Weather in your area?

[Patchouli]

98° here, heat index 111°
sunny
46% humidity
UV index high 7
Visibility 10mi
Dew point 73°
Wind 11 mph from the south

 

[Duncan]

Climate was important for Dawn and me when we were figuring out where we'd want to retire. After Mesa Arizona we wanted four seasons and temperatures which wouldn't exceed 100°F. We forgot to check on the wind which, here is southern Idaho, is a real booger! High winds -- along with 90° + temps -- cause veggies to really dry out; if it weren't for the drip irrigation system we have we'd be eating dust instead of potatoes and onions!

If TSHTF, we're going to have a tough time keeping our irrigation system going, since we'll only be able to pump about 1-1½ gal/min with our backup hand-pump. I have no idea how to fix this, and I'd better figure SOMETHING out or I might end up with a garden sans water.

Has anyone figured out a way to keep a drip irrigation system going if all you have is a hand-pump? I'd really like to figure this one out.

 

[Bacpacker]

Interesting question Duncan. That would provide some suck issues. Even storing rainfall wouldn't be enough for the year out there I wouldn't think.
We weren't home all day, but on our trip 92 is the highest we saw. Down to 88 at one point. Lower humidity today probably 40ish %

 

[Supervisor42]

We forgot to check on the wind which, here is southern Idaho, is a real booger! High winds -- along with 90° + temps -- cause veggies to really dry out; if it weren't for the drip irrigation system we have we'd be eating dust instead of potatoes and onions!

If TSHTF, we're going to have a tough time keeping our irrigation system going, since we'll only be able to pump about 1-1½ gal/min with our backup hand-pump. I have no idea how to fix this, and I'd better figure SOMETHING out or I might end up with a garden sans water.
Has anyone figured out a way to keep a drip irrigation system going if all you have is a hand-pump? I'd really like to figure this one out.

Put those devil winds to work. A small version of an old-timey windmill and a storage tank would likely work fine if it only needs to supply water to the garden.
If you don't have that much wind, you won't need that much water and vice-versa.
Yes they still work, and they don't cost that much money:

You may well(pun) find it supplying backup power too for you in the future by charging backup batteries when it's not pumping water.
https://www.farmranchwindmills.com/
This one is 6' dia, 27' tall. There are smaller ones.

 

[Peanut]

Has anyone figured out a way to keep a drip irrigation system going if all you have is a hand-pump? I'd really like to figure this one out.

In case you haven't researched rain amounts... in 09/10 I had a couple years of severe drought. I was trying to grow several acres of veggies to sell at the farmers market, cash crop.

I was digging into the National Weather Service website and discovered... 1 inch of rain on 1 acre of land is equal to 27,000 gallons of water (approx). Thats a lot of water. Even if I were to irrigate a 1ft wide strip down a row a veggies And, I only had 1/4 acre of veggies... thats still 2,250 gallons of water to equal 1 inch of rain.

Depending of the vegetable type... they needed about 6000 to 7000 gallons of water per month just for a 1/4 acre garden.

Just thought I'd toss the info out there. The first year of drought (09) I had 4 acres of veggies planted. The amount of water they needed each month was staggering. I was hauling water from a neighbors fish pond, 550 gallons a trip. The money I spent on diesel fuel ate up all potential profit, a disaster.

I'd never thought about the weight of water until I started hauling it in tanks either. 550 gallons of water weighs 4565lbs.

Anyway, weather here wasn't bad today. temp was in the low 90's, humidity was only 47%.

 

[BadgerLandHunter]

It's the nicest day all week! 75 for a high with low humidity and partly sunny. Perfect way to end the weekend!

 

[phideaux]

What I got to look forward to.
And
They say this is going to be prolonged.

Jim

 

[Bacpacker]

93 today, but only 40% humidity. Hot but bearable. Tomorrow will be more humid, Thursday much worse.

 

[phideaux]

The heat index is and will be around 105-110.

Jim

 

[Bacpacker]

95 today. Dew point 63. Our hottest day of the year so far.

 

[hiwall]

Finally got a real rain today. Got 4/10"
Happy Days!

 

[Duncan]

Put those devil winds to work. A small version of an old-timey windmill and a storage tank would likely work fine if it only needs to supply water to the garden.
If you don't have that much wind, you won't need that much water and vice-versa.
Yes they still work, and they don't cost that much money:

You may well(pun) find it supplying backup power too for you in the future by charging backup batteries when it's not pumping water.
https://www.farmranchwindmills.com/
This one is 6' dia, 27' tall. There are smaller ones.

