Oakes Irrigation Research Site
Carrington Research Extension Center * North Dakota State University
P.O. Box 531, Oakes, ND 58474-0531, Voice: (701) 742-2189, FAX: (701) 742-2700, email: rgreenla@ndsuext.nodak.edu

WEATHER AND IRRIGATION 1997

Table 1. Precipitation and temperatures

Table 2. Growing degree units

Table 3. Frost dates and growing season

Table 4. Irrigation amounts

Record snows blanketed North Dakota during the winter of 1996-1997. The snows covered the ground before it could freeze. Frost depth in the soil was very shallow throughout the winter. A blizzard the first week of April ushered in the spring of 1997. A great amount of leaching occurred with the thaw because of the large amount of snow and the unfrozen ground. The cool and wet conditions which followed delayed field work and the planting of some crops. Crops developed slowly during the spring. Early summer temperatures were good for crop growth. Warm, but not hot, weather from the end of May through August pushed the crops along. Temperatures were below average in April and May, slightly above average in June, near average in July and August, and above average in September and October. The maximum temperature surpassed 90o F once in June and July, and five times in August. The highest temperature was 92o F on August 23. Precipitation was below average for April, May, June, and August and above average in July, September and October. The first frost was on October 13 with a hard frost on October 25. These frost dates were about three weeks later than average. Most crops matured before frost.

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Table 1. Precipitation and temperature at the Oakes Irrigation Research Station.

Month

 Precipitation Average daily temperatures
1997 15-year average 25-year average 1997 15-year average 25-year average
---------------- inches ---------------- ------------------- o F -------------------
April 1.35 38.3
May 1.39 2.38 2.21 53.8 57.3 56.7
June 1.78 2.91 3.02 68.3 66.8 66.0
July 3.82 3.47 2.86 70.2 70.4 70.8
August 1.34 1.97 1.94 67.9 68.8 68.1
September 3.57 2.49 2.06 61.8 57.7 57.6
October 3.08 47.9

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Table 2. Growing degree units† at the Oakes Irrigation Research Station.

Month

 1997 10-year average 15-year average 20-year average
May 256 336 332 326
June 544 520 505 487
July 620 594 612 612
August 550 580 573 564
September 406 359 334 344
Total 2376 2387 2356 2334

†Growing degree units = (Tempmax + Tempmin)/2 - 50. If Tempmax is greater than 86, then Tempmax = 86. If Tempmin is less than 50, then Tempmin = 50. Temperature is in degrees F.

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Table 3. Dates of last and first frosts.
1997 10-year average 15-year average
Last frost in spring
less than 32o F May 15 May 10 May 9
less than 28o F May 15 Apr 29 May 1
First frost in fall
less than 32o F Oct 13 Sep 27 Sep 24
less than 28o F Oct 25 Oct 3 Sep 29
Frost free period (days) 151 142.7 139.9

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Table 4. Irrigation water applied, 1997.
Study Irrigation water applied
inches
Asparagus preliminary trial 9.6
Broccoli performance trial 13.0
Cabbage studies 13.0
Carrot studies 10.5
Field corn hybrid performance trial 11.1
Edible bean white mold study 8.3
Herbicide carryover study 10.0
Onion studies 13.8
Oriental vegetable performance trials 8.5
Pepper hybrid performance trial 10.0
Potato cultivar by nitrogen fertility study 10.1
Pumpkin variety performance trial 11.1
Raspberry preliminary study 8.4
Rotation study 11.5
Sweet corn hybrid performance trial 10.8
Tomato studies 7.8
Winter squash variety performance trial 8.7

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Go to Oakes Irrigation Research Site 1997 Annual Report

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