August to October period already fourth wettest on record

The 2017 August to October period is already the fourth wettest on record and there are still 13 days left to go in the month.
With another 85 hundredths of an inch of rain Saturday, October’s total rainfall is now at 3 inches even. That is 74 hundredths above the month’s average of 2.26.
For the three-month period 13.87 inches of rain has fallen – that is 5.38 inches more than the average for August, September and October of 8.49 inches.
The wettest August to October period on record was in 1984 when 17.53 inches rain fell with October the wettest month receiving 8.71 inches of rain.
All that rain has been making harvesting crops this fall challenging with farmers harvesting around low areas with standing water and deep mud.
“Most soybeans have now reached maturity, so timeliness of harvest is very critical, in order to prevent soybean harvest loss,” Kent Thiesse writes in his column this week on Page 7. “There have been some reports of weakened soybean pods, which could lead to increased field loss, if harvest delays continue. Producers may also be forced to leave portions of fields where standing water or very wet field conditions exist.”
A series of warm, dry days are ahead, but the National Weather Service is forecasting a 50 percent chance of rain Saturday.
Minnesota farmers took advantage of the 4.2 days suitable for fieldwork and made good progress in soybean, sunflower and sugarbeet harvests during the week ending October 15, according to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service....
 
For more on this story, and to keep up on all the latest news, subscribe to the Swift County Monitor-News print edition or our PDF internet edition. Call 320-843-4111 and you can get all the local news and sports delivered to you!