April 23, 2000

Production Estimates and Crop Assessment Division
Foreign Agricultural Service, USDA

Flooding in North Central U.S. Will Likely
Delay Spring Planting

Current U.S. Crop Situation – North Dakota

• •Red River of the North – The April 17, 2001 NOAA 16 satellite image shows visible flooding  from Grand Forks to Winnipeg.  “Dark blue” indicates flood waters.   The “black” area of the Red River Valley and surrounding area shows  “saturated soils.”  Planting conditions for spring grains (barley, spring wheat, durum, and oats) will be difficult and delayed, much like 1999.  A NOAA 14 satellite image taken from April 22, 1997, two days after the Red River crested at Fargo, is included for comparison.  The magnitude of this year’s  Red River flood is much less than the 1997 “Flood of the Century.”

• ••As well as being very wet, soil temperatures are very cold in North Dakota.  Further causing planting delays.  Graphs of Cass County and Grand Forks County cumulative temperatures are included.  Note that 2001 is the coldest year.  Last year was a warm and dry spring, facilitating early planting.

Image:  Northern Plains, Apr. 17, 2001
Image:  Northern Plains:  Apr. 22, 1997
Image:  Northern Plains, Apr. 17, 2001 (enhanced image)
Image:  Cumulative Precipitation Comparison:  Fargo, North Dakota
Image:  Cumulative Temperature Comparison:  Cass Co., North Dakota
Image:  Cumulative Precipitation Comparison:  Grand Forks, North Dakota
Image:  Cumulative Temperature Comparison:  Grand Forks Co., North Dakota
Current U.S. Crop Situation--Upper Mississippi Valley
Image:  Upper Mississippi River 2001
Image:  Upper Mississippi River 2000
Image:  Upper Mississippi River Chart

View the report in Adobe Acrobat Format

 For more information, contact Bob Tetrault or Carl Gernazio of the
Production Estimates and Crop Assessment Division
FSA-FAS Center for Remote Sensing Analysis