California Ag Network

Tag: Crop/Weather Report

  • USDA California Crop/Weather Report

    Sacramento, Calif., (October 3, 2017) – A warmer and drier pattern returned last week. A dry week prevailed across the State with no sites reporting widespread measurable precipitation.  A few isolated sprinkles were associated with localized marine stratus events between Los Angeles and San Francisco. Warm afternoon highs resulted in near total snowmelt at elevations below 10,000 feet. Local snowfields, both a remnant from last winter’s snowpack as well as the snows that fell during the previous week, still exist at elevations above 10,000 feet, most notably in the Stanislaus National Forest, the Lassen Volcanoes National Park, and the peak of Mount Shasta.  Deepest snow cover is estimated to be near one foot.

    Temperature highs were in the 50s to 70s in the mountains, 60s to 70s along the coast, and 80s to 90s in the valley and the desert. Temperature lows were in the 20s to 40s in the mountains, 50s to 60s along the coast, and 50s to 60s in the valley and the desert.

    Alfalfa fields continued to be cut and baled. Sorghum fields were being harvested. Corn silage continued to be harvested. Cotton bolls continued to develop; fields were being defoliated and having borders knocked down in preparation for harvest. Black-eyed beans continued to be harvested.

    Stone fruit harvest was slowing down as the season draws to a close. Gypsum and potash were applied to harvested stone fruit orchards. Some wine, table and raisin grapes were harvested. Finished raisin trays were rolled up for pickup. Asian Pears, pears, figs, and pomegranates were harvested. Kiwifruitharvest began. Persimmons continued to gain size and coloring. Citrus packing houses were getting ready for the new navel orange season.  Lemons were harvested and packed. Some orange groves were pushed out to make way for new plantings. Apples were harvested. Olive harvest was underway.

    The almond harvest was winding down across the state. Walnut harvest was underway. Pistachioharvest continued.

    In Colusa County, the tomato harvest wound down while the honeydew harvest continued.  In Sacramento County, the tomato harvest was in full swing.  In San Joaquin County, Farmers’ Market vegetables were harvested and offered for sale.   Fall field work and ground preparation were done.  In Monterey County, the Salinas Valley season wound down with typical fluctuations of cooler and warmer cycles.  Production and cultivation were still going strong and late season crops were planted.  In Fresno County, jalapenos were harvested.  Carrots were recovering from heat damage.  Soil was prepared for planting organic garlic and onions.  In Tulare County, tomatoes, sweet corn, okra, cucumbers, squash, and peppers were picked by certified producers.  Commercial plantings of yellow squash,eggplant, Bell peppers, green chili peppers, and cucumbers were harvested and shipped domestically.  Fall vegetables were planted and developing well.  Pumpkins were prepared for harvest.

    Non-irrigated and foothill rangeland were reported to be in poor to very poor condition. Supplemental feeding of cattle continued. Some cattle were moved down from high elevation range.

  • USDA California Crop/Weather Report

    Sacramento, Calif., (September 6, 2017) – Hot and dry weather continued across most of the State under the influence of stubborn high pressure over the interior western United States. Rain only fell in parts of the Sierras, as well as a couple areas of the desert, which were driven by a monsoon. Some locations experienced record high temperatures; San Francisco recorded its highest temperature ever recorded. Patchy snow existed at elevated, sheltered areas in the Lassen Volcanic Park, with a maximum depth of one foot in places. In addition, there are still one to three feet of snow on the peak of Shasta.

    Temperature highs were in the 60s to 80 along the coast, 70s to 90s in the mountains, 90s to 100s in the desert, and 100s in the valley. Temperature lows were in the 30s to 50s in the mountains, 50s to 60s along the coast, 60s to 70s in the valley, and 60s to 80s the desert.

    Alfalfa fields continued to be irrigated and baled. Sorghum for silage was in various stages of development. Corn silage continued to be harvested. Cotton was being irrigated and bolls continued to develop. Black-eyed beans were drying and nearing harvest.

    Peach, nectarine, pear, fig, and plum harvest continued. Harvested stone fruit orchards were pruned and topped. Table grape harvest continued as wine grape harvest began. Valencia orange and finger lime harvest were ongoing. Irrigation and repair of irrigation systems continued. Olives were developing well. Pomegranate harvest was now underway.

