There is an old saying in Montana that if a person does not like the weather, just wait five minutes and it will change.
That has never been more true than this winter, spring and early summer, in the Big Sandy area. Just before this story came to see the printed word, there was a good inch of rain in the Big Sandy area. Some areas of the Bear Paw Mountains were reporting up to three inches of rain and some low land flooding.
Many have commented that it is almost the middle of July and the prairie is that wonderful early spring green color. All that spells plenty of moisture for now.
All that rain happened just as some farmers were getting combines ready as winter wheat in places is ready to cut.
That is a far cry from what forecasters were looking for after a winter that was long and dry and an early spring that was just as dry.
At that time the National Weather Service was blaming everything on El Nino. It seemed that the El Nino effect in the Pacific Ocean brings warmer than usual winters to the Rocky Mountain west.
But then came March, which was dry as a bone. Gardening people were getting their hoses out and watering their lawns and perennial beds early in March. It was just a windy and hot time with no moisture at all.
At that time the National Weather Service said that El Nino was going and that this part of the country should be looking for a trend toward more moisture and colder temperatures.
That prediction was certainly true. The National Weather Service in Great Falls reported that during May 3.48 inches of rain fell in the Big Sandy area. In June that amount was less but still a healthy 1.93 inches. Up to July 12 just under an inch of rain had fallen.
Looking thirty days out, the National Weather Service had some things to tell area farmers. They said that the rest of July and August should be a little above normal in temperatures and a little below normal in precipitation.
That is good news for those who are cutting winter and spring wheat if it holds true.
One problem is that with mildly changing weather patterns, there is time for sudden and very bad storms to come from nowhere. Those are the little devil storms that carry hail and destructive winds at some times.
Those are the storm patterns that seem to be changing and getting more frequent even with warmer temperatures and less precipitation predicted.
Let’s hope that the weather man is right and that crops can get in the bins without extreme losses.
For information about weather, contact the National Weather Service in Great Falls. They are always happy to share weather information with the general public.
