soil moisture

As we start the month of May, several parts of the Northwest are already reporting dry soil conditions.     According to the latest numbers from USDA, 46% of Idaho is Abnormally Dry, or under a D0 drought designation.  Much of that stretches from the panhandle, south across the foothills of the Rockies to the Wyoming border.  On top of that, 1...

Snowpack and reservoir levels are already creating concerns for irrigators in the Yakima Basin.  But it looks like, according to one expert, that Mother Nature will help in other ways this year.  When it comes to the temperatures growers can expect this season, Drew Lerner, Senior Agricultural Meteorologist at World Weather, Inc., said central Wash...

The snowpack in several locations across Washington is not very good for this time of year, which has many people concerned about the possibility of drought.  When talking about drought, the state Department of Ecology is not just talking about the here and now, but also the potential for drought this summer across the Evergreen State.  And tha...

It may be winter, but some portions of the Northwest continue to deal with drought conditions.  The latest figures from the U.S. Drought Monitor show over 66% of Washington on par with soil moisture numbers for this time of year.  The dry conditions are primarily found in the central portion of the state stretching down to the Palouse and the L/C Valley.     O...

Drought numbers improved slightly in Washington, with 34% of the state where it should be soil moisture wise this time of year.  While that news is an improvement from last week, 44% of the state is under a D-1 or Moderate Drought designation, and 9% is under a D-2, or Severe Drought.  And those numbers...

Much of the Northwest already knows this, but now the numbers just prove those thoughts.  Soil moisture levels across the western portion of the U.S. remain very low, even for this time of year.  Nationally, 62% of the country is dealing with soil moisture numbers that are very short to short.  The top state, wh...

The 2024 season had its fair share of victories and struggles for canola growers.  Unfortunately, when it was all said and done, the struggles outnumbered the wins.  Karen Sowers, Executive Director of the Pacific Northwest Canola Association said the yields were disappointing.   “You know ...

The U.S. winter wheat crop planting passed the halfway mark over the past week to reach 51% complete by Sunday October 6th, one point behind the five-year average.   “One thing we have noticed is that planting has been delayed in a few areas due to dryness," noted USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey.  "And so ...

This is the first week of October, which means we’re well into fall panting for winter wheat across the country.   “As we start October, 44% of the winter wheat production area in the United States is in drought," said USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey.  "That's actual...

Via an Executive Order, Oregon Governor Tina Kotek has declared a drought in Lake County, and directed state agencies to coordinate and prioritize assistance to the region.  According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, Lake County has been in moderate drought since July 9th.  Drought...