    Almond harvest was underway. Pistachio harvest began.  Walnut orchards continued to be irrigated.  Both mechanical and chemical weed control continued in orchards.

    In San Joaquin County, harvest continued processing tomatoes, onions, honeydew melons, watermelons, cantaloupes, and sweet corn.  Farmer’s Market vegetables continued to be harvested and offered for sale.   In Monterey County, the weather was moderate and allowed for continuous harvest and fieldwork. All fall season commodities were in production.  In Fresno County, harvest continued for tomatoes and peppers.  In Tulare County, tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, and peppers were picked by certified producers and sold at the local Farmers’ Markets.  Yellow squash, zucchini, eggplant, Bell peppers, green chili peppers, and cucumbers were harvested and shipped domestically.  Fall vegetables were planted and developing well.

    Low elevation, non-irrigated pasture and rangeland quality continued to deteriorate. Range conditions were reported to be fair to very poor. Cattle were being moved to higher elevations. The higher elevations provide more grass than previous years. Feed costs for cattle remained high. As the nutritional quality of range grasses diminished, supplemental feeding increased. Some cattle were moved to higher elevations.  Sheep grazed retired pasture and dormant alfalfa.

  • USDA California Crop/Weather Report

    Sacramento, Calif., (August 29, 2017) – Another relatively uneventful week across the State, with mostly dry conditions and increasing temperatures at the end of the week. This was primarily due to a strengthening mid-level ridge over the western United States.

    A mostly dry week with only very localized scattered showers across parts of the Sierras Monday and Tuesday. These showers were generally very light, with most areas receiving less than a quarter inch of rainfall. Shower coverage was approximately 30 percent in the Sierras, with all other reliable locations reporting no measurable precipitation this week. Patchy snow continued at elevated, sheltered areas in the Lassen Volcanic Park, with a maximum depth of two feet in places. In addition, there were still two to four feet of snow on the peak of Shasta.

    Temperature highs were in the 50s to 60s along the coast, 70s to 90s in the mountains, 80s to 100s in the valley, and highs in the 90s to 110s in the desert. Temperature lows were in the 40s to 50s in the mountains, 50s to 60s along the coast, and 60s to 80s in the valley and the desert.

    Alfalfa continued to be cut and baled. Safflower was drying in the field. Sorghum for silage was cultivated and irrigated. Cotton was blooming and forming bolls, and continued to be irrigated. Corn for silage was harvested. Black-eyed beans were maturing and nearing harvest. Rice was heading ahead of schedule.

    Peach, nectarine, pear, fig, and plum harvest continued. Harvested stone fruit orchards were pruned and toped. Table grape harvest continued as wine grape harvest began. Valencia orange and finger lime harvest were ongoing. Irrigation and repair of irrigation systems continued. Olives were developing well.

    Almond harvest was underway. Walnut and pistachio orchards continued to be irrigated. Both mechanical and chemical weed control continued in orchards.

    In San Mateo County, acres of beans and peas were in full bloom ready to set pods. In Colusa, Sacramento, Solano, and Yolo Counties, processing tomatoes were being harvested. In Tulare County, certified producers were picking tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, and peppers for sale at local Farmer’s Markets. Yellow squash, zucchini, eggplant, Bell peppers, green chili peppers, and cucumbers continued to be harvested, packed, and shipped domestically. Sweet corn harvest continued and was available for sale at roadside stands and local Farmer’s Markets.

    Low elevation non-irrigated pasture and rangeland quality continued to deteriorate. Range conditions were reported to be fair to very poor. As the nutritional quality of range grasses diminished supplemental feeding increased. Some cattle were moved to higher elevations. Sheep grazed retired pasture and dormant alfalfa.

  • USDA California Crop/Weather Report

    Sacramento, Calif., (July 25, 2017) – Another hot and mostly dry week across the State as a typical summertime weather pattern set up with mid-level ridging over the Great Basin brought dry air into most of the State.  The summer monsoon began to ramp up last week, bringing some much-needed rainfall to parts of the southern and interior deserts. Scattered showers fell on parts of the desert on Tuesday and Wednesday, with most places receiving less than a quarter of an inch. A few isolated sprinkles fell in the central and southern Sierras on Sunday, along with more widespread showers in the southern deserts that dropped an additional quarter inch of rain in most places.

