Sacramento, Calif., (September 12, 2017) – Hot weather continued, but enough moisture moved into the state to drive scattered showers across the mountains and northern valley. Additional monsoon showers were seen in the deserts.  Most areas that saw rain saw less than half an inch, although a few heavier downpours led to nearly an inch of rainfall in isolated locations. …

Sacramento, Calif., (September 6, 2017) – Hot and dry weather continued across most of the State under the influence of stubborn high pressure over the interior western United States. Rain only fell in parts of the Sierras, as well as a couple areas of the desert, which were driven by a monsoon. Some locations experienced record high temperatures; San Francisco …

Washington, D. C., (September 8, 2017) – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) announced that starting Sept. 1, 2017, dairy producers can enroll for 2018 coverage in the Margin Protection Program (MPP-Dairy). Secretary Sonny Perdue has utilized additional flexibility this year by providing dairy producers the option of opting out of the program for 2018. “Secretary …

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 …