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scottokla

Rain just when needed

scottokla
9 years ago

This year has been very poor precipitation-wise at the farm, as I have complained about on multiple occasions. We have had 15.7 inches through the end of August. The only month where we had more rain than average was in July (by 1 inch). We are about 10 inches below normal through Labor Day. August had one day with 0.3 inches but that was all.

On Sept 1 we were actually about 1.5 inches below the 2012 total at that point, which was the lowest in the last 50 years and in the top 3 lowest in recorded history depending on which nearby weather station is used for reference.

Today, however, we got somewhere around 2 to 2.5 inches. I won't know the exact amount until later in the week, but regardless it was our day. The trees were starting to defoliate and the nuts are small but will now likely fill out and be marketable.

What a great day!

Scott

Comments (7)

  • OklaMoni
    9 years ago

    I just thought of starting a post about rain... I have 1/4 inch, and am happy... but wouldn't mind being happier... LOL

    Moni

  • Okiedawn OK Zone 7
    9 years ago

    I just looked at the OK Mesonet rainfall map a few minutes ago and my first thought when I saw the numbers was "Scott's gonna be happy!", so I am glad to hear that you are. I hope you get more rain soon. Y'all still have a big deficit to make up.

    Moni, I hope you get to be happier too. While 1/4" is nice, more would be nicer.

    When we began June with less than 7" of year-to-date rainfall, I just felt sick looking ahead to a long summer of drought once again. Since then we have had sporadic rainfall, with good rainfall falling at least twice a month. Our YTD rainfall is now up to 20", so we still are about 6" lower than we would be in an average year but that's not bad all things considered. I hope y'all continue to get the kind of rain that will bring your year-to-date rainfall totals higher and higher.

    Dawn

  • dbarron
    9 years ago

    between 1.5 and 2 here....we needed it (been since early June since I heard thunder).

  • mulberryknob
    9 years ago

    2.4 inches here. This is the rainiest summer in many years here. But this area of the state isn't called "Green Country" for nothing. Most years we get more rain than other areas of the state. So glad that those who needed it got some. Yay, Scott! Hope everybody else who needed it got some too.

    I need to get out the seed, I will plant some fall greens this week. I stopped at Lowe's in both Muskogee and Tahlequah today asking for frost fabric to be told that they didn't have it "yet." So went to WM and bought 10 yards of 4 ft wide tulle.We shall see if it will keep the grasshoppers out or if they will just eat through the way they did the fiberglass screens on the greenhouse.

  • slowpoke_gardener
    9 years ago

    south of Ft. smith, we received 1 5/16 yesterday and 1 5/8 couple of days before. This has been the wettest gardening year I can remember, almost no watering all summer.

  • gmatx zone 6
    9 years ago

    So happy many of you are receiving rain. We received very little (I think less than an inch) during August, but the weather forecast shows us having a good chance of rain one day this weekend. Sure hope it happens as we are brown again and the pastures are grazed short. Had a truck load of hay brought in last week but hope not to have to start feeding it this early. Always thankful for any drops of moisture we get.

  • Okiedawn OK Zone 7
    9 years ago

    We didn't get very much rain in August either, Mary, and it is shocking how quickly the green fades to a buff or wheat type color. The veggies are looking pretty rough now, as is the lawn and all the pastures, and I am not inclined to water any of the annual veggies or herbs beyond this point, except for the sweet potatoes. With everything else, we've harvested more than enough already.

    We have been below average rainfall in every month in 2014 except June and July so we still are in pretty bad shape. The worst month was May, which normally is pretty wet. Our actual May rainfall was about 25% of our average May rainfall. The June and July rainfall was great while it lasted but the soil dried up again a lot more quickly than I thought it would.

    I don't like the kind of wind we're having this week in combination with temperatures in the 90s and no rain falling. It will dry up the vegetation and soil even more quickly.

    I hope y'all get rain this weekend and I hope we get some too. If the fields dry out too much more, we'll start having grass fires, pasture fires and hay fires. We've had a few hay fires this summer, often just after hay has been cut and baled, or even while it is being cut and baled, but not nearly as many as we have in a drier summer.