    Hot temperatures continued to melt the snow in the mountains. Mt. Whitney was devoid of snow, while snow still blanketed parts of the Shasta Peak. A few isolated patchy snow fields still existed at elevations over 11,500 feet in the region of the Stanislaus National Forest.

    Temperature highs were in the 60s to 80s along the coast, 70s to 90s in the mountains, 90s to 100s in the valley, and 90s to 110s in the desert. Temperature lows were in the 30s to 50s in the mountains, 50s to 60s along the coast, 60s to 70s in the valley, and 60s to 90s in the desert.

    Barley harvest was completed. Alfalfa fields were being irrigated, cut, and baled. Corn and sorghum for silage were still being cultivated and irrigated. The corn silage crop was in various stages of development, from already tasseling to developing ears. Wheat harvest for grain was completed. Cotton continued to be irrigated, cultivated, and was growing well. Cotton was forming squares and blooming. Black-eyed beans continued to be irrigated and cultivated.

    Mid-season peaches, nectarines, and plums continued to be picked and shipped to both domestic and foreign markets. Stone fruit continued to be exported.  Summer pruning and topping of harvested stone fruit groves were occurring.  Valencia orange harvest continued primarily for the domestic market. Regreening was becoming more common due to the higher temperatures.  Olives continued to develop. Table grape were harvested.  Wine grapes were maturing well and irrigation continued.

    Walnut, almond, and pistachio orchards continued to be irrigated.  Both mechanical and chemical weed control continued in orchards.  New almond orchards were planted. Pistachios were fertilized.  Walnuts were sizing well.

    In Colusa County, the processing tomato harvest continued.  In San Joaquin County, harvest was ongoing for cantaloupes, honeydew melons, watermelons, and fresh vegetable crops.  The second planting of cantaloupe was underway for late summer and fall harvest.   In Fresno County, harvest continued for tomatoes with lower yields than expected. Onions and garlic were harvested.  Onion seed was dried.  In Tulare County, tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, and peppers were picked by certified producers and sold at the local Farmers’ Markets.  Yellow squash, zucchini, eggplant, Bell peppers, green chili peppers, and cucumbers were harvested and shipped domestically.  Sweet corn harvest continued and was sold at roadside stands and local Farmers’ Markets.  Melons were irrigated and prepared for the upcoming harvest.

    Low elevation rangeland continued as dry with conditions as fair to good, but quality continued to decrease.  Cattle were moved to higher elevations; where higher elevations were providing more grass than in previous years.  Feed cost for cattle remained high.  Nursery shipments were slowing overall.  Wholesale nursery shipments to Canada and domestic markets decreased due to the hot summer temperatures.  Small amounts of citrus nursery stock continued to be sold.

  • USDA California Crop/Weather Report

    Sacramento, Calif., (July 6, 2017) – A ridge of high pressure sat over the western United States, which resulted in another hot and dry week across the State. The only rain for the week was along the northern coast, where Eureka reported four hundredths of an inch for the week. A broken band of snow approximately 40 miles wide between Lake Tahoe and Sequoia National Forest still existed above 9,000 feet. Snow depths in this band were two to four feet at most. The peaks of Mt. Whitney, Mt. Lassen, and Mt. Shasta remained snow-capped.

    Temperature highs were in the 50s to 80s along the coast, 70s to 90s in the mountains, 80s to 100s in the valley, and 90s to 110s in the desert. The temperature lows were in the 30s to 50s in the mountains, 50s to 60s along the coast and the valley, and 60s to 80s in the desert.

    Alfalfa fields were making excellent progress and being irrigated. Corn and sorghum planting for silage were almost complete, but still being cultivated and irrigated. The corn silage crop was in various stages, from newly planted to already producing tassels, and the earliest planted corn was developing ears. Cotton continued to be irrigated, cultivated, and was growing well. Black-eyed beans continued to be irrigated and cultivated.

