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Snow cover helps protect cropsMontana Montana received light to moderate moisture for the month ending Jan. 31, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service, Montana Field Office, Feb. 1. Swan Lake received the most monthly accumulated precipitation with 2.37 inches. Temperatures during January were above normal. Highs were mostly in the 40s and 50s, and lows ranged from negative 30s to positive teens. Anaconda, Corvallis, Grass Range, Great Falls, and Stanford shared the monthly high temperature of 56 degrees, and Chinook and Nashua shared the monthly low temperature of minus 37 degrees. Topsoil moisture adequate and surplus, at 69 percent, is above last month's 64 percent, but below last year's 81 percent. Subsoil moisture adequate and surplus is 55 percent, below last month's 56 percent and last year's 67 percent. The weather outlook for Feb. 8 to 14 is for near normal temperatures and below normal precipitation east of the continental divide and for below normal temperatures and near normal precipitation west of the divide. Normal temperatures for this period in Montana are highs in the mid 20s to the upper 30s and lows ranging from 5 degrees to the upper teens. Continued snowfall has kept a lot of Montana's pastures closed for grazing. Fifty-seven percent of rangeland is closed for grazing compared to 31 percent last month and 36 percent last year. Ninety-three percent of cattle and 97 percent of sheep are receiving supplemental feed. Some ranchers started calving and lambing this month. Protectiveness of snow cover for winter wheat is 66 percent good to excellent compared to 47 percent last month and 44 percent last year. A bit more of the winter wheat crop is seeing damage from wind, freeze, and drought; however, damage is less than last year at this time. Overall winter wheat conditions have declined slightly from last month.
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