The cumulative rainfall graph shows good replenishment over the winter, and dry weather since budbreak.
Even so, we could use a few drops of rain. Although our local weather station shows that a rare, passing August thunderstorm dropped a tenth of an inch of rain last week, in our vineyard we haven't had rain since mid-July, and in some neighboring vineyards we're beginning to see the vines yellowing.
The cumulative heating degree days graph is downright gloomy!
With 1410 total heating degree days so far, 2011 is one of the coldest seasons ever.
BUT, fortunately, the total heating degree days by itself does not tell the real story. Take a look at the August numbers:
We just finished one of the hottest Augusts in recent history. In addition to receiving a healthy dose of heat, we got it in the best way - consistent daytime mid-80s/nighttime mid-50s; spiking into the 90s only 6 days, the highest being 96.
After we reach mid-veraison, I'll post the heating degree days as they coincided with the vine and berry development stages. What basically happened this season was that we didn't have much heat until mid- to late-June, so budbreak was pushed way late into the calendar. BUT, after that, we received the highest levels of heat in recent years during the period of budbreak through mid-bloom (providing as close to perfect fruit set as possible). And now, we are on-track to record the highest levels of heat in recent years for the period mid-bloom through mid-veraison (and being delivered in as gentle and consistent a manner as could be hoped for).
Of course, there is a potential downside - we are just beginning veraison, and it's September 1. As the days get shorter, daily temps drop with nighttime lows falling below the critical 50 degree level, and we approach the end of the dry season; will we have sufficient heat, sunlight, and dry weather to ripen the fruit into late October/early November?
Except, perhaps, for the near-term precipitation part, here's the type of news we are hoping to continue to hear from the National Weather Service:
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORTLAND OR
244 AM PDT THU SEP 1 2011
.SYNOPSIS... WARMER TEMPERATURES WILL BE THE BIG STORY OVER THE NEXT WEEK WITH TEMPERATURES EXCEEDING 90 F A FEW TIMES. NO PRECIPITATION IN SIGHT AND EAST WINDS AT TIMES WILL MAKE EARLY SEPTEMBER FEEL MORE LIKE THE MIDDLE OF A NORMAL JULY.