    Peach, nectarine, apricot, and plum harvests continued. Fruit orchards and vineyards were irrigated. Some apple orchards used overhead cooling systems to mitigate the impact of the heat. Late Navel orange harvest was complete for the season.  Valencia orange harvest continued.  With high temperatures, regreening in citrus has become more common, and packers were color sorting to compensate.  Ruby Red grapefruit were harvested.

    Walnut, almond, and pistachio orchards were irrigated. Mechanical and chemical weed control continued in nut orchards. Pistachios were fertilized. In some locations walnut growers applied sunburn preventive materials.

    In Tulare County certified producers were picking tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, and peppers for sale at the local Farmers’ Markets.  Italian squash, eggplant, and cucumbers continued to be harvested.  Blueberry and strawberry harvests slowed down and were expected to come to a close with hot weather.  Sweet corn harvest began with a few roadside stands opening and sales at the local Farmers’ markets.  Carrot harvest had slowed down.  In Fresno County, carrots harvest was reaching its end.  Pepper harvest was completed with good yields. Dehydrated onion left to dry.  Fresh onions harvest was half completed. Roughly one-third of the onion harvest had been completed. Onion seed drying out. In Monterey County, celery harvest began and was picking up.  In Imperial County, spring melons and sweet corn were harvested.  Some growers reported exceptional yields.  Many farmers were finished with melon harvest and were plowing fields.   In Colusa, Sacramento, Solano, and Yolo Counties, tomato crops were progressing, even though the recent heat wave slowed crop development.

    Non-irrigated grasses and forbs continued to dry out as the dry days of summer continued. Rangeland was reported to be in good to very poor condition depending on elevation, aspect and soil moisture. Foothill watering holes were drying up. Cattle continued to be moved to higher elevation range. Milk production was impacted by the high heat.  Livestock deaths increased due to the extended elevated temperatures. Sheep grazed on retired pasture and dormant alfalfa. Bees were active in melon and vegetable fields.

  • USDA California Crop/Weather Report

    Sacramento, Calif., (April 18, 2017) – Another warm and wet week for most of the State as an active pattern kept rains over the northern 2/3 of the State. A developing storm system in the Four Corners region brought cooler temperatures to the State on Friday, but temperatures recovered quickly with dry conditions for the weekend.

    Weekly rainfall totals reached two to four inches across the central Sierras near Tahoe, the windward slopes of the central/northern Sierras, and the northwestern mountains. The northern valley, including Redding, saw similar rainfall amounts. Lesser rainfall totals were seen along the coast and across the valley, where one inch of rainfall was the norm. The southern valley received about half an inch. Non-mountainous locations south of Bakersfield largely missed out on the precipitation.

    Temperature highs were in the 40s to 60s in the mountains, 60s to 70s along the coast and the valley, and 70s to 90s in the desert. The temperature lows were in the 20s to 40s in the mountains, 30s to 50s in the desert and the valley, and 40s to 50s along the coast.

    Winter forage crops were maturing well. Oats were being cut, dried, and baled. Alfalfa fields were being cut and baled. Corn was both being planted and germinating.

    Grapevines continued to leaf out.  Due to the continued sporadic rains, fungicides were being applied to vineyards.  Stone fruit trees continued leafing out.  Thinning of immature stone fruit continued.  Both mechanical and chemical weed control continued in orchards.  Old vineyards and orchards continued to be pushed out to make way for new plantings.  New orchards were being planted.  The late Navel orange harvest neared completion.  Navel oranges continued to experience rind issues.  Valencia orange harvest continued at an accelerated pace.  Orange groves were being hedge rowed and skirted.  Seedless tangerines were being netted to prevent cross pollination by bees during the bloom.  Olive trees were blooming.  In Stanislaus County, early varieties of cherries were turning red.  Herbicides were being applied to orchard floors.

    Pistachios and walnut trees continued blooming and leafing out.  In Stanislaus County, field fumigations for almond pre-plants were occurring frequently.  In San Joaquin County, walnut orchard pruning was winding down.  New orchard planting continued.

