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Annual precipitation

According to the local Forage Association, ours averages 12-14" total precip per year. It's amazing how some regions have more or less moisture, and more or less forage and trees. When Kit Pharo was here, he couldn't believe how much timber and bush country we have, with only 12" of precipitation. He said eastern Colorado averages 12-14" and has no trees. Interesting correlations. I think alot of it has to do with topsoil, and more importantly, measureable organic matter in your topsoil. That little detail, and the rainfall, are the 2 biggest limiting factors for all of us.

Another key point is, how much of your rainfall/precipitation do you think you utilize? Bare ground from overgrazing or any number of management practices causes rainfall to run away into low areas. Litter on the ground, whether it be trampled forage, carryover forage, stubble trash, bale grazing "waste" all do the same thing - they hold moisture exactly where it falls. Having a good thick layer of organic matter in your topsoil does the same thing.

It's like pouring a cup of water onto your kitchen table, or conversely, pouring onto a sponge. Which is going to actually hold water where it's needed? Right now in East Central Alberta, there are producers selling off grassers and cows as they have no pasture for them to go onto. It's ...

I have to go my wife kicked me off the computer.... finish later.
 
Another key point is, how much of your rainfall/precipitation do you think you utilize?
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Altho our norm is 11.5-- we can have a very good grass and crop year on 8 or 9 inches-- if it comes at the right time...Conversely we can have an abnormally wet year- and if it all comes too early or too late in a year we can have a disaster...

Old rancher used to always say "we're one rain away from a drought- and one rain away from a bumper crop"....

The good thing about here this year is the winter moisture- and early rains filled up all the water holes- and brought up the water table on the springs and wells....
 
Oldtimer said:
Another key point is, how much of your rainfall/precipitation do you think you utilize?
Click to expand...

Altho our norm is 11.5-- we can have a very good grass and crop year on 8 or 9 inches-- if it comes at the right time...Conversely we can have an abnormally wet year- and if it all comes too early or too late in a year we can have a disaster...

Old rancher used to always say "we're one rain away from a drought- and one rain away from a bumper crop"....

The good thing about here this year is the winter moisture- and early rains filled up all the water holes- and brought up the water table on the springs and wells....
Click to expand...

How true is that! We need a good snow year to have irrigation water, but if we don't get rain at the right time we don't have range grass.
 
PureCountry said:
It's like pouring a cup of water onto your kitchen table, or conversely, pouring onto a sponge. Which is going to actually hold water where it's needed? Right now in East Central Alberta, there are producers selling off grassers and cows as they have no pasture for them to go onto. It's ...

I have to go my wife kicked me off the computer.... finish later.
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I just remembered that I hadn't finished my post, and come back to find that my witty little wife finished it for me. How thoughtful of her. :lol:

Have a great day everyone. Here's to thinking positive, and imagining mud between our toes!
 
Not just East central that's dry PureCountry - I drove Rimbey to Ponoka this morning and there were hardly any cows that weren't still on hay! Unbelievable for June 3rd. Scary thing is a lot of those pastures unless they get rain soon look like they won't grow this year period. The "traditional" pasture management systems around here are going to catch up with guys real quick. Good news is we may get some moisture this weekend :lol: :lol: :lol: lets hope so or next week we start implementing our drought strategy.
 
I thought its supposed to be June... :???: SNOW :shock: :shock:

I was going to take bulls out to the pasture in the northern part of the county Saturday...If this looks like it might happen, I may move it up a day.....

