ALGER COUNTY -- A sunny summer is pretty high on most Yoopers' wish lists. But for farmers, the sunshine needs to come with some rain, and that hasn't happened.
"The hay crop is not as bad as the full season crops," said Jim Isleib of the MSU Extension in Alger County. "Corn, especially, has been affected by drought. Other crops, like dry beans and potatoes, have been affected also."
At the Marquette National Weather Service, it's been the fourth driest year ever so far and could be one of the driest summers ever.
July and August typically see over six inches of rain; we saw less than two.
Much of it boils down to plain and simple bad luck.
"It's just who are the lucky ones and who are the unlucky ones. Here at the office, we're on the unlucky side," explained NWS Meteorologist, Todd Kluber. "But looking at most of the U.P., it is at 50 percent of its normal precipitation for the last two months. And during the summer when it's hot and you're not getting rain, that's not a good combination."
Farmers have also noted the hit-or-miss nature of these summer storms.
"It is troubling to hear about showers that hit 20 miles away, but missed us. Again. And to watch crops really not performing like they would normally," Isleib added.
Isleib also says most U.P. farmers will weather a dry ending to the growing season, and that's good news, especially with the drought likely to continue through the end of the year.
TV Station Profiles & Public Inspection Files forWLUC