    Processing tomato fields were being planted throughout the State using transplants.  This is expected to continue for the next several weeks.  The asparagus harvest was well underway in the northern part of the State.  The cold nights limited production in the Capay Valley, while demand remained strong.  Lettuce and Brassicas were harvested in the Salinas Valley, though there were delays due to rain.  Cucumbers continued to grow under hot caps in Tulare County, though their increasing size will require caps to be removed soon.  Additional summer vegetables were planted without hot caps.  Bell peppers were planted in Fresno County and harvested in Imperial and Riverside counties.  Squash was growing and blooming in Tulare County and harvested in Riverside County.  Cantaloupes were transplanted in Stanislaus County and harvested in Imperial County.  In the Coachella Valley, harvest had begun for green beans and eggplant.

    Sunny warm weather and sufficient soil moisture has promoted range grass and forb growth. Foothill rangeland and valley dryland pasture forage quality was reported to be in good to excellent condition. Supplemental feeding of livestock was diminishing in response to the favorable range conditions. Sheep grazed on retired pasture and dormant alfalfa. Bees were active in some stone fruit orchards. Some bees were moved out of state as the fruit and nut bloom season was winding down.

  • USDA California Crop/Weather Report

    Sacramento, Calif. (March 21, 2017) – It was a warm week across the State, as most of the area was well entrenched into a dry pattern. Fog developed across the northern central valley early in the week which helped supply a bit of moisture. Rainfall was limited to the northern third of the State late week. Rainfall amounts were very light along Interstate 80, gradually increasing to the north. The heaviest rains fell in the northern mountains, which received around a quarter inch of rain each day. Warm temperatures last week resulted in the first week of significant snowmelt in the mountains. Despite that, mountain snow packs continued to be heavy with Lodge pole still reporting over seven feet of snow depth.

    Temperature highs were in the 30s to 70s in the mountains, 60s to 80s in the valley and along the coast, and 70s to 100 in the desert. The temperature lows were in the 10s to 40s in the mountains, 40s to 50s in the valley and along the coast, and 40s to the 60s in the desert.

    Winter forage crops were maturing well. Some growers were starting to harvest silage. Alfalfa was making good growth as a result of the warmer weather. Drier and warmer weather were ideal for the grains.

    Field work in vineyards continued with pruning, tying, berm sanitation, and brush shredding.  Some bud break has been observed in vineyards.  Cherries and late varieties of stone fruit continued to bloom.  Kiwifruit were being packed and shipped to domestic and foreign markets.  Some persimmons and pomegranates were leafing out.  New orchards were being planted.  The citrus harvest picked up with the improved weather.  Late Navel orange harvest started in some areas.  Navel oranges, Mandarins, Minneola tangelos, lemons, and late harvest Finger limes were being exported mostly to foreign markets.  Star Ruby grapefruit harvest began, with most of the fruit being packed for the domestic market.  Orange groves were being hedge-rowed and skirted.  Growers were starting to net the seedless tangerines to prevent cross pollination by bees during the coming bloom.  Pruning of olives continued.

    Almond bloom was slowing down.  Bee colonies continued to be moved into nut orchards for pollination.  Almonds and pistachios were being exported.  Some walnut orchards were blooming.

    In Tulare County, squash was being planted in hot tunnels.  New fields were being prepared for spring planting.  Cucumbers were being planted under hot caps.  Blueberries were blooming.  Strawberry fields continued to thrive.  Previously planted onions continued to progress well.  In Monterey County, strawberry production was picking up and harvest crews were working.  A few brassica fields were being harvested as well. Flood waters were receding.

    Rangeland and dryland pasture quality continued to improve with all the recent rainfall.  Condition was excellent due to continued rainfall and warmer weather.  Some cattle ranchers have increased their herd size in order to take advantage of the improved forage conditions.  Bees were active in almond and early stone fruit orchards.

  • USDA California Crop/Weather Report

    Sacramento, Calif., (March 7, 2017) – A lot of variation in the weather across the State as a departing Pacific system exerted its influence onto the State. Monday, heavy rainfall across the southern quarter of the State, with areas along the immediate coast receiving up to two inches of rain. Heavier rainfall fell in the coastal mountains immediately inland of the San Diego area, with locations receiving over five inches. Most of the deserts received a quarter inch of rain. Midweek was mostly dry, expect for light rainfall in a few southern coastal areas. By Friday, the next storm system arrived, with light showers falling on the northwestern mountains. Saturday and Sunday brought heavier precipitation, with up to one to two inches falling in the northern portion of the State, and up to one inch falling in the southern parts of the state outside of the deserts. Light snow was reported in the central Sierras on Monday before warming temperatures mid-week resulted in the first significant snowmelt of the season. Heavy snowfall returned by Saturday with twelve to eighteen inches of snow falling in the central and northern Sierras. Further south, three to six inches of new snowfall occurred, maintaining the pre-week snowpack level there. Mountain snowpacks continued to be very heavy with Lodgepole in the southern Sierras and the Tahoe area reporting snowcover of nearly seven feet.

