Pasture and Rangeland Conditions

USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey offers the latest pasture and rangeland conditions nationwide for the period ending October 16.
Rippey: “Looking at U.S. rangeland and pasture conditions for the week ending October 16th because of the drought in much of the Eastern United States, we are looking at decline pasture conditions here late in the season. We’re now down 46 percent of the U.S. pasture lands rated good to excellent, down 3 points from last week, very poor to poor ratings were 21 percent up 2 points. Main pockets of drought in the Eastern U.S. concentrated across the Northeast and the interior Southeast. With the rain in the Northwest, we’ve seen improving pasture conditions there but still some very dry conditions as you move south -- especially in California.”
Oregon pasture and rangeland conditions half rated very poor to poor, 29 per cent fair and 21 percent good to excellent.
Idaho pasture and rangeland conditions 19 percent were very poor to poor, 37 percent fair and 44 percent good to excellent.
Washington’s pasture and rangeland conditions were reported as 21 percent very poor to poor, 31 percent fair and 48 percent good to excellent.
Colorado had 11 percent of their pasture and gangland rated very poor to poor, 35 percent fair and 54 percent good to excellent.