A dry start to the year has been broken, with Forbes well on the way to our highest March rainfall in recent years by Thursday afternoon.
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It’s a welcome change after a very dry February – just 0.2mm of rain was recorded at Forbes Airport for that month.
Following a comparatively dry January, the total rainfall for the year to the end of last month was just 13.4mm.
All that has changed this week, with 151.6mm recorded between March 1 and Thursday afternoon.
Weatherzone says Forbes’ wettest March recorded at Forbes Airport was in 2012 when we had 155.8mm.
After 21.6mm on March 14, there has been 37.4mm on Tuesday, 43.8mm on Wednesday and 44.2mm for Thursday.
Yesterday’s heavy falls pushed water over local roads, with Forbes Shire Council closing Bundaburrah Crossing, Johnny Woods Crossing, Sir Francis Forbes Drive and Salisbury Road.
The Newell Highway to Parkes was limited to traffic in one direction at Tichborne and police were reminding motorists to use extreme caution in wet conditions.
Forbes Shire Council also closed all sporting fields.
AGnVET Eugowra agronomist Tim Wright said on Wednesday that happy farmers were reporting more than two inches of rain and up to more than four inches across the area from Gooloogong to Condobolin.
It’s a perfect start to the winter cropping season. Some growers had rushed to sow after the storms on March 14 and this week has seen them get follow up rain onto those crops.
This week’s rains have left paddocks boggy but Mr Wright said there would be no rush to get onto them.
“The weather is a little bit cooler now and that moisture will hang around a bit longer,” he said.
The autumn break does come with some caution from the agronomist – the season is presenting perfect conditions for Russian wheat aphids and aphid-borne viruses in the early-sown crops.
“You need to make sure your aphid seed dressing is up to date,” Mr Wright said.
That also applies for the first time to wheat and oats with the arrival of the Russian wheat aphid.
“It has been noted as close as Temora,” Mr Wright said.
He urged winter croppers to find out more from the Department of Primary Industries.
For this week’s local sheep and cattle market reports, see page 10 inside today.
The forecast holds the possibility of showers over the weekend and well into next week, with between 50 and 80 per cent chance of 1-5mm each day through to Wednesday.