    Temperature highs were in the 30s to 40s in the mountains, 40 to 80s in the desert, 50s to 70s in the valley, and 60s to 70s along the coast. The temperature lows were in the 10s to 20s in the mountains, 20s to 40s in the valley, 30s to 50s in the desert, and 40s to 50s along the coast.

    Growers continued to wait for fields to dry out sufficiently to resume planting winter grain and field crops. Reports of lodging in mature wheat fields due to the recent high winds and rain of last week. Alfalfa fields were flooded and recharging underground water.

    Pruning, discing, weed control, and pre-bloom spraying continued where dry orchard floor conditions permitted. Olive groves were pruned. Pruning, tying, berm sanitation, and brush shredding continued as vineyard floors dried. Herbicides were applied in some vineyards. Early varieties of stone fruit, including cherries were blooming in Tulare County. Citrus harvest continued. Recent rains impacted the overall quality of the citrus. Orange groves were hedge-rowed and skirted.  A few seedless tangerine groves were being netted to prevent cross pollination during the pending bloom.

    As field conditions permitted walnut and pistachio orchards were pruned. Where dry enough cleanup of trees toppled by high winds began. Almond bloom was progressing with the southern portion of the state nearing completion. Rain and wind caused some almond petal drop.

    Recent rains slowed some harvesting but broccoli, romaine, and red lettuce harvest continued in Imperial County.  In Fresno County, winter onion and garlic fields were being fertilized and cultivated.  In Tulare County, squash was being planted in hot tunnels.  New fields were being prepared for spring planting.  Strawberries continued to thrive.

    Non-irrigated pasture and rangeland continued to improve with warming temperatures promoting forb and grass growth. Range was reported to be in excellent to fair condition. Supplemental feeding of livestock continued to wane as range conditions improved. Bees were active in almond orchards. Sheep grazed stubble fields, idle cropland, and dormant, alfalfa.

  • USDA California Crop/Weather Report for Week Ending February 19, 2017

    Sacramento, Calif., (February 22, 2017) – Another warm and wet week across the State as a strong Pacific system moved inland. The system brought rain to most of the State, with mountains receiving snow. Temperatures cooled through Friday, before rising slightly over the weekend.

    Dry weather ruled the State on Monday and Tuesday with the exception of some light sprinkles across the far northwest. On Wednesday, a storm system began to bring rain to the northern half of the State with up to three inches falling in the far northwest, tapering off to about half an inch along the I-80 corridor. As lighter amounts were seen further south to Fresno. Thursday through Saturday heavy rain for most of the State, with the Santa Barbara to Oxnard area receiving the most, at over four inches of rain. Deserts areas received scattered rain on Friday, totaling a quarter of an inch. Sunday brought more rain to the State, but with much lighter amounts as the storm system moved inland. One to two feet of new snow fell in the Sierras, and two to three feet in the northern mountains. Temperatures allowed for a slight increase of the snowpack in the northern mountains and in the north and central Sierras, while the southern Sierras snowpack remained unchanged.

    Temperature highs were in the 30s to 50s in the mountains, 50s to 60s along the coast, 50s to 70s in the desert, and 60s to 70s in the valley. The temperature lows were in the 20s to 30s in the mountains, 30s to 50s the desert, and 40s to 50s in the valley and along the coast.

    Growers continued to wait for fields to dry out sufficiently to resume planting winter grain and field crops. The planted grains and field crops continued to mature, reaping the benefit from all the recent rain, and a few sunny days. Winter wheat and oats were maturing very well.

