Gray days stunt fruit growth in Oregon - Grapes threatened by mildew, strawberries suffering without sun and some crops are failing outright thanks to a RECORD-SETTING COLD AND RAINY JUNE and growers aren’t out of the woods yet. Winemakers are dealing with stunted, delayed growth on their vines. Farmers and vintners hope crops will rebound with better weather.
Washington County is home to a wide range of crops, including wheat, strawberries, raspberries, and, perhaps most famously, wine grapes. The extreme, unexpected rainfall put a damper on the usually pleasant spring harvest season. Some farms are now on their second picking of strawberries. Usually at this time of year, they would be on their fourth picking.
“Agriculture is weather-dependent. It’s typical to have these different issues to deal with every year." What is not typical, however, is the high level of rainfall. This month was the SECOND-WETTEST JUNE EVER RECORDED in Portland. Many cities in western Oregon, like Astoria, Eugene, and Salem also recorded RECORD-SETTING RAINFALL early in June. While a recent blast of suddenly summer weather has given the crops a chance, “Juneuary” delayed the planting of many crops. Some crops are just now getting into the ground while crops currently in the ground are slow to develop. Some, like corn, hay, and wheat are failing. The soil was too wet and too cold for corn to be planted in the ground. “In some cases, it didn’t germinate.” Wheat suffered from fungus.
The soil also plays a big factor in the success of crops. The heavy rainfall has caused a high rate of water to seep into the soil, but not a lot of water is being released. This spells bad news for crops. “Fields were MUDDIER THAN ANY TIME IN LIVING MEMORY."
The heavy rainfall was also bad for disease. Plants that fruit and bloom when the climate is wet, like strawberries and wine grapes, are at a high risk for molding. Grapes that have mildew will rot and will not make good-tasting wine.
Late harvests have impacted the local farmers market. There have been fewer venders, less food to sell, and little-to-no sunshine forcing all but the bravest shoppers to stay home. "Everything we do is based on the environment and Mother Nature. We’re at her mercy.”
Confucius
LARGEST QUAKES -
This morning -
5.2 SOLOMON ISLANDS
Yesterday -
7/5/10 -
5.0 MACQUARIE ISLAND REGION
TROPICAL STORMS -
No current tropical cyclones.
Tropical-like storm spawns off Louisiana, heads ashore - A low pressure system off the central Louisiana coast was expected to come ashore last night near Caillou Bay and could generate sustained winds near tropical storm force, at least 39 mph, as it crosses Terrebonne Parish. After moving ashore, the storm was expected to dump rain on southeast and central Louisiana on a track generally toward the northwest.
Not many tropical storms hit South Florida in July - Tropically speaking, July is a quiet month for South Florida; only four tropical storms have scraped this region, no hurricanes. That’s because storms tend to form in the Caribbean or Gulf of Mexico and track toward other states, such as Texas or the Carolinas. Keep in mind that’s history. Reality says stay alert, particularly this season, which is expected to be busy. They’ve already seen the first hurricane and, on average, the first hurricane doesn't surface until Aug. 10.
Here are the July storms that have impacted the area:
July 2, 1878 – A tropical storm developed over the Gulf of Mexico and made landfall near Naples. Then it moved northeast across Florida.
July 30, 1899 – A tropical storm moved across the upper Keys, bringing rough weather to South Florida.
July 28, 1936 – A tropical storm developed over the Bahamas and moved northwest across southern Miami-Dade County and Mainland Monroe County.
July 23, 1985 – Tropical Storm Bob developed over the Gulf of Mexico and made landfall near Naples. The storm then moved across Florida.
EXTREME HEAT / WILDFIRES / DROUGHT / CLIMATE CHANGE -
U.S. - A heat wave hit the northeastern US and will continue through Wednesday. The heat is expected to BREAK RECORDS ALONG THE EAST COAST, and the National Weather Service has warned that the triple-digit temperatures could make the situation very dangerous.An excessive heat advisory has been issued for cities in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and northeastern Maryland, and additional advisories are expected for other cities. Temperatures are expected to exceed 100 degrees and the humidity will be very high, creating a “dangerous situation” in many areas. A heat wave along the east coast in 1980 killed over 1,250 people.
GULF OIL CRISIS -
Tar balls from the Gulf of Mexico oil spill have been found on a Texas beach, with tests confirming they are the first evidence that gushing crude from the Deepwater Horizon well has reached ALL the Gulf states.