I was looking at the most common setup: an 8' diameter turbine and a ten-meter (33 ft) tower size/ With the sucker-rod I'd have to mounts it right above the well head, which may or may not be blocked by trees (I'd have to take some measurements and pencil-whip it.

I'e already sized my well for a backup hand-pump which can get about 1 gal/min without too much exertion. This new well-pump pipe is ¾" PVC which can piggy-back on my existing pipe. I looked at the NREL data for the Twin Falls area, which is an average wind velocity of ~5 m/sec which would work with the Aermotor for a garden irrigation and animal feeding. But were also talking about a cost of US$3,899 (new tower, rebuilt Aermotor) plus installation. I don't know if that's the most cost-effective option.

 

[Patchouli]

Today there was a strange cloud cover that kept the sun hidden for hours, while the rest of the sky was blue and light clouds. It stayed cooler today, yay.
It will be 100 tomorrow with an EXTREME UV RANGE.
Sunrise 6:31; sunset 8:35.
Don't forget to try to find that comet! Look around 10 p.m. to the left of the Big Dipper, but lower.

 

[BadgerLandHunter]

LOTS of rain but cool temps.

 

[phideaux]

At 4:45 pm it's 88 deg with 70 % humidity.

Can't breath out there .

Don't think it's gonna get any better.

Jim

 

[Supervisor42]

At 4:45 pm it's 88 deg with 70 % humidity.

Can't breath out there .

Don't think it's gonna get any better.

Jim

Just when we were worried you wouldn't follow the "stay inside/lockdown" rules, along comes the supreme authority to assure us that you will.
Good news! You will have a 0.00% chance of catching covid! :green man:
How many months until Christmas?

 

[phideaux]

162 days to Christmas






Jim

 

[Patchouli]

LOTS of rain but cool temps.

that sounds so sweeeeet! It's 99; feels like 104. Down to a stuffy 80 by 5 a.m.

 

[Bacpacker]

76 at 6 am. 96 at 530pm and dew point of 69.
I am ready for winter.

 

[Supervisor42]

76 at 6 am. 96 at 530pm and dew point of 69.
I am ready for winter.

On topic: Ours turned upside-down today when the rain came in.
It went from 97 to 79 in a little over an hour.
Cold! ☃ (for me).

 

[Terri9630]

Pup had to go out at 4am. It was 49°. Where did summer go?

 

[phideaux]

It's so nasty outside today... I ain't even gonna stick my head outside.

@ 9:30 am , 85 deg, and 70% humidity..

Gonna hit 95 deg later.

The weekend is to be hottest and humidest this year.



Jim

 

[dademoss]

Looks like another day not going out in the afternoon.

 

[BadgerLandHunter]

that sounds so sweeeeet! It's 99; feels like 104. Down to a stuffy 80 by 5 a.m.

Lol no thank you. The handful of times it gets to that here we start to get elderly people dying. Too hot for me I'll keep my weather where some winter mornings its colder than -10 if you keep that extreme heat. Lol.

 

[phideaux]

90 deg, and 70% humidity.

The sun is like a torch.

Next 7 days all above 90 , up to 97.

I'm getting cabin fever,

Jim

 

[backlash]

"Hot, damn hot."
Robin Williams, Good Morning Vietnam.

 

[WVDragonlady]

Hot. Nasty. Triple digit heat index. Nothing is moving outside. Nothing. Very quiet out. Even the farm next door is quiet. Supposed to be this way for days

 

[Peanut]

Not to bad here... temp is 91, humidity only 50%... Porch sitting weather.

 

[Supervisor42]

Next 7 days all above 90 , up to 97.

I'm getting cabin fever,

Jim

Yep, you're gonna be toast! (sorry, couldn't resist)
Welcome to my world!!!
We hit 90's in late May and had 'em ever since.
Just remember - "liquid cooled".
Sweating won't cut it
Remember the hayfield days?
We'd empty a 5-gallon cooler in 2 hours.
If you get busy outside, drink something every 15 minutes.
We're not 18 anymore.

 

[Bacpacker]

Good truthful info Supervisor. Dont wait till you are thirsty to start drinking. Your already dehydrated.

98 today 72% humidity. Just nasty out