Range and Pasture Conditions Update

Pasture and range conditions have become more positive across the Eastern portion of the U.S. But as USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey shares that isn’t case in the West.
Rippey: “So looking for good rangeland, pasture and hay, Northern Plains and Mid-West and pretty much throughout the Eastern one-third of the country. But you don’t want to head to the Southwest or Intermountain West where conditions are very bad and in many cases are deteriorating.”
How bad is it in the Southwest? Rippey says
Rippey: “We now see 100 percent of the rangeland and pastures in California being rated poor to very poor. Eighty-eight percent of pastures rated poor to very poor in New Mexico, 86 percent in Arizona and 88 percent in Colorado.”
He shares it is moving northward
Rippey: “So now at this point, we see half of pasture and range conditions rated poor to very poor in Nevada and 47 percent in Idaho. So the drought is trying to creep northward through the Intermountain West.”
At this point both Oregon and Washington range and pasture conditions are faring better with Washington rated only 18 percent poor to very poor, 29 percent fair, 53 percent in good to excellent condition.
In Oregon, range and pasture conditions were rated 23 percent poor to very poor, 40 percent fair and 37 percent good to excellent.