California Ag Network

Tag: Weather Report

  • USDA California Crop/Weather Report

    Sacramento, Calif., (February 7, 2017) – The week began with high pressure over the Great Basin. By mid-week an onshore surge of moisture associated with a Pacific northwestern system arrived. A brief break occurred on Saturday between systems before a second Pacific northwestern storm brought additional precipitation to the State on Sunday.

    Widespread rains and snow fell across the northern two thirds of the State last week, with Monday and Tuesday being dry statewide. On Saturday, rain was confined to an area centered between Sacramento and Redding with amounts reaching up to a quarter of an inch. On all other days, light to moderate rains fell across the State. Most places in the valley received one and half to two inches of rain, with around one inch in the southern valley. Coastal locations received one to two inches of rain, with the Los Angeles basin receiving between half and one inches. The deserts largely missed out on the rains. Additional snowfall in the mountains were just under two feet in most of the northern and central Sierras, with one foot being the norm in the southern Sierras. The northwestern coastal ranges received up to six inches of new snow. Temperatures were cool enough to result in overall growth of the snowpack except at low elevations and latitudes.

    Temperature highs were in the 30s to 50s in the mountains, 50s to 60s in the valley and along the coast, and 50s to 70s in the desert. The temperature lows were in the 0s to 30s in the mountains, 30s to 40s in the valley and along the coast, and 30s to 50s in the desert.

    Growers continued to wait for fields to dry out sufficiently to resume planting winter grains and other crops. The planted grains and field crops continued to mature at an excellent rate, reaping the benefit of the recent rain, and now sunshine. Black-eyed beans were exported.

    Orchards in the San Joaquin Valley began to dry out, allowing for some orchard pruning and new planting of trees where the ground had been previously prepared for planting. Pre-bloom sprays were applied to some stone fruit. Pruning, tying, berm sanitation, and brush shredding were starting up again as vineyards and orchards dried. In drier locations the removal of older orchards and vineyards continued in preparation for replanting with new varieties. The Navel orange harvest picked up with the clear weather. Satsuma tangerines continued to be harvested.

    As field conditions permitted, orchards continued to be pruned and brushed. Some late dormant sprays were applied. Almond buds were popping and swelling in the Southern San Joaquin Valley.

    Winter vegetables continued to mature. Harvest resumed in some areas when weather permitted. In Madera County, weed control was ongoing for tomatoes.  Application of herbicides to mature onions occurred. Carrot harvest was about 50 percent complete.

    Non-irrigated pasture and rangeland continued to green up in response to the much needed precipitation and warming temperatures. Range were reported to be in excellent to good condition. Sheep grazed idle fields and dormant alfalfa fields. Supplemental feeding of livestock continued but not to the extent of recent months. Where field conditions permitted, bee hives were staged in preparation for the pending bloom season.

  • USDA California Crop/Weather Report

    Sacramento, Calif., (February 1, 2017) – The stopping of the Pineapple Express coupled with a retreat of the persistent upper-level trough that has been present over the western region for the last couple of months produced a week of warmer and drier conditions.

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

    Widespread showers fell on most of the state on Monday, with the heaviest rains seen in the San Diego area, where over one inch fell. Most other areas received less than a quarter of an inch of rain. Snow fell in the mountains, with the greatest accumulations in the 4-8 inch range in the area just southwest of Tahoe and also in parts of the southern Sierras. Tuesday and Wednesday continued to bring limited showers in certain areas, particularly the northern mountains and southern coasts. Thursday through Sunday saw no measurable precipitation at any reliable sites. Snow packs in the mountains continue to be in very good shape, maintaining cover through the week and likely increasing by 4-6 inches in the area around Tahoe.

    Continued rains have benefited the growth of already planted grains and field crops, but the rain has hindered ground preparations for continued planting. Low spots in some fields were showing stress from repeated standing water. Farmers in some areas have been encouraged to report crop losses due to flooding.

    Standing water and muddy conditions continued to hinder fieldwork for much of the state. Winter field work continued when conditions permitted. Deciduous fruit orchards continued to be pruned and brush shredded. Removal of orchards and vineyards continued in preparation for replanting with new varieties. Rain continued to slow navel orange and Satsuma mandarin harvest. Fungicide applications to citrus were made as conditions allowed.

    Some almond and walnut orchards were impacted by falling trees due to strong winds and saturated ground. Nut orchards continued to be pruned and brush shredded as weather conditions permitted.

    In San Joaquin County, conditions were drying out, which helped with standing water in the fields.  In Monterey County, heavy rains were welcomed, though the saturated ground restricted field access.  Growers began planting cole crops, as well as lettuces and greens.  In San Mateo County, the fields were still very wet and unworkable.  In Fresno County, the onions and garlic have germinated.

    Non-irrigated pasture and rangeland continued to green up due to this winter’s rain. Range was reported to be in excellent to good condition. Standing water and flooding continued to impact some valley pasture and dairies. Sheep grazed idle fields and dormant alfalfa fields. Where field conditions permitted bees were staged in preparation for the bloom season. Bee keepers continued to feed their hives to compensate for the lack of blooming vegetation.

  • USDA California Crop/Weather Report

    Sacramento, Calif., (January 17, 2017) – A continued abundance of moisture across the State for the entire week tapered off over the weekend as the upper-level trough pulled away to the east with surface high pressure building over the western United States.

    Temperatures were fairly consistent, but cooled slightly late last week as a drier airmass settled over the State.

