February rainfall enlarges crop gain

February precipitation finished with a 3.28 of an inch total at the NRCS gauge at Colfax. The total was 1.39 inches over the 1.99 average for February at Colfax.

Top reading was 1.05 of an inch Feb. 21 which was the reading after the Presidents’ Day weekend. Other readings were .43 on Feb. 5 and again Feb. 9, .50 Feb. 16, .54 Feb. 17, .25 Feb. 22, and .08 Feb. 28.

February’s 1.39 plus bumps the crop year precipitation up to 2.36 inches above normal since Oct. 1. The crop year started with bonus 5.42 inches total for October for a big surplus, but that was followed by below-normal months for November, December and January. The big October bonus had been reduced to .97 of an inch at the end of January.