The average temperature for September in Ormstown was 16.4 degrees compared to: last year- 15.0 // ten-year average 16.2 // fifty-year average 15.3 // warmest 2015- 18.4 // coolest 1978- 12.9. The total rainfall was 84 mms. or 3.3 inches which is in the normal range. Heat units for the month were 580 compared to the ten-year average of 559. The total since May 10 is now 3329 which is 140 above normal.
This has been a summer of weather extremes beginning with the 8th warmest April, a record dry May, the 2nd warmest June and wet, the 5th coldest July and wet, record warm August and a normal September. The average summer temperature from April through September was 16.95 degrees which is a 54 year record. The previous warmest was in 2010 with 16.93 degrees. The six month rainfall was 494 mms. or an average of 82 mms. per month in spite of the extremely dry May.
Some soybeans have been harvested by month end, silage corn harvest is in the final stages, fourth cut hay is finished and the grain corn moisture is as low 26% shelling by hand. Surprisingly, the corn stalks are still quite green above the level of the cob. It has been reported that climate change will cause more extreme swings in the weather which could diminish crop production. For the most part, the crops in the Chateauguay Valley were able to deal with the weather variability and produce close to record yields.
The first two days of October saw 32 mms. of additional rainfall on already saturated ground causing the tile drainage lines to run.
Peter Finlayson
