Late season storms bring needed moisture to state

By Andrew D. Brosig
Torrington Telegram
Via Wyoming News Exchange
 
TORRINGTON – The late-season storms which moved across much of Wyoming last week helped build up much-needed moisture for the coming growing season. 
According to the weekly Crop Progress and Condition report from the Mountain Regional Field Office of the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service for the week ending April 14, moisture levels remain mostly in the adequate to surplus levels across the state, similar to the previous week but better than last year. In southeast Wyoming, reporters said they’d received greater than normal moisture and pastures were greening up, but progress was slowed by last week’s snow. 
There were 3.8 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending April 14, compared to 4.3 days the previous week, behind the five-year average of 4.6 days for the period. Topsoil moisture was rated 89 percent adequate to surplus, with just 10 percent ranked short. That compares to 73 percent adequate to surplus averaged over the previous five years.
Subsoil moisture rated 85 percent adequate to surplus and 14 percent short, compared to 71 percent last year and 69 percent over the five-year average. Pasture and range conditions were ranked 38 percent good to excellent and 42 percent fair, with the remaining 20 percent in the poor to very poor range, according to the report. The state’s winter wheat crop rated 44 percent in the good to excellent range, 36 percent fair and 20 percent poor to very poor. 
There was mostly average death loss for cattle and calves during the period, with 28 percent of reports indicating light losses and 11 percent reporting heavy losses as warmer weather returned to much of the state. Livestock overall ranked 67 percent good to excellent, with 22 percent rated in fair condition and 11 percent in poor to very poor condition.
Calving carried on well during the week, with 65 percent reporting cows had calved. Producers across the state reported 69 percent of the barley crop was planted with 1 percent emerged. Just 2 percent of the state’s sugar beets were in the ground as planting got underway. 
Across the remainder of the state, a reporter from North Central Wyoming indicated continued dry to very dry conditions, but the livestock remaining in good shape. A reporter from Southwestern Wyoming reported a blizzard passed through, leaving a foot of snow and the wind and cold were stressing livestock. 
Hay and roughage supplies for Wyoming were rated 15 percent very short, 23 percent short, and 62 percent adequate. Irrigation water supplies across Wyoming were rated 12 percent fair, 87 percent good, and 1 percent excellent. Stock water supplies across Wyoming were rated 9 percent short, 68 percent adequate, and 23 percent surplus.