You want green? Head north
Still more evidence that Wisconsin has a climatic divide—what’s happening up north isn’t what’s happening down south, particularly here in Rock County.
My wife, Cheryl, and I were on our way north Friday night to visit my parents in the Oneida County community of Minocqua. We were about halfway into our four-hour trip when I looked ahead and suggested a mostly white cloud looked like a thunderhead. About 30 minutes later, as the cloud grew larger and a bit foreboding, I pointed out its expansion.
About five minutes after that, while we were still in Lincoln County, whatever northwoods radio station we were listening to said Lincoln, Oneida and several other counties were under a severe thunderstorm watch.
A little later, I wondered if we’d make it to Minocqua before it started raining. The answer didn’t take long, and the storm system grew more fearsome despite the amazing lighting the sun was casting on it as the orange globe sank to the west. (I wished I had taken the camera).
Then I wondered aloud whether we might not be driving right into a tornado as I noticed a little rotation in a sagging black cloud on the north edge of the system.
By the time we reached Minocqua, we’d largely driven out of the rain. Mom reported, however, that it had come down in buckets at the house, 1¼ inches worth, in fact. The 10 p.m. TV news reported that a tornado warning had been sounded for Oneida County because of the cloud I’d seen, though the funnel didn’t touch down.
More rain and storms blew through overnight, and the total rainfall was 2½ inches.
That, Mom said, was on top of 5½ inches that fell during two storms a couple of weeks ago.
Things, as you might imagine, look lush and green up north.
On June 29, The Gazette reported that the Janesville wastewater treatment plant has measured a measly 0.65 inches of rainfall since June 1, most of it coming sporadically, one-tenth of an inch at a time. The June average is 4.3 inches.
I don’t need to tell you how much has fallen around here since June 29.
The corn crop looks it. Cheryl and I saw lots of fields down south where the corn has that faded green hew that looks as though you had cut it a couple of days ago. The bases of stalks are turning crispy brown, and the shriveled leaves in many fields look more like prairie grass rather than healthy corn.
It’s sad, really.
Meanwhile, the northern corn crop is doing well and is ahead of its usual schedule, according to a brief on today's Gazette state page. No surprise to me.
We should have taken a rain barrel north. We could have filled it up and dumped it back here on our yard.
Too bad all that rain doesn’t run down the highways north to south. We need a good soaker, but the forecast for this week suggests more of the same—nada, zip, fagettaboutit.
Greg Peck can be reached at (608) 755-8278 or gpeck@gazettextra.com. Or follow him on Twitter or Facebook
Jul 10, 2012 at 9:57 a.m.
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goog thing it isn't raining. Hopefully when it does it will stay off the road for HG.
Farmers irrigate away!
My only thought when it is on the road is it isn't getting all the water on the fields. But try keeping that big thing exactly where it needs to be. Winds shift, etc.
Jul 10, 2012 at 6:59 a.m.
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Before the name-calling goes any further and gets any nastier, let's stop it right here. And I will say that I think hg expressed a valid concern. I've seen irrigation systems spraying Highway 14 east of Spring Green, and I imagine the suddenly wet pavement could create a dangerous situation, particularly for motorcyclists, who don't deserve the negative stereotypes.
Greg Peck
Jul 10, 2012 at 6:40 a.m.
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Hey birdman, sounds to me like you got your name from the size of your brain. No I do not ride a harley for one thing so perhaps you should ease up on the prejudging on facts you cannot seem to get straight. Consider this, while you are defensively driving your car or pick up with 4 wheels, looking for the slippery spots, (while texting on your cell probably) perhaps you should try it on two wheels. Especially when someone coming in the oposite direction passes you and creates the gust of wind that tries to blow you sideways even on dry roads. So while you are practicing your great accomplished skill of driving a 4 wheeled vehicle where you can stay dry while going through the road side carwash perhaps you should try it on two wheels and let the water slap you in the face while the wind blows you over. I think perhaps you should think before you start hacking someone for mentioning a definate safety concern. Like I said, it shows me where you got your name.
Jul 10, 2012 at 6:08 a.m.
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Shopierehuh, are your young trees close enough to your hose bibs to run a hose and use a root feeder? It can be a life saver, literally, for your young trees. Mine is trickling even as I type this.
Best wishes for your success!
Jul 10, 2012 at 6:03 a.m.
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What’s wrong with that stupid farmer? Didn’t he hear the loud pipes of hg’s harley as the bike approached the deadly wet spot? Loud Pipes Save Lives! The irresponsible farmer ought to have rushed out and turned off his irrigation.
. . .
Or, let’s see...hg could simply ride responsibly. Defensive driving is, to my way of thinking, an obligation, not an option. Even in my car or pickup truck I anticipate slippery road surface and possibly impaired vision from the irrigation spray.
. . .
Sounds like mr. hg is among the host of self-centered hog drivers. Vrooommm, vrooommmm! potato, potato, potato. Grow up!
Jul 9, 2012 at 5:48 p.m.
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Shopiere- this doesn't help - your good drainage in dry times like this.
baeg- lol. I washed a car TWO times the other day WHEN it clouded up and nothing!
Jul 9, 2012 at 4:39 p.m.
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Ok, the quick way to end this drought is for us to all go out and wash our cars.
Jul 9, 2012 at 2:33 p.m.
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Someone somewhere is always short on rainfall. We are this year, the North was last year and years before. The Southeastern part of the country was not too long ago. Someone in the arid and semiarid West is always hurting for water.
I think it has been going on like this since time began, but I don't like it when it happens in my backyard. I live on a strip of sand and gravel that runs from Rock River back East a few miles towards Tiffany and Shopiere. There is 48 feet of sand and gravel under my property which makes for very good drainage. It is good sandy loam, but it dries out a little more harshly than the clay loams in the other parts of the county. I have 12-14 year old Oak trees that have just went into a wilted mode. I thought they were established well enough to withstand this drought but I might be wrong. I will start hauling water to them as they are well out of hose reach. Hopefully it isn't too late. Man, I wish it would rain.
Jul 9, 2012 at 2:28 p.m.
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I bought rain barrels this year. the 1/10th filled them up. I drained them then another 1/10th and now no more.
Jul 9, 2012 at 2:26 p.m.
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Leaves need to be racked I noticed today in my neighborhood- ouch!!
Jul 9, 2012 at 2:22 p.m.
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HOw far?
Like to visit Door county soon.
Jul 9, 2012 at 12:13 p.m.
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Greg, this past weekend my wife and I rode our motorcycle up towards Richland Center and I could not believe but yet understood how many farms had those large field irrigation sprayers going. I don't blame them for trying to salvage what they can with the absence of rain but, there should be a law about the farmers letting those things spray out on the roads like they do. It makes for a slippery spot especially on a motorcycle. Can saving that one last bushel of corn be worth someones life when they slide on the wet hot pavement and crash? They should be made to prevent spraying the hiways and roads well traveled especially by motorcylces.
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