Early August rainfall could be a blessing for crops that were planted later than usual, area farmers and agronomists said this week.
The first week of August in southwest North Dakota — typically hot and dry — was defined by heavy rains, daily showers, early-morning fog and below-normal temperatures.
It’s not exactly the type of weather farmers like to see — at least in a normal year. But this has not been a normal growing year.
Continue reading “August rains could be good for late crops”
There will be no running through the sprinklers to cool off in Dickinson this weekend.
Dickinson officials have issued a ban on all outdoor water use over the weekend after a day of record-setting usage left the city’s systems strained.
City Administrator Shawn Kessel said Dickinson used 5.7 million gallons of water Thursday, the most in its history.
“Our water distribution network is not able to keep up with the record-setting demand that we are having,” Kessel said.
Continue reading “NO SPRINKLERS: Record-setting water usage leads Dickinson to ban use of outdoor”
MOTT — As much as 25 percent of cropland in parts of southwest North Dakota remains unseeded due to wet conditions that have lingered since late May.
Duaine Marxen, the North Dakota State University extension agent for Hettinger County, said Wednesday the cropland that is seeded is doing well, but unplanted ground will be difficult for farmers to even access without a significant drying-out period.
“In order to get that last 25 percent done, we’re going to need a week, a week and a half, and it’s gotta be warm and dry in order to get it in,” Marxen said.
WATFORD CITY — A tornado touched down about 5 miles south of Watford City on Monday night, damaging a dozen trailers at an RV camp, according to the North Dakota Department of Emergency Services.
Meteorologist John Martin with the National Weather Service in Bismarck said a tornado warning was issued for areas of McKenzie County at about 7:46 p.m. CDT Monday and learned shortly thereafter that a tornado had touched down. Martin said it was the first tornado of 2014 in North Dakota.
“We know that there were 12 trailers that were destroyed,” said Cecily Fong, the public information officer for the state Department of Emergency Services.
March went out like a lion Monday in southwest North Dakota.
An early spring blizzard brought life to a crawl much of the day after the area was slammed with nearly a foot of heavy, wet snow and high winds late Sunday night and Monday morning. The snow fell on top of slush and icy roads created by Sunday afternoon rainfall and was later kicked up by wind gusts before settling down early in the afternoon.
The storm caused multiple accidents and calls for stuck vehicles, authorities said.
Dustin Monke 