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scottokla

Upcoming cool-down?

scottokla
11 years ago

I normally don't get my hopes up until the front is just a few days out, but this time I'm going to be optimistic. Three of our 4 channels are predicting a 5-10 degree cool-down next week with a small chance of rain. I think it is going to happen, and I think we will get some rain next week. (I guess I think it will because I don't want to think about what will happen if it doesn't rain.)

I put 10,000 gallons of water on trees and plants in the last 2 weeks because they were showing signs of stress, and I am heading to the mountains next week. It's been a long time since we have had a good rain here - March to be exact.

I can keep about 50 trees in my yard healthy via rural water, but I can't do anything about 1000 trees at a farm with no water source.

Comments (4)

  • Macmex
    11 years ago

    Hope you're right Scott! It's getting pretty rugged here in Tahlequah too.

    George

  • elkwc
    11 years ago

    Scott I've been watching it here. The independent commercial forecaster on a local CO station has been saying for around a week he felt there was a good chance we might see a cool down starting early next week and also an increase in monsoon moisture which would help with rain chances. The others have been slow to follow. Accuweather was the first major to jump on board The first mention by the NWS was Monday. They said some models were showing it but they didn't feel strongly about it. Now they have changed their forecast and show signs of a cooldown with a few days in the 80's next week and improved rain chances. I hope the rainfall is wide ranging and everyone who needs some receives at least some. The next 7-14 days will have a great influence on how the rest of my season goes. Hopefully I will get good fruit set on most during the cool down. Of course the later plants for fall production won't be flowering much yet. They are basically a month off. This spell has been worse than any period last year. I'm glad the sweet corn will be over soon. I've never had as much trouble keeping enough water on it. Like you I'm ready. And I've been more optimistic from the start this year. Even when the NWS was predicting a deepening drought for us. And I have remained so. Now it is just wait and see. Better get outside and do some watering and feeding. Jay

  • scottokla
    Original Author
    11 years ago

    This morning's forecasts have upped the rain chances another 10% and every channel has a 10-degree drop starting Monday or Tuesday. They seem to be pretty accurate once they get inside 4 days so I will be watching closely as they update it. Our forecasters here mentioned the monsoons coming to new Mexico and Colorado also. I hope we have to drive through rain all day Sat and Sun on our way west.

    Last year we lost about 30 trees and another 20 barely made it. All these were in poorer soil, but had been there 20 or 30 years and had set pretty good crops in 2010. We are right now at the same point or dryness as last year at the end of July. Right now I am pretty close to be willing to trade the loss of 40,000 lbs of pecans as long as the trees stay alive.

  • biradarcm
    11 years ago

    I could not believe July weather will go down to that cool! I was bit skeptical when I saw accuweather and nwc and wc. I hope prediction won't go wrong and get some rain. -Chandra

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