1992 Montana Agricultural Statistics General 9 



MONTANA CROP, LIVESTOCK, AND WEATHER DIGEST, 1991 



JANUARY: Soils in the plains remained niostly dry, and most of the snow cover was in the 

 eastern third of the state. Above normal temperatures melted the snow pack in the winter 

 wheat areas, but very little wind damage occurred. The warmer temperatures opened grazing 

 in many locations with roughly a third of the area open to grazing for the month. 



FEBRUARY: Winter wheat broke dormancy a little ahead of normal due to warmer 

 temperatures. The condition of the crop was somewhat poor due to inadequate moisture in 

 the fall and freeze damage in December. The soils remained mostly dry during the month. 

 Grazing was mostly open. 



MARCH: The month was warm and dry with soils in most areas short of both topsoil and 

 subsoil moisture. Very little freeze damage to wdnter wheat occurred. Calving and lambing 

 was continuing under ideal conditions. 



APRIL: Field tillage and small grain seeding started at the usual time with mostly dry soils at 

 the beginning of the month. By the end of the month, soil moisture was much improved and 

 seeding was on schedule with about half the acreage in the ground. 



MAY: Small grain seeding fell behind normal at mid-month as rain and cool temperatures 

 prevailed. By the end of May seeding was only slightly behind normal, but emergence was 

 delayed by cool temperatures. 



JUNE: June was cool and wet. This promoted good growth and development of crops, but 

 made early hay harvest difficult. 



JULY: The weather turned warm and dry providing good haying conditions. Small grains were 

 mostly good to excellent, and winter wheat harvest began at the end of the month. 



AUGUST: Winter wheat harvest neared completion at month's end, slightly behind schedule 

 because of heavy yields and scattered showers. Harvest of other small grains was near the 

 normal pace to slightly behind normal. Crop conditions were mostly good to excellent. 



SEPTEMBER: Topsoil moisture was mostly short the first half of the month, but improved 

 with later rains. Winter wheat seeding by months end was ahead of normal. Other small 

 grain harvest was virtually complete, slightly ahead of normal. 



OCTOBER: Most of the month was warm and dry allowing late season crops to be harvested 

 under good conditions. The last week of the month brought sudden change to cold and wet. 



NOVEMBER: Extreme cold early in November caught winter wheat v^th little or no snow 

 cover protection. Supplemental feeding of livestock was ushered in earlier than usual as snow 

 limited grazing at mid-month. 



DECEMBER: Warm, dry weather left winter wheat without snow protection, but opened 

 grazing in most areas. 



