Over the past few days, southern Wisconsin experienced a much-needed weekend of rain as a months-long drought has threatened crops across the lower half of the state. Much of the area accumulated anywhere from 1 to 2 inches, with ÌÇÐÄVlog´«Ã½ right in that neighborhood.
Since Thursday’s 1.26 inches of rain, ÌÇÐÄVlog´«Ã½ received another inch from Friday through Sunday.
While a few days of rainfall won’t alleviate all that the drought has wrought, farmers and other observers are optimistic that more wet weather is coming.
Doug Rebout, part owner of Roger Rebout & Sons’ ÌÇÐÄVlog´«Ã½-area farm, was encouraged by last week’s precipitation but said it wasn’t enough.
“We’re going to continue to need rain. In an ideal world, an inch of rain every five to six days would be great,†he said.
With that in mind, Rebout cautioned that a return to the weather patterns that brought on the drought could undo the recent accumulation. “From here on out, if we go through another (dry) stretch like we’ve had, that would be very damaging,†he said.
The next few weeks will be crucial in determining how this summer’s crops fare, especially for farmers growing corn. Joe Lauer, an agronomist at UW-Madison, noted that the growth of corn will hinge upon the pollination process.
Pollination will begins around July 15 and take seven to 10 days. If successful, good yields will result. On the other hand, if dry conditions persist, Lauer said it will create stress on the plants and stunt the growth of corn.
“I think this rainfall was important and hopefully we’ll continue to get an inch of rain every seven days or so,†Lauer said.
Other areas of the state are experiences differing degrees drought conditions. Nearly half of Walworth County is in an extreme drought after only 1.19 inches of rain fell within the past 30 days. In neighboring counties such as Green, Dane and Lafayette, drought conditions exist but not as bad as in years past.
Joshua Kamps, an agricultural educator at UW-Madison, attributed this to sufficient moisture in soils that have allowed crops to keep growing. But Kamps pointed out the overall rain deficiency is still a cause for concern in Dane County.
“We have not received a recharge of rain to make me feel comfortable that the moisture is in the soil profile to finish our crops,†he said.
Fortunately, the forecast includes the possibility of further relief. There is a chance of for thunderstorms on Tuesday night through the rest of the week.
Sarah Marquardt, senior hydrologist at the Milwaukee office of the National Weather Service, said this past weekend brought a “soaking rain†and she expects more of that this week.
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