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June 14, 2001
California Crop Condition Update - June 2001
Summary:
Analysis of satellite imagery and ancillary data from California
confirms that most major crops are in good to excellent
condition. However, lower-than-normal winter precipitation has
led to limited snow-pack and low reservoir levels. This could
become a more significant problem as the summer develops.
Hot and Dry:
California's "rainy season" usually ends by May, and
precipitation this season was mostly below normal, with
conditions drier further north. Additionally, temperatures
in virtually all parts of the state were above normal in May and
early June. As of June 11, 2001, cooler weather returned to
California and provided some relief to crops and
"energy" demand.
Crop Conditions:
On June 11, 2001, the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics
Service released the following crop conditions for key California
crops. Winter wheat, which was 100 percent in the heading stage,
was 70 percent in good condition and 30 percent in excellent
condition. California's cotton crop was 20 percent squaring,
right on pace with their 5 year average and 65 percent of the
crop was in good condition and 35 percent was in excellent
condition. California's rice crop was 5 percent in fair
condition, 70 percent in good condition, and 25 percent in
excellent condition. Pastures and range conditions show the
impact of the below normal rainfall and recent hot weather. As of
June 11, 2001, 25 percent of California's pastures and rangeland
were rated as very poor to poor, 50 percent were rated fair, and
25 percent were in good condition.
Imagery:
Slide 1 is a June 3, 2001, NOAA 16 image
of California. Note that the snow-pack in the Sierra Nevada
Mountains is much less than shown on Slide 2,
a NOAA 14 scene from June 6, 2000. On both scenes the flooded
rice fields (dark blue areas),are visible across the Sacramento
Valley.
Slide 3 is a cumulative precipitation
graph for Los Angeles Co., comparing this year to recent years.
The 2001 "rainy" season was wetter than recent years.
Slide 4 is a cumulative precipitation
graph for Monterey and San Benito Co.'s. This area was drier than
last year, but wetter than 1999.
Slide 5 is a cumulative precipitation
graph for the northern San Joaquin Valley. This area has been
drier than last year and about the same as 1999.
Slide 6 is a cumulative precipitation
graph for the Sacramento Valley. This area has been drier than
last year and about the same as 1999.
Slide 7 is a cumulative precipitation
graph for the Siskiyou Co. Like the rest of the Klamath Basin,
Siskiyou Co. has been much drier this year than last year, with
rainfall similar to 1999.
Slide 8 contains two
"actual-versus-normal" temperature comparison charts,
provided by NOAA's Climate Prediction Center. Temperature graphs
for Los Angeles and Paso Robles are show here, representing
southern and central California. Note that temperatures in April
2001 were cooler than normal, while May and early June
temperatures were well above normal. Slide 9
is the temperature comparison charts for Sacramento and Mt.
Shasta (Siskiyou Co.) where April temperatures were also below
normal, but well above normal in May and early June 2001.
Slide 10 is a May 25, 2001, Landsat TM
image of northeast Yolo Co., California. The dark blue, almost
black fields are flooded rice fields. In fields where rice that
is emerging through the water, a red or orange tone is barely
visible. The gray fields are maturing winter grains.
Slide 11 is a March 30, 2001, Landsat
TM image of the same area of Yolo Co. The rice fields were
seeded, and yet to be flooded and established. The winter grain
fields, seen here as orange colored fields, were in full canopy
and probably in the "joint" to "flag" stage.
Slide 12 is a May 26, 2001, Landsat TM
image of the city of Modesto, California.
For more information, contact Carl Gernazio of the Production Estimates and Crop Assessment Division at 202-690-0136 or by e-mail at gernazio@fas.usda.gov.
