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Condition Monitoring Report  
Station Number: VA-PW-13
Station Name: Manassas 5.3 SE
Report Date: 10/20/2018
Submitted: 10/20/2018 6:12 AM
Scale Bar: Mildly Wet
Description:
The FoxMill Weather Station temperature-compensated soil moisture tension readings at the 3 and 5 inch levels are 8 and 9 centibars respectively in Buckhall clay loam with 3.7% fine gravel/particulates and 3¾ inch mowed dense fescue overcover where the ground sensors are located. Ground temps at the same depths are 60°F and 61°F. Soil moisture education note: Barring a torrential downpour resulting in standing field water, the soil moisture levels at 3 & 5 inches in the station’s Buckhall clay will lag rainfall by 12 - 30 hours due to the fescue moisture uptake and slow percolation in the clay soil. Levels at 8 & 16 inches are relatively stable.

A total of 0.29 inch of precipitation recorded in the past seven days since the last Condition Monitoring Report was submitted. Weekly evapotranspiration (ETo) total was 0.31 inch resulting in a 0.02 inch ground moisture deficit.

Row crop harvesting is progressing on well-drained and tiled soils where the ground is firm enough to support wheeled and/or tracked equipment. The harvesting priority has shifted to corn shelling since the quality of soybeans is very low as discussed in previous weekly reports and the market price for even good-quality soybeans is very close to the production costs. Little to no profit in soybeans this year after a large majority of the planted acreage was flooded out in May and had to be replanted. 

This morning’s weighted soil-moisture tension readings puts us in the “Mildly Wet” range as defined by CoCoRaHS.

October totals to date: Precip 1.76 inch; ETo 1.04 inch resulting in a monthly ground moisture surfeit of 0.72 inch at FoxMill which correlates nicely (high R^2) with the observed soil moisture readings after accounting for the last precipitation type, weighted rate of fall, amount, duration, surface water runoff, ground temperatures, ETo and the previous 30 day rolling measured data. 

Yearly moisture through this morning: Precip 54.89 inches, ETo 25.69 inches, resulting in a surfeit of 29.20 inches. NOTE: Dulles Airport 30-year historical precipitation average is 41.80 inches for the year.

FoxMill Weather Station (VA-PW-13) provides detailed ground moisture information (including evapotranspiration plus multi-depth soil temperature and moisture readings) on a *daily* basis in the CoCoRaHS Daily Precipitation Report ”Observation Notes" section which is updated at 6 a.m. by the duty observer.

Data reported by: observer2 (ampersat) foxmill.us at FoxMill Weather Station, Saturday, 20 October 2018.
Categories: General Awareness
Agriculture
Plants & Wildlife