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Weather change slows corn harvest
Published 9/22/2009 in Local News
By RACHAEL GRAY
The start of fall today has brought some cooler temperatures and scattered showers, predicted to stay around in the area for the rest of the week.
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Laurie Sisk/Telegram — Drivers make their way down a rain-soaked Kansas Avenue near Fifth Street on Monday night.
The National Weather Service out of Dodge City reported a high of 90 degrees on Sunday with overnight lows cooling to 56 degrees. But Monday's high was only 70, with an overnight low of 50.
By the weekend, though, the weather should be warmer and drier, which is good news for local corn harvesters.
Warren Devore at Grant County's United Prairie Ag said the cooler weather has corn harvest running behind. He said a cooler August and, so far, cooler September temperatures have caused harvest to slow a little. But the precipitation is good news for wheat, he said. Devore reported wheat was being planted in Grant County, and precipitation is needed to "get the wheat up," he said.
Dan Hild, Tribune Grain, said it would be a couple of weeks yet before the dry corn harvest starts. As for winter wheat, he said Greeley County is almost 75 percent done planting.
In Haskell County, Gail Otis, branch manager at Providence Grain, reported loads of dry corn have started to come in as of this morning. She said the dry corn harvest could be three to four days behind. Otis said last year, Haskell County began corn harvest on Sept. 17. Wet corn — corn cut at higher moisture levels for feed — already has been cut, she said.
Gary Friesen, general manager at the Scott County Co-op Association, said the cooler temperatures and precipitation would delay harvest a little, but there would be no major delays unless there's a freeze or an extended period of wet weather.
"We're hoping it'll warm up and we'll have a nice period of Indian Summer. We'll take 85 degrees if we can get it," Friesen said.
For the weekend, temperatures should warm and the sun should shine, with a high Saturday of 72 degrees and Sunday of 79.
Monday's cooler weather started in the early morning hours with rain showers and wind gusts. The afternoon brought more wind and gray skies with rain showers beginning at about 5:30 p.m. NWS reported the highest rainfall totals came near Hugoton, with a half-inch total. The Garden City area received about a quarter-inch of rain, NWS reported. Northeast of Ulysses, rain totaled at .42 inches. Syracuse had reports of .25 inches, and Cimarron had .15 inches.
Wind gusts reached up to 40 mph at the Garden City Regional Airport at 5 p.m., the NWS reported.
The high for today could be 61 degrees with wind gusts between 10 and 18 mph and a 30 percent chance of rain.
Live reports from the NWS in Dodge City this morning said rain showers likely would stay farther north, but the weather would stay cool and breezy.
The weather is supposed to continue a cool, windy pattern for the rest of the week with chances of rain and thunderstorms. Lows tonight and Thursday are forecast at 43 degrees and 44 degrees, respectively.
On the Web:
National Weather Service Dodge City: www.crh.noaa.gov/ddc/
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