Sacramento, Calif., (August 29, 2017) – Another relatively uneventful week across the State, with mostly dry conditions and increasing temperatures at the end of the week. This was primarily due to a strengthening mid-level ridge over the western United States. A mostly dry week with only very localized scattered showers across parts of the Sierras Monday and Tuesday. These showers …

Sacramento, Calif., (August 15, 2017) – The weather last week was hot and dry week across the state. The monsoon was not as active across the deserts. Rainfall was confined to the Sierras and northern mountains, with light showers dotting these areas every day Monday through Thursday. Most areas remained dry or received less than a quarter inch of rain, …

Sacramento, Calif., (August 8, 2017) – Summer heat continued to prevail across the State last week, with a few isolated reports of rain. Monday thru Friday brought scattered showers and thunderstorms across the deserts, with most areas receiving up to a quarter of an inch of rain in one day. A few heavier thunderstorms just east of San Diego dropped …

Sacramento, Calif., (July 25, 2017) – Another hot and mostly dry week across the State as a typical summertime weather pattern set up with mid-level ridging over the Great Basin brought dry air into most of the State.  The summer monsoon began to ramp up last week, bringing some much-needed rainfall to parts of the southern and interior deserts. Scattered …

Sacramento, Calif., (July 6, 2017) – A ridge of high pressure sat over the western United States, which resulted in another hot and dry week across the State. The only rain for the week was along the northern coast, where Eureka reported four hundredths of an inch for the week. A broken band of snow approximately 40 miles wide between …

Washington, D. C., (June 20, 2017) – A new certification program enables agricultural producers to let consumers know they are farming in ways that benefit bees. Funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation partnered with Oregon Tilth to develop and launch the Bee Better Certified program. “Bee Better Certified is working …

Sacramento, Calif., (June 6, 2017) – Last week started with warm temperatures, followed by cooler temperatures as a surge of Pacific moisture brought light rain to many areas in the State. Dry and warm conditions were felt during the weekend. Precipitation fell in parts of the state on Monday through Wednesday, with Thursday through Sunday seeing no measurable rainfall. The …

Washington, D. C., (June 1, 2017) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) today announced 54 grants totaling more than $17.7 million for plant research that helps optimize crop production, mitigate disease, and increase yield. The funding is made possible through NIFA’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) program, authorized by the 2014 …

Sacramento, Calif., (May 31, 2017) – Last week brought an upper-level ridge over the area leading to hot and mostly dry conditions. During the week, only a few locations received any measurable precipitation, Santa Rosa reported 0.03 inches on Thursday. For the weekend, a weakening of the ridge led to cooling statewide and a few more sprinkles across the northern …

Sacramento, Calif., (May 9, 2017) – A broad ridging pattern over the western United States brought dry and hot weather to the State during the first two thirds of the week. Then a pattern shift over the weekend brought cooler temperatures and precipitation to parts of the State. A few isolated showers were limited to the Los Angeles basin and …