After A Storm

     A summer storm passed through much of Owyhee County last night. This morning just the very tail-end of it could be seen retreating over the mountains to the east.

     And while this wheat seems fairly unaffected by the wind and rain (lightning, thunder, etc.) Some fields were not so fortunate.

     Wheat is a bit top heavy, and when it gets mature and dry it can be blown over. A sort of domino effect can ensue, leaving large areas of the wheat tipped over. This will hurt the profits of this field, how much depends on how quickly the farmer is able to get the combine into the field, and how well the farmer is able to lift the fallen wheat into the combine.
     Not surprisingly, the rains also dampened the wheat up a bit. This delays harvest for as long as it takes for the wheat to dry out, and with rain in the forecast for today, the combines could sit idle for many precious hours.

     While the wheat harvest has been stopped in it's tracks just as it was getting started, it's not the only crop to be affected by these storms. Owyhee storms are almost always accompanied by very strong winds including microbursts while rain is not nearly as certain. When it does rain, the rain can be violent or even hail, these can tear crops up quite badly. When it does not rain, (or rains too little,) lightning can cause fires, especially in rangelands as well as the danger of direct strikes on stock and assets.

     As far as I was able to see, last night's storm wasn't very violent, causing only minor damage. Certain crops are more vulnerable to specific weather conditions and last night, the wind was the most prevalent danger, tipping over a few of the taller crops like the corn and wheat above. I hope I am correct when I say, it wasn't such a bad storm.

     A few minor annoyances accompany these storms. Any hay that was on the ground, as it is in the above picture, will have to dry out before it's baled. A disconcerting number of crows in this fields seem to enjoy this, the farmer almost certainly does not.
     With the heat building a constant supply of storms, this time of year can be a bit touch-and-go, but go the farmers and ranchers must. Their paychecks depend on it.