Brad Rippey

The winter wheat crop continues to be a challenge nationally.   “An interesting start to the season, not necessarily in a good way,” noted USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey.  He added it's been that way for several months, where many production areas, including the Northwest, have been very dry.  Rippey said some locatio...

Ask Brad Rippey, and he’ll tell you that it’s abnormally dry for this time of year.  According to the USDA meteorologist, the November 1st U.S. drought monitor, which shows drought coverage across the lower 48 states.   “Is 62.8%, a ten-percentage point incre...

"Presently, we do have drought in all three of the nation's major where we production areas.  The white winter wheat in the Northwest the hard red winter wheat across the Great Plains and the soft red winter wheat it's grown from the mid-South into the lower Midwest.” ...

Thanks to dryness “plaguing” many of the major wheat producing sections of the country, including the Pacific Northwest, concern is starting to grow about the upcoming winter wheat crop.  USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey said growers have planted 69% of the crop, which is 1% ahead of normal.  He noted weather co...

When it comes to the latest winter wheat seeding numbers, the USDA says 40% of the crop is in the ground this week.  Meteorologist Brad Rippey said that figure is about 4%-5% behind the five-year average as well as where growers were this time last year.   “...

When it comes to winter wheat, 21% of the crop is in the ground nationwide, which is ahead of the five-year average of 17% for this time of year, and also ahead of last year’s rate by roughly 1%.  And of that winter wheat crop, roughly 2% has emerged nationwide, which is in line with the five-year average.  But USDA mete...

Dozens of wildfires continue to burn across the western U.S. which has led to a lot of smoke and air quality issues, especially across Idaho, Montana and other states in the northern Rockies.  And while conditions remain ripe for fires to start and spread, USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey said the wildfire picture has improved here in the west, when compared to last week.   “...

The hot, dry weather we’ve seen across much of the western United States has been “ideal” for spring wheat harvest, that according to USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey.  Harvest numbers, he noted, made a big jump this week, increasing 21% to 71% of the overall crop being cut to this point.   “Even with th...

September appears to have picked up right where August left off, with many regions across the Pacific Northwest reporting record or near record heat to start the month.   “We kicked off September on the 1st with a September record tying high of 112 degrees in Lancaster, CA," noted USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey.  "That wa...

When it comes to the latest U.S. Pastures and Rangeland Conditions, modest improvements were reported nationwide.  USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey said the final ratings of August show 46% of pastures across the country are very poor to poor, which is about a 3% drop from the week earlier.   “...