Crop Progress - State Stories

IDAHO: The average temperatures in Idaho for the month of December varied from below normal to normal for most regions of the State. Accumulated precipitation remained slightly below to slightly above normal for the water year. Northern Idaho had cooler than average temperatures and heavy snowfalls throughout December. In southwest Idaho,  temperatures were above freezing, with good precipitation. Hay stocks looked good. In south central Idaho, conditions were cold with little moisture. Rain on top of frozen soil caused some ponding in late December. Weather conditions were favorable for livestock. In eastern Idaho, temperatures were below normal, with heavy snowfall. While reservoir levels remained low, growers were cautiously optimistic about the snowpack in Bonneville and Madison Counties. Livestock was fed hay, and hay stores were adequate. Teton County experienced extremely cold temperatures followed by warmer temperatures leading to ice buildup in some areas. Bannock and Bingham Counties received persistent moisture in the form of snow and rain.

MONTANA: This report for Montana is for the entire month of December 2022. Topsoil moisture 19% very short, 27% short, 53% adequate, 1% surplus. Subsoil moisture 27% very short, 40% short, 32% adequate, 1% surplus. Winter wheat - condition 1% very poor, 10% poor, 67% fair, 16% good, 6% excellent. Winter wheat – wind damage 82% none, 13% light, 4% moderate, 1% heavy. Winter wheat – freeze and drought damage 77% none, 22% light, 1% moderate. Winter wheat – protectiveness of snow cover 1% very poor, 36% poor, 25% fair, 14% good, 24% excellent. Pasture and range - condition 24% very poor, 17% poor, 28% fair, 30% good, 1% excellent. Livestock grazing accessibility – 23% open, 37% difficult, 40% closed. Livestock receiving supplemental feed – cattle and calves 95% fed. Livestock receiving supplemental feed – sheep and lambs 88% fed. The month of December brought little precipitation and cool temperatures to Montana. Limited precipitation for the month did little to change drought conditions in the State. According to the US Drought Monitor published on December 29, 2022, 87.9 percent of the State continues to experience drought conditions, unchanged from the end of the November. The amount of land rated as abnormally dry was 28.0 percent, compared to 21.2 percent at the end of November. Moderate drought was present across 24.8 percent of the State, down slightly from 26.2 percent at the end of November. Severe drought covered 22.9 percent of the State, down from last month’s 25.0 percent and extreme drought was found in 12.2 percent of the State, down from last month’s 15.5 percent.

NEVADA: For the week ending January 1, 2023 - Days suitable for fieldwork 0.8. Topsoil moisture 25% short, 75% adequate. Subsoil moisture 30% short, 70% adequate. The US Drought Monitor shows 75% of the State in D2 and more than 24% in D3. Winter storms and snowpack buildup halted field work operations. Cattle are receiving supplemental feed.

OREGON: Moisture conditions throughout the State ranged from very wet to wet for December. However, the western part of Oregon was below normal for seasonal precipitation. Temperatures ranged from lower than normal to normal. Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington Counties reported record low temperatures and flooding in low areas. In Columbia, Multnomah, and Washington Counties, berries had floral buds, and other agronomic crops were in good condition. Low temperatures affected some nursery container materials. Polk County reported normal conditions. Benton and Lincoln Counties reported cold conditions likely affected livestock. A snowstorm resulted in downed trees that contributed to power outages. Tillamook and Clatsop Counties reported very wet conditions. Fields were seeded, but growth was slow. Gilliam, Hood River, Sherman, and Wasco Counties reported runoff due to freezing temperatures, resulting in isolated flooding of fields with diversion ditches full of standing water. Cattle started to calve, and no losses were reported due to the weather. Umatilla and Wallowa Counties reported runoff and erosion in some fields due to frost and high precipitation. Winter wheat was doing well, however, some winter wheat stands were late to emerge due to a lack of autumn precipitation, resulting in a lack of overall number of stands. Douglas, Jackson, and Josephine Counties reported good rainfall, albeit below average. Malheur County reported snowpack and annual precipitation above 100 percent for both the Owyhee and Malheur River Basins. They still had a long way to go due to reservoirs being completely drained last crop season. Growers were hesitant to acquire seeds and other supplies for crops that require vast amounts of water, such as corn. Wheeler County reported good moisture conditions. However, erosion of fields was reported due to frozen soil.

