8 General Montana Agricultural Statistics 1994 



MONTANA CROP, LIVESTOCK, AND WEATHER DIGEST, 1993 



Januaiy. Temperatures were below normal for the first half of the month. Grazing for the most part was 

 considered difficialt. The snow cover for winter wheat crop was good to poor. Most of the winter wheat crop 

 was in fair to good condition. 



February: With well below normal temperatures prevailing, snow cover protectiveness for winter wheat was very 

 critical and was rated mostly good to excellent. Two-thirds of the crop was in good condition and almost 

 another third in fair condition. Grazing continued unfavorable with conditions mostly difficult to closed. 

 Calving and lambing were off to a good start. 



March: With near normal temperatures, there was above normal precipitation generally to the east of the 

 Rockies and well below normal precipitation in the west. Almost two-thirds of the winter wheat had broken 

 dormancy. The majority of the winter wheat crop was in good to excellent condition. Field work was generally 

 just getting started. Calving and lambing progressed under less than ideal conditions causing some incidents of 

 scours. 



Aprfl: Field work progressed far behind normal as wet conditions prevailed for the month. 



May: Farmers made considerable progress in spring field work and, by the middle of the month, percent acreage 

 seeded for the major crops were close to normal. Temperatures ranging well above normal from the middle of 

 the month on decreased soil moisture reserves. 



Jime: Overall, it was a cool, wet month except in the northeast. Generally, producers had some difficulty ■ 

 putting up good quality hay as the cool, wet conditions impeded curing. Small grain crops were feeling the 

 stresses of disease in the north central area as the weather promoted the marked advancement of wheat streak 

 mosaic. Crops in the northeast were under stress from a significant lack of moisture and numerous hay fields 

 were not harvested due to the dryness. 



July: Unseasonably cool, wet weather hindered the maturing of the small grain crops and played havoc with hay 

 harvesting and quality. Wheat streak mosaic and other cool, wet weather diseases continued to thrive and 

 spread in small grains. 



August: Cool temperatures continued for much of the month. Winter wheat harvest started in earnest the third 

 week. Small grains continued to ripen slowly and significantly behind normal. 



Septemben Cool, wet weather was again the norm with the exception of the second week which was warm and 

 dry. Spring grains continued to ripen at an agonizingly slow pace. Spring wheat acreage as percent ripened was 

 only half of what the percent would be in a normal year. Heavy dew and cool mornings delayed the start of 

 harvest until mid-moming on days when it was suitable to harvest. A substantial frost occurred in many regions 

 of the state affecting numerous spring grain fields in the milky to soft dough stage and the late season row 

 crops. Winter wheat seeding was considerably behind normal due to the inclement weather. 



Octoben October was ushered in with warm and dry weather until a storm dropped above normal precipitation 

 the latter part of the second week. Small grain and row crop harvests along with winter wheat seeding made 

 good progress up until that time. Row crop harvest was notably behind normal. For the rest of the month 

 temperatures were near normal and precipitation was light to moderate. Producers made good progress with 

 harvest of small grains and late season crops and seeding of winter wheat. 



Novemben Slightly below normal temperatures with dryer conditions prevailed. Snow cover protectiveness for 

 winter wheat was rated as fair to excellent. By mid-month 90 percent of the winter wheat planted had emerged. 

 Grazing was mostly open. 



Decemben Above normal temperatures with dry conditions. Snow cover protectiveness for winter wheat was 

 mostly poor to fair. Grazing was mostly open. 



