Crazy Weather

Been an interesting five years on this farm! I have recorded every tenth of inch we received in 05, 07 and 08. Really makes you wonder what 2009 will bring. Will it be wet like 06, "normal" like 04 or dry like the other three?

a year of record rainfall in the past 12 months 2006, 30 inches during growing season, a bit too much for our soils!

Corn planted April 30, some drizzle in-between and May 1, May 6 and 7

First rainfall .8 inches May 16
May 29 .25
3 traces first of June
June 4 .25
June 28 .7 .2 .7
July 10 .7
July 14 .1
July 15 .1
July 17 .25
July 19 .25
July 20 .3
July 28 .4
Aug 7 .5 total 4 showers
Aug 9 .25
Aug 20 .3
Aug 21 .4
Aug 25 .3
Sep 8 .1
Sep 9 .5
Sep 11 .5
Sep 26 1.2
Oct 15 .2
Oct 19 .2
Oct. 23 –24 3.5 total 4.8 at Ledford’s 3 miles east
Nov 14 .4 total
Nov 22 .6 total
Nov 26 .8 total mostly last night and today
Dec 2 1.1
Dec 10 1.9 over the weekend
Dec 13 .9 total

Some ice and snow in-between

2008
Total Feb. 7 2.5
Feb. 17 1.1
March 10 3.5
March 28, 2008 .8
April 4 1.5 inches
April 5 .5 inches
April 8 .3 inches
April 14, 2008 .2 inches
April 28, 2008 .3
May 3, 2008 .5
May 8 .5
May 11 1.5
May 16 1.8
May 19 .1
May 20 .8
May 27 .6

Nancy Pickard, local weather observer, reported the precipitation was 1.35 inches above the monthly average. The precipitation for May was 6.25 inches, and the average for May is 4.9 inches.

The total precipitation for the year to date is 24.8 inches, which is 7.43 inches above the yearly average

June 3, 2008 .7.
June 4, 2008 Big storm last night, lots of thunder and lightning, 24 funnel clouds reported in the county 1 inch of rain and more coming, fields ponding and ditches full

June 5, 2008 .8 inches
June 10 .5 inches
June 13 .4
June 21 .4
June 26 .4
June 29 .3
July 5 .6
July 9 storm .2 .2
July 12 .1
July 22 .4
Aug 29 .6
Sept 5 .4
Sept 6 .6 .2
Oct 8 .8
Oct. 16 trace
Oct. 24 1.0
Nov 6 .15
Nov 13 .25
Nov. 24 .7
Nov 30 .4
Dec. 10 .8
Dec 19 1.5
Jan 7 .5
Jan 10 .5
Jan 27 storm 10 inches snow 2 inches ice
Feb 3 inch of snow

I tell farmers you need a rain gauge on every farm. Here, the gauges from each end of the farm do not read the same!

It is amazing the crops we have been able to grow here over five years. We sold seven crops in five years and had cover crops, too, which we plan to continue.

The drill often chases the planter here!

How has the weather been at your place? What do you expect this year?

Ed Winkle