Weather

At the start of the week, high pressure brought warm temperatures to California with many temperatures above normal. The high pressure strengthened during the middle part of the week with record warm temperatures reported across much of the state.

Wednesday was the warmest day. On Thursday, the high pressure ridge began to shift eastward and temperatures trended cooler.

By the weekend, an unusual August cold front moved across the state bringing very cool temperatures and spreading light rainfall across much of northern California. The cool air mass behind the front brought enough instability to the atmosphere to trigger thunderstorm activity across the mountains of the north.

Field crops

Cotton bolls set and opened. Rice plants headed out. Some rice growers completed the final irrigation with harvest to begin in a few weeks. Sunflower fields were defoliated while harvest started in Colusa and Sutter County.

Safflower and corn for silage was harvested. Field operations continued with irrigation, ground preparation, and spray applications of fertilizers, herbicides, and insecticides as needed.

Fruit crops

Peaches, nectarines, and plums were harvested and packed as the prune harvest began. Gala apples were picked in the San Joaquin Valley (SJV).

Valencia oranges were picked in the Central Valley and along the southern coast. Fertilization and irrigation of orange groves was ongoing. The lemon harvest along the southern coast neared completion.

The SJV table grape harvest continued as the wine grape harvest was underway. Raisin grapes developed.

Strawberry nurseries in Siskiyou County were prepared for fumigation, while SJV fields were prepared for fall planting.

Nut crops

Shaking and harvesting of Nonpareil almonds continued in the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys, as hull splitting continued and final hull split sprays were applied in later varieties.

Codling moth and husk fly sprays were ongoing in walnut orchards as the crop developed well, though harvest was expected to be one to two weeks later than usual.

Sprays to suppress navel orangeworm were planned for pistachio orchards. Walnut and pecan orchards were also irrigated.

Vegetable crops

Farmers’ markets were at the peak of the summer vegetable season.

Imperial County continued ground preparation for fall vegetables. In Kern County, carrots were harvested. In Tulare County, tomatoes, eggplant, green beans, squash, and assorted peppers were harvested. Some areas prepared for early plantings of winter vegetables.

In Fresno County, summer carrots, melons, garlic, and fresh market and dehydrator onions were harvested. Winter carrots were planted.

In Stanislaus County, the melon harvest was in full swing while the processing tomato harvest began on the west side of the county. San Joaquin County harvested onions and processing tomatoes. Fall tillage and ground preparation for planting continued.

Sutter County reported harvests of vegetables for farmers’ markets. Field work and ground preparation continued. Beans were treated for spider mites and aphids. Tomatoes were treated for stinkbug.