THIS ALLOWS THE CLOSED LOW OFF THE
CALIFORNIA COAST TO BECOME AN OPEN WAVE THAT MOVES NORTHEAST OVER
THE CENTRAL ROCKIES AND EVENTUALLY PHASING WITH THE SOUTHWEST
CANADA/PACIFIC NORTHWEST WAVE FORMING A COLD CLOSED UPPER LOW
OVER THE CANADIAN PRAIRIE BY SUNDAY. AS THIS OCCURS A WET PATTERN
IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP AS PACIFIC MOISTURE OVERRUNS A DEEP LAYER
OF UNSEASONABLY COOL EASTERLY FLOW. WITH UNSEASONABLY COOL AIR
ALREADY IN PLACE ALONG WITH CLOUDS AND PRECIPITATION RECORD LOW
MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES ARE A POSSIBILITY SATURDAY...ANY MAYBE SUNDAY.
THERMAL PROFILES SUGGEST SNOW IS POSSIBLE...ESPECIALLY AT
NIGHT...FOR THE LITTLE ROCKY MOUNTAINS...SNOWBELT DIVIDE...AND
NORTHERN VALLEY COUNTY. AT THIS TIME A RAIN SNOW MIX WAS ONLY
INCLUDED FOR THE LITTLE ROCKIES ABOVE 3500FT FOR SATURDAY NIGHT
AS THIS CAN BE REFINED AS THE EVENT APPROACHES. THE UPPER LOW
SLOWLY PLODS EASTWARD EARLY NEXT WEEK. UNSEASONABLY COOL
TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE EARLY NEXT ALONG WITH
AFTERNOON RAIN SHOWERS AS LOW HEIGHTS LINGER OVER NORTHEAST
MONTANA.
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Here, about 60 miles sw of Pierre, SD, and 120 se. of Rapid City, 8 n or *-90, we can call 14" average, if there is such a thing.

There is tremendous variation from year to year on how much comes as snow and how much as rain, and in which season we get either one!

We got 1.5" rain in mid-Feb. when the ground was frozen hard and deep and most ran off, which was good for our stock ponds. The ground was quite wet as there was quite a blizzard the first week of Nov., when the ground still had not frozen. Then there were periodic freezes and thaws the the rest of the fall and winter. We figure on frost going about 4feet deep, and it can go deeper. The soil holds water pretty well. There is a relatively shallow (15-60feet) water table along intermittent creeks which have quite alkaline water. Sure not good to drink! Not for watering lawn and garden, either!!! In some places there is pretty good water between 20 and 60 feet deep, then there are artesian basins in some areas. We have one such well which is over 2,000 feet deep and the water is not suitable for drinking or watering the yard, but cattle do well on it. Can't raise turkeys with it, tho!

We are thankful for the rural water which came to our ranch about 4 years ago. Pricey, but not compared to not having any!!!!

Most of our rain comes during the growing season, which is short, 90 to 100 days is common, and 120 days is a great blessing.

We have had 8 years of serious drought, and the past year has been better, but it is getting seriously dry now unless rains come soon. Had a few 'teaser' showers the past few days, but less than .20 here. June used to be our best chance, but it can happen any time.

Fortunately, we don't raise grain, it is dicey enough trying to grow a little hay. Irrigation isn't really an option for us.

mrj
 
NW Ontario

14 to 18 inches between May 1 and October 31.

25+ inches in a flood year.

11 inches in a bad drought year.

Add snow fall and you will be looking at anywhere between 30 and 60 inches, depending on the winter.

Our total snowfall this past winter was 10 feet.
 
I would'nt know what our average is other than it's very dry here right now. Were planting our silage corn the next few day's then the rain's will begin.. :-) :wink:
 
I hauled out bulls today- and the weather is changing drastically..From 80 degree temps yesterday- we're down in the 50's with a 30 mph East wind that smells like rain....And raining both north and south of us.....

Bring it on...Pastures look good- but an inch of rain would make them look GREAT.....Might screw up my butchering plans for next week- but bring it on... :D

Altho the cold temps in the northern part of the county- (27 degrees on Monday morning) doesn't seem to have hurt the wheat any- I talked to some today that said their alfalfa and peas are wilted pretty bad- not sure how they will come back...

