Too-cool weather inconvenient in city, devastating on the farm

OK, stop bellyaching about the weather.

Sure, you've had to zip yourself or your kids into polar fleece well past the first day of summer because of unseasonably cool and wet weather — even for Seattle.

But while complaints about the weather are as common as those about World Cup officiating, Mother Nature's whims have been very hard on Washington's No. 1 industry — so bad, Gov. Chris Gregoire has requested federal disaster assistance for 29 Washington counties where rain, wind, frost and too-cool weather have conspired to seriously damage crops. The U.S. agriculture secretary has yet to decide the request.

Bees do not like cool rain, either, which has wreaked havoc with pollination of the raspberry and blackberry crops in Whatcom County, the largest U.S. producer of the berries. Dave Unruh, county executive director of the Farm Service Agency, said yields might be down as much as 30 percent.

In the Columbia Basin, where about 75 percent of the hay is exported to feed livestock in Pacific Rim countries, the quality of the critical first cutting was hurt by rain delay or water damage once it was cut. Some producers had to take prices half of normal, said Drex Gauntt, Washington State Hay Growers Association president. Yields of heat-loving asparagus were slowed dramatically by cool weather and wind curled some spears.

In central and north Washington, freezes hurt buds on fruit trees, bees have been reticent and, in some areas, rain-soaked cherries split on the trees. State cherry yields might be down as much as 50 percent, said Bruce Grimm of the Washington State Horticultural Association. Barley crops were drowned in Clark County and rain has delayed spring planting throughout the state.

The Washington state Department of Agriculture does not have an estimate of the damage so far, but farmers hope improved weather will help salvage the growing season.

So, yes, the cold and rainy weather has been a nuisance for city dwellers, but around the state, whole industries at the mercy of the weather have been really struggling.

The good news for everyone? Forecasters say authentic summer weather will debut this week across the state.