    Nearly all locations in the State saw precipitation last week, with the heaviest rainfall impacting the northern and central Sierras from Tahoe northward to the Lassen Volcanoes area, where precipitation totals reached near 12 inches. Specifically, the area around Blue Canyon received a total of 9.99 inches of rain. The coastal mountains received heavy rainfall with 4 to 8 inches falling, while most of the valley received rainfall totals between 3 to 4 inches. Even the deserts, received up to 1 inch of rainfall over the weekend. The mountains once again received very heavy snow this week, with some areas receiving 2 feet of snowfall in a single day. Lodgepole reported a total of 23 inches of new snow on Thursday. The heaviest snow fell in the Tahoe region and in the mountains just to the north, where up to 5 feet of snow fell. Elsewhere in the mountains, 2 to 4 feet was the norm in the Southern Sierras, with coastal ranges seeing up to a foot of new snow.

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

    Recent rains benefited the growth of already planted grains and field crops, but the rain hindered ground preparations for continued planting. The forecast for optimal returns continued to look positive. Sorghum seed continued to be received for future planting. Hay alfalfa remained dormant.

    Some pomegranates were harvested. Deciduous fruit orchard continued to be pruned and brush shredded as weather conditions permitted. Most post-harvest field activities were halted due to the heavy rains and standing water. In drier locations the removal of orchard and vineyards continued in preparation for replanting with new varieties. Blueberry planting continued, as weather permitting. Rains continued to slow navel orange and mandarin harvest. Fungicide applications to citrus were made as conditions allowed.

    Nut orchards continued to be pruned and brush shredded as weather conditions permitted.  Most post-harvest filed activities were halted due to the heavy rains and standing water.

    In San Joaquin County, winter Farmer’s Market vegetables were harvested.  Commercial basil fields were cut and packaged when weather permitted.  In Madera County, tomato fields were being prepped for planting.  In San Luis Obispo County, winter vegetables such as Chinese Napa cabbage, bock choy, parsley, cilantro and spinach were harvested.  Spring vegetables were planted.  In Fresno County, there were heavy rains, but winter vegetables remained in good condition.  In Tulare County, the growth of the winter vegetables benefitted from favorable weather conditions.

    Non-irrigated pasture and rangeland greened up considerably due to recent rains. Range was reported to be primarily in fair to good condition. Snow and ice covered some grazing land in Modoc and Siskiyou Counties. Some dairies were impacted by standing water and sloppy conditions from the week’s precipitation. Sheep grazed idle fields and dormant alfalfa fields. Bees continued to be brought into the state in preparation for the bloom season. Bee keepers continued to feed their hives to compensate for the lack of blooming vegetation.

  • California Crop/Weather Report

    – Overall, the week was very wet and chilly across the State. Temperatures were fairly steady early in the week, with a gradual warm-up as the weekend arrived. Most of the State was soggy through the week, with most areas in the central/northern valley receiving three to five inches of rain, coastal areas north of Monterey saw two to four inches of rain, and coastal areas further south saw one to two inches of rain. The heaviest rains fell on the windward slopes of the central and northern Sierras, where some locations saw as much as twelve to fourteen inches of rain, with most areas seeing between five to eight inches of rain. The southern valley also received two to three inches of rain.

    The interior deserts remained largely dry. Mountain regions saw an abundance of snow this week as well. Three to four feet of new snow fell during the week in the Tahoe area and areas northward. The southern Sierras around Mt. Whitney saw one to three feet. The mountaintops of the coastal ranges also received two to six inches of snow going northward from Los Angeles to Crescent City. Warm temperatures over the weekend resulted in a bit of snowmelt, but snowpacks were at their bulkiest in years.

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

    Fields continued to be prepared and planted for winter wheat and barley forage. The growth of planted grains and field crops continued at an excellent rate, reaping the benefit from last week’s precipitation. Sorghum seed continued to be received for future planting. Alfalfa fields have gone dormant due to the cold weather.

    Table grapes from cold storage continued to be exported.  Vineyards continued to be pruned.  Pomegranates were primarily being exported to Mexico.  Deciduous fruit orchards continued to be pruned and the brush shredded as weather conditions allowed.  Tree fruit and vineyards halted most post-harvest field activities due to the recent rains. In drier locations, the removal of older orchards continued in preparation for replanting new varieties. Wet weather continued to slow the citrus harvest.  Navel and Mandarin oranges were being harvested as conditions allowed.  Exports of citrus fruit slightly slowed down between Christmas and New Year’s.  However, Navel oranges, Melogold grapefruit, and lemons continued to be exported. Growers continued to implement frost protection measures for new plantings.  Removal of older orchards continued in preparation for replanting to new varieties in drier locations.  Strawberry fields continued to thrive.  Blueberries continued to be planted, weather permitting.

    Pistachios, almonds, walnuts, and pecans continued to be packed and shipped primarily to foreign markets.  Nut orchards continued to be pruned and the brush shredded as weather conditions permitted.

    Winter vegetables continued to mature ideally. In Fresno County, fresh onion seeds were planted.  Carrot harvest continued.  Growers restricted water from broccoli fields.

    Valley and foothill range and non-irrigated pasture were in good condition. Supplemental feeding of livestock continued. Sheep grazed alfalfa and fallow fields for weed control. Lambing was ongoing. Bee hives continued to be moved into the state in preparation for the bloom season. Due to the lack of blooming vegetation, bee keepers continued to feed their hives.