UTAH: This report for Utah is for the entire month of December 2022. Topsoil moisture 7% short, 65% adequate, 28% surplus. Subsoil moisture 8% short, 65% adequate, 27% surplus. Pasture and range condition 11% very poor, 17% poor, 70% fair, 2% good. Winter wheat condition 10% poor, 22% fair, 58% good, 10% surplus. Hay and roughage supplies 18% short, 82% adequate. Stock water supplies 1% very short, 17% short, 79% adequate, 3% surplus. Cattle and calves condition 1% poor, 15% fair, 71% good, 13% excellent. Sheep and lambs condition 6% poor, 34% fair, 57% good, 3% excellent. Livestock receiving supplemental feed for cattle 60%. Livestock receiving supplemental feed for sheep 50%. Cows calved 1%. Ewes lambed-farm flock 1%. As of January 1, 2023, snowpack in Utah was 170 percent measured as percent of median snowfall.

WASHINGTON: Central Washington experienced low temperatures during December. In Klickitat and Yakima Counties, the ground had been covered in snow for about a month. Cattle were fed on winter ground. In Benton County, the weather through crop producing areas dropped into the single digits in the early morning hours. Perennial crops were dormant, and no orchard or agricultural activities were observed. Northeast Washington also saw a lot of snowfall in December. In Stevens County, there was one week of below freezing temperatures. There were no reports of flooding or livestock issues. Pend Oreille and Spokane Counties also saw snow, but it was not as cold. In the heart of Washington, an artic blast swept through and caused sub-zero temperatures. This was followed by freezing rain and snow, which caused slick conditions. In Adams and Lincoln Counties, winter wheat was in mostly good to excellent condition, despite the weather. In southeast Washington, most counties saw above average snowfall. In Asotin and Garfield Counties, there were a few days of below-zero temperatures, and some livestock losses were reported. Most crops were snow covered, which should help limit crop loss.

WYOMING: This report for Wyoming is for the entire month of December 2022. Topsoil moisture 23% very short, 33% short, 43% adequate, 1% surplus. Subsoil moisture 38% very short, 28% short, 33% adequate, 1% surplus. Winter wheat condition 4% very poor, 20% poor, 66% fair, 9% good, 1% surplus. Hay and roughage supplies 3% very short, 20% short, 73% adequate, 4% surplus. Livestock condition 1% very poor, 2% poor, 13% fair, 82% good, 2% excellent. Stock water supplies 6% very short, 17% short, 72% adequate, 4% surplus. Pasture and range condition 4% very poor, 16% poor, 29% fair, 48% good, 3% surplus. Wyoming received little relief from the ongoing drought conditions during the month of December. Precipitation levels were slightly above normal in most of the northeast and southwest, while northwestern, southeastern and far southwestern portions of the State saw less than normal amounts of precipitation. Temperatures ran below normal for most of the State. Portions of northern and west-central Wyoming saw temperatures as much as 6 to 8 degrees below average. Some snow fall was reported over the last month in Washakie and Hot Springs Counties where grazing conditions were still fair to good. Reports in Lincoln County indicated significant rain and snowfall with much needed moisture and tolerable temperatures during December. According to the United States Drought Monitor for December 29, 2022, the amount of land rated as drought free was 25.6 percent, compared to 25.7 percent on December 1. The amount of land rated abnormally dry improved somewhat to 20.8 percent compared to 18.4 percent on December 1. Moderate drought was found in 25.0 percent of Wyoming, compared to 27.3 percent on December 1. Severe and extreme conditions remained constant since December 1 at 22.1 and 6.5 percent, respectively