Weather

Friday July 31

 The end of another miserable heat event in the PNW will 

arrive next week. Until then, wilting people, plants, fire concerns.

 For patrons in southern Oregon, fire concerns have been justified. 

Yesterday a fire - which literally took on the "form of a thunderstorm, 

causing numerous cloud-to-ground lightning strikes and hundreds 

of in-cloud rumbles" - started early in the afternoon and grew to approx. 

6,000 acres (report by BTL, NWS Medford office). Triple digit & 90+ 

degree heat to continue today and Saturday for much of the PNW, 

cooling slightly from the north as the weekend unfolds. Mid-level 

moisture from the south will move into the area, setting off fire risk 

thunderstorms and adding to the misery because of the humidity.

 Next week begins the comforting cool-down. Cooler air from the 

west will move onshore, as will the prevailing breezes.

 -Rufus

Today

Hot weather in the 100's the next few days.
Irrigation is needed.

Cherries - done or almost done.
Raspberries - done or almost done with the heat.

Blueberries - nearing the end.
Blackberries - ripe and being picked.  Good flavor.

Early Gravenstein apples - almost over.
Golden delicious apples - riper than expected. 
They have color and had taste.  They usually are ready
September 1st-ish.

Italian prunes - coloring.
Peaches - full harvest.
Asian pears - will be ready soon.

Early to mid August - walnut husk fly emergence.

Insect status

VegNet Regional Pest Trends for the Week of July 20th, 2015

Submitted by Jessica Green on Fri, 07/24/2015 - 4:21pm

• VegNet

VegNet is an insect pest monitoring program funded by the Oregon Processed Vegetable Commission and managed by the Oregon State University Department of Horticulture. To add your name to this newsletter, please click the ‘subscribe’ button on the homepage. For a review on how to interpret VegNet tables, click here.

---

Many thanks to the Oregon Processed Vegetable Commission, cooperating growers, consultants, and other VegNet subscribers who support and utilize this program.

Weather and farm status

Cooler weather for a few fays and then back to the
 "warm" weather again.  Three days in the 80's with
lows in the low 50's,which is good for apple and pear
 ripening.  Then warm again in the mid to high 90's
and lows in the low 60's.  Look for sunburn on  fruit. 
Irrigate as needed.

Blueberries, some raspberries, some cherries, peaches,
early apples coming into market soon.  Lots and lots of
good veggies.  Corn is prime right now.

Happenings

Cherries - nearing end.
Blueberries - slowing down.
Early apples nearly ready.  During June
and July, a lot more apples than normal falling
from the tree.
Fruit sizing nicely even with the hot weather.
Keep up the irrigation.
Cherry tomatoes - ready.
Garlic ready for harvest.

Get ready to plant fall gardens around the
first of August.

Try budding of prune, plum, peach, nectarine
trees just as the summer temps start to go down.

Weather

Rufus at the WxCafe® dishes on the weather for 

the rest of the month. Robin

Friday July 17

Steady pattern with small adjustments in temps and 

then possible showers are on tap for the next couple of weeks.

High pressure ridge now positioned to favor seasonal 

temps - no extreme heat - across the PNW. The key change 

in the steady pattern is progged for late July. By the last 

weekend of the month a cooler, damp system is modeled 

to arrive from the NW.

As for this weekend and early next week, temps will bump 

up 5-10 degrees from what was experienced this past week. 

Not bad. NW breezes to turn back on by next Wed, for a cool 

down ahead of showers. Oregon and ID may stay dry, but a 

bit cooler, when and if the showers arrive in NW WA.

-Rufus

VegNet

VegNet Regional Pest Trends for the Week of July 13th, 2015

Submitted by Jessica Green on Fri, 07/17/2015 - 4:49pm

• VegNet

VegNet is an insect pest monitoring program funded by the Oregon Processed Vegetable Commission and managed by the Oregon State University Department of Horticulture. To add your name to this newsletter, please click the ‘subscribe’ button on the homepage. For a review on how to interpret VegNet tables, click here.

---

Many thanks to the Oregon Processed Vegetable Commission, cooperating growers, consultants, and other VegNet subscribers who support and utilize this program.

Crop status

Cherries crop - ending.
Peaches and nectarines - pretty good but heat is causing
them to ripen fast and not last as long after picking.
Early Gravenstein apples - will be ripe in as early as two weeks.
Plums - seeing some pre-mature drop.
Apples - doing a June drop if too many apples left on a spur.
Pears, Asian pears and apples sizing nicely even with the
hotter weather.  Little to no sun burn.

Raspberries - showing berry white or edge sun burn.
Blueberries - another good year.

Good weather forecast

Monday July 6

A turn in the weather, for the good of all, will take place 

later this week. The record-breaking (for many locations)

 extended heat wave will come to an end as cooler, the marine 

air conditioning returns.

The normal marine air that helps keep the PNW pleasant during 

summer months literally was blocked by a ridge of high pressure.  

 By Thu/Fri, the ridge will yield and allow for cooler air in the form 

of an 'onshore flow' to push inland to cool the entire region down

 to seasonal temperatures.

 By the weekend, temperatures will drop enough to generate quite

 a conversation about how cool it is in comparison to the heat. Plants

 & people will be grateful. The good news is that the cooler, more

 normal PNW pattern for July will hold on through at least July 18 

or 19.  West side, the moisture will mainly manifest as scattered 

mid-level clouds, but a shower may pop up, esp from Eugene south.

General temps will range from the mid 70s to lower 80s in many

 locations, cooler along the coast. Eastern basins likely to be in the 

mid-80 to low 90s. Normal for July.

 -Rufus