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Still NO rain

102K views 383 replies 102 participants last post by  Dryland 
#1 ·
3.3/10ths of rain since April 1st where I live in NE Alberta. Some places have got a few showers. Not here. Less then 1/10 since May 1st .Hay and pastures brown. Lawn brown. Wheat crops hanging on some how. Canola is pretty patchy. Calling for a 2 day rain this weekend. If we miss this one, crops will be done. Nobody doing any spraying. Just a little round-up canola. Might be a lot of chem fallow around here this summer.:11:
 
#6 ·
Unfortunately same thing in this area, virtually nothing since the snow in early May. I got about 2/10s a week ago on the home block as one cloud passed over and felt lucky. Where I really needed it on my other quarters just over a mile north, nothing. Been a few showers go thru in some areas, but very scattered. Was a lot of frost damage here as well with some reseeding having taken place. There is moisture in the ground, but even the no till guys have had germination trouble because of the top being dry. Cereals aren't too bad, but most fields are showing strips of ungerminated seed from one end to the other, in wheel tracks or other where seed was placed closer to surface. Even no till canola is very patchy, and stuff seeded into dust like mine was over three weeks ago is still just laying there, maybe 10 percent is growing. Grass isn't growing, a lot is already headed out, even alfalfa is stunted. Been holding off seeding down some grass, cereal cover will be for greenfeed now anyway, but I suspect when things finally do get wet, it's gonna be a retarded deluge and end up with washouts on the hillsides. See what happens this weekend, be about the tenth time they've called for rain that never materialized.

I guess one good thing has come out of it, had guys back out on renting some pasture in early May....guess who came calling lastnite looking for grass...suddenly mine is a lot greener to them now then it was earlier, tempted to say screw you, but might as well take the cash, silly to waste the grass, well at least what is there.
 
#8 ·
I went to check cows on pasture today out by Strathmore and it looks like a dead zone. The part I usually pen off to cut hay isn't even worth cutting no matter how much rain we get. I think I will wait and let the cows in there if things get desperate. There's no way around it for me the cows will be going to the sale. No hay left in the stackyard and not enough hay coming to get through the winter.
 
#9 ·
Sold my cows 2 years ago. Sure miss those calf checks that now that the prices are up. Kinda happy right now. At least I don't have to worry about where this years hay and pasture is going to come from. I have some hay and pasture land rented out on a cash rent 3 year lease. Do I give them a break? Nothing there hay or pasture. I know my cash rent landlords on crop land won't be giving me one.
 
#13 ·
From southern ontario I'm about 2/3 done we have had the wettest spring two years in a row 90% of the Provence has been done before June 1 st I got neibours that are not half done , ten days ago we were to wet to plant and got a four in rain some guys got five in. Replanting soys today and never finished the first time .If I could send you guys some rain I would like said before hope it turns around soon July 1 is the cut off for beans here.
 
#16 ·
Drove up to Camrose yesterday to pick up a packer harrow bar. Drove hiway 56 north then cut across by Edberg to hiway 21 then north again, Then made the return east past Forestburg then down along the 36. From about Brooks to Stettler the crops were all patchy, not to many will make it with out rain real soon, Stettler north seemed a little better but not much. Going west past Edberg seemed to be worse again, Then north to Camrose seemed a bit better. The return down 36 was just grass and not much to any new growth. Turning brown and going dormant or another season. The early planted crops do have a chance and seem to be okay if then manage to get some roots down into the moisture. The later seeded crops a very uneven and can see all the wheel tracks. There are a lot of uneven canola fields, from plants just coming up to 4'' high plants side by side. Patchy describes it best but its all over the field, not just on the hills or low spots but mixed all up. Peas, never seen a field that looked good to me, more even emergance but short and all looked dry. turning that pale blueish greenish in color. With a shot of rain they will make. As for the temperature hot, hot and **** was it hot yesterday. Left home at around 8:00 and temp was 20 drove up and down and the temp the whole trip was around that 30 degree mark and humid. But I'm glad I went yesterday and left the farm because it reached 35 degrees here at home.
 
#20 ·
This is an interesting chart
Daily Data Report for May 2015

Aside from the only 21.4 mm is the wind, on all days where wnd is 31 km or higher the high gust of the day's direction is also given.
Only two days in the month had less than 31 km/hr gusts.

Thought I'd compare windmill alley:
Daily Data Report for May 2015

Huh, three more low wind days and a lower max wind for the month than Three Hills had, my impression of May was correct.
 
#22 ·
I can only think of one day that would have been to windy to spray here it's been unusually calm here for spraying season. Been waiting for crop to advance enough to spray it. Cool evenings and lots of subsoil moisture has been saving our ass so far. In 1988 it was the opposite here.
 
#23 ·
Nice surprise thunderstorm in Central AB tonight. Only a surprise as it would not have seemed any more likely than anything else that has been predicted or come over this Spring. We have got 10mm and it still dribbling so maybe we get up to .5" - most moisture at one time in 2.5 mos. Fall seeded/hay/pasture the sickest crops crops and not likely to change a whole bunch with this - oh wait; there will be ergot in rye if it were to rain too much like this over next wk as it already flowering. Canola is sickest spring crop as it was all seeded last - maybe this gets it to cabbage. Early cereals still 90+ % yield potential and peas look very good. With cooler temps over next wk or so and wind starting to drop down we likely good for another couple wks. When it heats up for next round I would prefer ice with it.
 
#24 ·
In se sask, but not far enough east. Every storm the last month has either went north, south, dissipated west of us or gained strength once it past over. crops hanging on here. Got a good rain on may 16, but not a lot since. Need a half inch in next 5 or 6 days or else will start going backwards. Here's to hoping :)
 
#30 ·
The last rain we had here west of Moose Jaw was I believe may 5th or 6th.. I got my hair cut that day.. It's getting pretty shaggy again. Like all of u had said its getting fairly frustrating when rain is predicted then taken away.. Already have 1 field of lentils that have large patches burnt up to nothing.. Spraying 1/2 done and now Im just gonna wait for a few days. I seeded durum last and it's really patchy, very depressing.
 
#39 ·
I have given up looking at the weather forecast beyond the next day. The don't know crap and looking only helps their ratings. I get much more enjoyment watching the weather canada radar map, though.
 
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