    Pruning, discing, weed control, and pre-bloom spraying continued where orchard floor conditions permitted. Aerial applications were made where field conditions prevented ground application. Olive groves were pruned. Pruning, tying, berm sanitation, and brush shredding started up again in the drier vineyards. The standing water in vineyards and orchards continued to cause concern for the health of the trees and vines. Early varieties of nectarines and peaches were blooming in Fresno County. The Navel orange harvest was slowed by the rainy conditions. Tangelos were harvested.

    As field conditions permitted, walnut orchards continued to be pruned. Almonds were beginning to bloom across the state. Bee hives were staged in preparation for the pending bloom season, though muddy conditions forced many hives to be left on drier ground outside almond orchards.

    In Tulare County, winter vegetables continued to mature. The drier weather in the county allowed the harvest to resume.  New fields continue to be prepared for spring planting.  Strawberry fields continued to thrive.  Blueberries continued to be planted, weather permitting.  In Imperial County, spinach, broccoli, and some lettuce were being harvested late at night. In Fresno County, some winter vegetable fields were soaked with soil saturation and no field work was able to be performed. Organic onions were being planted.

    Non-irrigated pasture and rangeland continued to improve due to the winter’s precipitation. Range was reported to be in fair to excellent condition. Supplemental feeding of livestock continued to decline as range conditions improved.

  • USDA California Crop/Weather Report

    Sacramento, Calif., (February 14, 2017) – Another wet week across the State. Most days received widespread precipitation across a large portion of the State. Last week, the heaviest rains fell on the windward and southern slopes of the central/northern Sierras and northern mountains. Blue Canyon reported the largest precipitation of 14.16 inches. The northwestern mountains received four to six inches of rain, while the valley saw three to four inches across its northern half and one to two inches across its southern half. The immediate coast from San Francisco southward to Los Angeles received two to three inches. Despite warm temperatures, additional snow fell in the mountains through last week, the heaviest in the Tahoe region, where 12 to 18 inches fell. The northern Sierras saw eight to12 inches across the northern mountains, with the Southern Sierras reporting three to six inches. Despite the additional snowfalls, warm temperatures resulted in an overall reduction of four to eight inches in snowpack.

    Temperature highs were in the 30s to 50s in the mountains, 50s to 60s in the valley and along the coast, and 60s to 80s in the desert. The temperature lows were in the 20s to 40s in the mountains, 30s-50s in the desert, and 40s to 50s in the valley and along the coast.

    Growers continued to wait for fields to dry out sufficiently to resume planting winter grain and field crops. The planted grains and field crops continued to mature at an excellent rate, reaping the benefit from all the recent rains.

    Orchards in the San Joaquin Valley where conditions permitted, allowing for some orchard pruning, discing, weed control and pre-bloom spraying. Pruning, tying, berm sanitation, and brush shredding started up again in the drier vineyards. Where field conditions permitted the removal of older orchards and vineyards continued in preparation for replanting with new varieties. The standing water in vineyards and orchards caused for concern the health of the trees and vines. Early varieties of nectarines and peaches began to bloom in Fresno County. Navel orange harvest continued as weather permitted. Second treatment spraying for citrus fungal diseases was drawing to a close. Tangerines continued to be harvested.

    As field conditions permitted orchards continued to be pruned and brush. Some late dormant sprays were applied. Almond buds were swelling and a few early blossoms reported in the southern San Joaquin Valley.

    In Monterey County, frequent rain continued throughout the week.  The rain was welcomed as it cleaned salts from the soil profile, but it slowed field activities.  Very few fields were planted, but as the skies began to clear, work resumed on cole crops, lettuces, celery, and spinach.  In Fresno County, the carrot harvest was ongoing when the weather permitted.  Weed control was ongoing for tomatoes.  Garlic and onion plantings had emerged and showed good growth.  Broccoli was growing steadily.  In Imperial County, harvest continued for broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and lettuce.  Fields were planted with melon and sweet corn as weather permitted.

    Non-irrigated pasture and rangeland continued to improve due to the winter’s precipitation and warming temperatures. Range was reported to be in excellent to good condition. Sheep grazed idle fields and dormant alfalfa fields. Supplemental feeding of livestock was on the decline as range conditions improved. Bee hives were staged in preparation for the pending bloom season, though muddy conditions forced many hives to be left on drier ground outside almond orchards.