| Topsoil dried out as record warm and dry weather settled across Wyoming
last week, according to the state Agricultural Statistics Service.
The weather slowed the sugarbeet harvest, and grass on pastures and
rangelands was in poor or very poor shape.
On the other hand, the warm weather kept early freezing from damaging
corn. Eighty percent of the corn crop was in good to very good condition,
up from 72 percent the week before.
Winter wheat seeding was wrapping up near the average pace. Eighty-six
percent of the winter wheat crop had emerged, slightly ahead of average.
Nearly all of the state's dry beans had been windrowed and 84 percent
had been combined. Both activities were slightly behind the average pace.
The third cutting of alfalfa hay was 90 percent done, compared to the
67-percent average for this time of year.
Only 5 percent of rangeland and pastures was in good shape. Thirty-six
percent was in poor shape and 29 percent was in very poor shape.
Stock water supplies were adequate in only 30 percent of the state.
Most of Wyoming averaged 10 to 12 degrees above normal. Jackson
reported the statewide low of 28 degrees while a report of 93 degrees in
Gillette was the statewide high.
Cheyenne had a trace of rain for the only precipitation in the state. |