00      0.25      -1.12
 (2) Baker                75       26          0.00      0.50      -0.94
   Bottineau              74       21          0.00      0.18      -0.80
   Rugby                  76       22          0.02      0.34      -0.86
 (3) Cando                74       22          0.35      0.74      -0.14
   Cavalier               74       24          0.11      0.94      -0.09
   Forest River           81       26          0.00      0.87      -0.34
   Grand Forks            84       25          0.00      0.34      -0.80
   Langdon                71       25          0.39      1.15       0.30
   St. Thomas             74       29          0.02      0.73      -0.48
 (4) Hazen                75       18          0.02      0.58      -0.94
   Turtle Lake            73       22          0.00      0.31      -1.12
   Watford City           70       30          0.00      0.00      -1.12
 (5) Carrington           86       19          0.00      0.53      -0.75
   Harvey                 78       19          0.01      0.35      -0.75
   Jamestown              87       23          0.00      0.41      -0.93
   Robinson               83       23          0.00      0.35      -0.98
   Streeter               83       22          0.00      0.50      -1.07
 (6) Dazey                87       23          0.00      0.36      -0.96
   Fargo                  85       23          0.00      0.75      -0.81
   Hillsboro              87       23          0.00      0.45      -1.12
 (7) Beach                69       26          0.62      0.73      -0.40
   Bowman                 72       25          0.44      0.44      -0.67
   Dickinson              74       29          0.55      0.63      -0.77
   Hettinger              75       22          0.16      0.66      -0.75
 (8) Mandan               80       24          0.04      1.05      -0.18
   Linton                 82       25          0.01      0.62      -0.95
 (9) Edgeley              86       24          0.00      0.68      -0.89
   Oakes                  84       23          0.00      0.55      -1.09
   Wyndmere               84       23          0.00      0.68      -0.52
 1/ Normal is the 1961-90 average. NA=Not Available. Weather data
 collected from NDAWN stations and compiled by UND Aerospace Regional
 Weather Information Center.

CONTACT INFORMATION
  North Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service, USDA
  Cooperating with:
  NDSU Extension Service,
  Farm Service Agency,
  ND Ag Weather Network (NDAWN)
  and
  UND Aerospace Regional Weather Information Center

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
  David Knopf, Director
  North Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service
  NDSU, IACC Bldg., Room 448
  P.O. Box 3166
  Fargo, ND 58108-3166
  Telephone: (701) 239-5306
  E-Mail: nass-nd@nass.usda.gov
  Internet: http://www.nass.usda.gov/nd/