.SHORT TERM...FOR NORTHEAST MONTANA...TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY...
THE WELL ADVERTISED...UNUSUAL AND COMPLEX...WEATHER PATTERN
SETTING UP WILL BEGIN AFFECTING THE REGION TONIGHT WITH WIND AND
RAIN. TEMPERATURES HAVE ALREADY COOLED SUBSTANTIALLY FROM
YESTERDAY BEHIND THE COLD FRONT THAT SWEPT SOUTH OVER THE REGION
LAST EVENING. THE MORNING WATER VAPOR SATELLITE LOOP REVEALS THE
CLOSED LOW CENTERED NEAR SAN FRANCISCO PUMPING WARM MOIST AIR FROM
THE PACIFIC OCEAN NEAR SAN DIEGO INTO THE GREAT BASIN/SOUTHERN
ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGION. THIS SUBTROPICAL MOISTURE FETCH WILL WORK
ITS WAY INTO THE COLDER REGION OF MONTANA TONIGHT WHERE IT WILL
BEGIN TO DUMP THE MOISTURE IN SOUTHERN MONTANA. IN
ADDITION...ANOTHER COLD FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH ANOTHER SHORT WAVE
DROPPING SOUTH FROM CANADA WILL CREATE ANOTHER AREA OF RAIN ACROSS
THE NORTHERN ZONES. AN ASSOCIATED SURFACE HIGH MOVING SOUTH WILL
TIGHTEN THE SURFACE GRADIENT THIS EVENING WHICH WILL MAINTAIN
STRONG EASTERLY WINDS AT AROUND 15-25KT OVERNIGHT AND
SATURDAY...ENOUGH TO ISSUE A LAKE WIND ADVISORY FOR FORT PECK
LAKE. THE NORTHERN WAVE AND THE SOUTHWEST FLOW MERGE OVER NORTHERN
MONTANA SATURDAY. THEREFORE SATURDAY LOOKS LIKE THE BEST DAY FOR
WIDESPREAD AND SUBSTANTIAL STRATIFORM RAIN....OVER MOST OF THE
CWA. THE MODELS ARE NOT CLEAR WITH TIMING AND LOCATION OF FAVORED
AREAS...BUT RAIN AMOUNTS COULD RANGE FROM A HALF INCH TO AN INCH
AND A HALF BY SATURDAY AFTERNOON. SATURDAY NIGHT THE CANADIAN
TROUGH...CONTAINING MODIFIED ARCTIC AIR...BEGINS TO CLOSE OFF AS
IT DROPS INTO WESTERN MONTANA. THE UPPER LEVEL SOUTHWEST FLOW WILL
CARRY THE MOISTURE INTO THE EASTERN ZONES AND NORTH DAKOTA THROUGH
SUNDAY. THE CLOSED LOW WILL SEND MUCH COLDER AIR INTO WESTERN AND
NORTHERN MONTANA SATURDAY NIGHT. BOTH GFS AND NAM HAVE 850MB
TEMPERATURES AT -2C OR LESS AND 700MB AT -10C. AREAS SOUTH OF THE
MISSOURI RIVER WILL THEREFORE BE MOSTLY RAIN FROM THE WARM SW
FLOW...WHILE THE NORTHERN ZONES WILL SEE A MIX OF RAIN AND SNOW.
SOME AREAS IN THE NORTH...MAINLY HIGHER ELEVATION AREAS...WILL SEE
ALL SNOW. BUT WHERE THE PRECIPITATION BECOMES ALL SNOW...THE QPF
WILL BE MUCH LOWER. SO DO NOT EXPECT HEADLINE SNOW AT THIS TIME.
THE FROZEN PRECIPITATION WILL CARRY INTO SUNDAY MORNING AND
POSSIBLY AFTERNOON TOO.

MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES WILL STRUGGLE TO RISE ABOVE THE 40S SATURDAY
AND WILL STRUGGLE TO STAY IN THE 40S SUNDAY. MINIMUM HIGH
TEMPERATURE RECORDS COULD FALL THIS WEEKEND. MINIMUM TEMPERATURES
SATURDAY NIGHT WILL FALL INTO THE 30S AND FREEZING TEMPERATURES
ARE POSSIBLE IN SOME AREAS.
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The only time we aren't in a drought is when it is raining, which isn't often. But getting a few snowflakes and about of inch of rain today. Drought over.
(NW South Dakota)
 
38 - 45 is supposed to be the average, depending on who's figures you use.

Managed to get almost 16 last year and so far this year is under 8. Looking real sad.

Today is 40 days since the last rain. Nothing in the forecast for the next 10 days.

(Posted some new photos earlier in the week.)
 

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