Idaho drought

The Northwest remains very dry with two dozen days to go to spring.   According to the latest drought numbers, 92% of Oregon is Abnormally Dry, while 77% of the state is under a D-1, or Moderate Drought, designation.  Both of those figures increased over the past week.  Meanwhile, S...

Dry conditions continue for much of the Pacific Northwest.  But for one state, soil moisture conditions have returned close to normal.   According to the latest USDA numbers, 34% of Washington is considered abnormally dry for this time of year.  That is a dr...

The Idaho snowpack is looking really good for the mid-way portion in the 2022-2023 snow year.  Erin Whorton, NRCS Idaho, said most of the basins are at or above normal for this time of year.  The only three basins not at average are in the northern portion of the state, where the Northern Panhandle, Spokane, and Clearwater are all below 100% for mid-January.   With these...

Acknowledging every year has its ups and its down, Cameron Mulrony said 2022 was a challenging year for local cattle producers to say the least.  Mulrony, the Executive Vice President of the Idaho Cattle Association, said the region was very fortunate to get precipitation mid and late spring.  He note...

With many farmers already thinking about the New Year, and what 2023 holds in store for their crop, their livestock and their operation, why should water be any different?  Producers across southern Idaho are very hopeful this coming winter will be a cool one with a lot of rain and snow to replenish aquifers.  Te...

Looking back on the 2022 wheat crop across Idaho, Britany Hurst Marchant is very happy with the results.  The new Executive Director of the Idaho Wheat Commission said growers brought in 94 million bushels this year, slightly lower than the average 100 million bushels.  She not...

Soil conditions continue to worsen across the region.   According to the latest USDA numbers, all of Washington is under some kind of drought designation, with 38% of the state under the D1, or Moderate Drought Designation.  The remaining portion of the Evergreen state is considered abnormally dry for this time of year.    ...

On Tuesday, ERS reported the ongoing Western drought is the most extreme drought in the region since 2000.  As of Monday, September 19th, the U.S. Drought Monitor classified more than 18% of land in the Western States as experiencing extreme or exceptional drought.  In July...

As combines roll across Idaho, how is this year’s wheat crop fairing?   Casey Chumrau, Executive Director of Idaho Wheat said the 2022 crop is a little more variable than anticipated earlier this year.  She noted harvest started later than anticipated thanks to the cool, wet spring, meaning some operations are 1-3 weeks behind schedule.   “We are pre...

Weather forecasts expect temperatures to climb into the upper 90s this week, with some locations expected to see highs well above the century mark.  And with those hot, dry conditions, the concern about wildfire risk grows. “Hopefully nothing like what we’ve experienced over the last couple of wildfire seasons, but never the less, sometimes when you have the cool wet springs, you get a lot of buil