Crop progress report 02/23: Winter carries on through February

From NASS

In south-central Washington, it was an extremely dry February. There were small skiffs of snow and wind in recent weeks, with lows dipping to the single digits. Weather was not ideal for crops or livestock, but calving had begun around the region. In Yakima County, nearly all the precipitation came in the first week of February and measured less than half an inch. Producers made significant pruning progress on orchards and vineyards during the warmer times of the month.

Northeast Washington had mild weather until mid-February. In Stevens County, blizzard-like conditions were experienced, and temperatures dropped well below zero with the windchill.

In east-central Washington, February weather was fair. One week of high winds produced windchill that caused a few calf losses. Winter wheat was in mostly good condition after an assessment of the crop showed minimal damage. In western Douglas County, some areas were still under snow cover, which marked over 100 consecutive days of snow cover. Snow mold, pink and gray, started to damage susceptible winter wheat varieties.

In southeast Washington, February conditions were dry with cold temperatures, causing possible livestock losses in the extreme cold and heavy winds.