lyys MoMANA A(.Ki( 1 in kAi. Si aiisik s 



(il NKRAI -C KOI', 1,I\ I SKK K, & \\ KATIIKK I)I(,KST 7 



MONIANA CROP, I.IV KS lOCK, AND VVEAIHKR I)I(;KSr, 1997 



January: It was dry and cold east of the Divide and wet 

 and cold west of the Divide. Some moderate temperatures 

 reached the state late in the month. Snow cover on winter 

 wheat was rated mostly poor to fair. Light wind damage 

 was reported on 69'?f of the acreage. Calving and lambing 

 had just started by the end of the month. Feed supplies 

 were reported as very tight. 



February: Mild temperatures were the norm for the 

 month. Most areas reported less than normal precipitation 

 except in the western district. Melting snow opened up 

 additional grazing. Feed supplies were opening up since 

 the cold weather had eased up. Calving was 19% 

 complete and lambing 1 1% complete. 



were maturing ahead of normal. Precipitation was 

 scattered throughout the month w ith much of it in the form 

 oflate afternoon or evening thunderstorms. Hay producers 

 were having trouble getting their hay up before it would 

 get rained on. Pasture and feed range condition started 

 showing improvement with the rains. 



August: Scattered showers throughout the month kept 

 most ofthe slate's soil moisture supplies adequate. Winter 

 wheat harvest was 88 percent complete by the end of the 

 month. Spring wheat and barley harvest was just over half 

 done at month's end. Crop conditions were rated mostly 

 good. Pasture and range feed condition was rated mostly 

 fair to good. 



March: The month was generally warm and dry. The 

 warm weather caused ice to move on several rivers 

 bringing on flooding due to ice jams. Field tillage work 

 was just beginning by the end of the month. Less than 

 25% of the winter wheat crop was reported as receiving 

 moderate to heavy damage due to freeze or drought. More 

 grazing land was available with the melting snow, but 

 most livestock were receiving supplemental feed. 



April: A blizzard during the first part of April blanketed 

 Eastern Montana w ith snow. The severe weather w as hard 

 on livestock producers who were calving and lambing at 

 the time. Hay supplies in the eastern part of the state were 

 critically low. Spring planting was also held up by the 

 weather and only l()'^( of the spring wheal and barley were 

 seeded by month' end. The winter wheat crop was rated 

 33% fair and 55'X good. 



May: Wet weather at the beginning of the month kept 

 spring seeding behind normal.. By the second week, 

 warm, dry conditions allowed excellent seeding progress. 

 The weather continued to be warm and dry to the point 

 where some 



areas of the state needed rain. Some welcome rains came 

 late in the month. All crops were rated mostly in fair to 

 good condition. Most of the livestock had been moved to 

 summer ranges. The rains helped green up pastures. 



June: Most of the slate received above normal 

 precipitation with the exception of the eastern third of the 

 slate. There were several reports of river and low land 

 flooding. Crop progress was generally ahead of normal. 

 Crop conditions remained mostly good. Pasture and 

 ranges were showing stress in the Eastern districts. 



July: Winter wheat harvest was over 30% complete by the 

 end of the month, well ahead of normal. Spring grains 



September: Small grain harvest was virtually w rapped up 

 by the third week of the month. There were many reports 

 of wheal stem savvfly causing problems during harvest. 

 Corn silage and dry bean harvest were in their final stages 

 by the end of the month and sugar beet and potato harvest 

 were off to a good start. The 1998 winter wheat crop was 

 seeded on 66 percent of the intended acreage by month's 

 end. Nearly a third of the li\eslock were moved from 

 summer ranges. 



October: Winter wheat seeding was virtually complete by 

 the middle of the month. There were some areas of the 

 state where seeding was held back because of dry 

 conditions. The winter wheat condition was rated mostly 

 fair to good at month's end. Potato and sugar beet harvest 

 was nearly complete by the end of the month. Just over 80 

 percent of the livestock had been taken off summer ranges. 



November: November weather was relatively calm with 

 cool and dry conditions. The winter wheat crop had 

 emerged on 94 percent of the acreage seeded before 

 temperatures became loo cold. There was some wind 

 damage to the emerging winter wheat and producers are 

 concerned about the lack of snow cover. Winter wheat 

 protectiveness of snow cover was rated mostly very poor. 

 With the lack of snow, supplemental feeding was rated 

 light compared with normal. Livestock grazing is reported 

 at 80 percent open. 



December: Temperatures were generally above normal 

 with below normal precipitation. Snow cover of the 

 w inter w heat continued to cause some concern w ith ratings 

 of 47 percent poor and 40 percent \ery poor. Wind 

 damage to winter wheat was rated 26 percent none, 60 

 percent light, 13 percent moderate, and 1 percent heavy. 

 Livestock are reported in good to excellent condition. 

 Grazing was still rated at 88 percent open. 



