AccuWeather forecasters warn about the potential for rainfall to 'quickly escalate' flood threat in storm-weary areas. Get the details. Chevron right

Ashburn, VA

90° F
Location Chevron down
Location News Videos
Use Current Location
Recent

Ashburn

Virginia

90°
No results found.
Try searching for a city, zip code or point of interest.
settings
Ashburn, VA Weather
Today WinterCast Local {stormName} Tracker Hourly Daily Radar MinuteCast Monthly Air Quality Health & Activities

Around the Globe

Hurricane Tracker

Severe Weather

Radar & Maps

News

News & Features

Astronomy

Business

Climate

Health

Recreation

Sports

Travel

Video

Podcasts

Winter Center

News & Features AccuWeather Prime Astronomy Business Climate Health Recreation Sports Travel
Areal Flood Watch

News / Business

Calif. farmer says worsening drought could have big impacts on consumers

As fields continue to dry up and farms go out of production, one farmer said the current situation is turning into the absolute “last case scenario” — and the impacts could be felt across the country.

By John Murphy, AccuWeather staff writer

Published Jul. 11, 2022 3:34 PM EDT | Updated Jul. 12, 2022 10:32 AM EDT

Copied
Watch now

Farmers in California’s Central Valley say water for irrigation is tough to get now, and more fields could go bare by next summer.

As much of the Western United States suffers from drought and cities turn to water restrictions to help conserve water, farmers in California are becoming increasingly worried about how it will impact consumers around the country.

Fresno County Farm Bureau CEO Ryan Jacobsen's farmers in California's Central Valley are preparing to harvest almonds in an area that produces about 80 percent of the state's supply.

“Fresno County is the number one agriculture county in the U.S., we grow 350 to 400 different crops. That is unheard of in most places throughout the world," Jacobsen told AccuWeather's Bill Waddell.

Jacobsen is a fourth-generation farmer on both sides of his family, meaning he and his ancestors have seen many good and bad years for harvesting. The future of growing the country's produce in California is in jeopardy as drought conditions worsen and water restrictions remain, making it harder for farmers to irrigate.

"Hundreds of thousands of acres of farmland have been fallowed across California. Some farmers say even more fields could go dry and out of production by next year," said Jacobsen.

GET THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP

  •  Have the app? Unlock AccuWeather Alerts™ with Premium+

As fields continue to dry up and farms go out of production, Jacobsen said the current situation is turning into the absolute "last case scenario."

"You’re talking about a multi-year, multi-decade investment that, unfortunately, because of the water rules of California, have put us into this scenario," said Jacobsen.

Those that remain in operation will still feel the effects of the worsening drought conditions, which are causing crops to be smaller than average. With crops getting smaller and grocery prices climbing, it is becoming more necessary than ever to help conserve water. Jacobsen urged families across the West to conserve water at home, so more farmers can continue growing food for the state.

"This does affect everybody in this nation. Because California produces in the neighborhood of about two-thirds of the nation's fruits, about one-third of its vegetables,” said Jacobsen.

While the farmers in California's Central Valley have access to some of the most technologically advanced systems in the world for water savings, none of it can come to fruition if there is a lack of the basic input of water.

"It doesn’t matter how much technology you have, you can’t grow these crops," said Jacobsen.

The continued drought in California was amplified during the 2021 water year, which runs from October to May. During this period, several locations in California had one of the top 10 driest water years on record, according to the National Weather Service. Downtown Sacramento and Stockton both received less than 8 inches of rain during this period.

Many areas in central California are still in an exceptional drought as of July 7. About 60% of the entire state is under at least an extreme drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

The National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center released a seasonal outlook that predicted drought conditions are expected to persist in most of California until at least the end of September.

Reporting by Bill Waddell.

Related:

New drone footage shows dire state of the Great Salt Lake
Drought and triple-digit temperatures result in disaster for farmers
The most recognizable climate visualization began with a baby blanket

Want next-level safety, ad-free? Unlock advanced, hyperlocal severe weather alerts when you subscribe to Premium+ on the AccuWeather app. AccuWeather Alerts™ are prompted by our expert meteorologists who monitor and analyze dangerous weather risks 24/7 to keep you and your family safer.

Report a Typo

Weather News

Weather News

2 soldiers killed, 3 injured in 'weather-related incident' in Georgia

Aug. 10, 2022
Severe Weather

Deadly flooding after summer’s worth of rain deluges Seoul in 48 hours

Aug. 10, 2022
Severe Weather

Recent lightning deaths underscore how dangerous thunderstorms can be

Aug. 9, 2022
Astronomy

Final supermoon of 2022 to rise this week

Aug. 9, 2022
Weather Forecasts

Southeast reprieve from steamy air to come at cost

Aug. 10, 2022
Weather News

Forest lookout with 'comforting voice' killed in raging McKinney Fire

Aug. 10, 2022
Weather News

Lightning survivor marks recovery with a permanent reminder

Aug. 9, 2022
Recreation

Level up your barbecue game this summer with these gas grills

Jul. 15, 2022
Recreation

Why a zero-gravity chair is what you should add to your yard this year

Jul. 19, 2022
Weather News

Death Valley roads ripped apart during ‘once in a 1,000-year’ flood

Aug. 8, 2022
Show More Show Less Chevron down

Topics

News & Features

AccuWeather Prime

Astronomy

Business

Climate

Health

Recreation

Sports

Travel

Top Stories

Severe Weather

Doctor calls survivor in DC lightning blast ‘absolute miracle’

5 hours ago

Weather News

Heat, drought brings river low enough for people to walk across

23 hours ago

Weather Forecasts

Heat relief: Dramatic cooldown to bring taste of fall to East Coast

1 hour ago

Weather News

Massive landspout filmed as it whirls across field

2 hours ago

Severe Weather

Rainfall may ‘quickly escalate’ into serious flood concern

8 hours ago

More Stories

Featured Topic

Local Arthritis Forecast

Featured Stories

Explore this hurricane-beaten ghost town where time has all but stoppe... Webb space telescope glimpses most distant star known to exist The tools you need to maintain your garden through the rest of summer
AccuWeather Business Calif. farmer says worsening drought could have big impacts on consumers
Company
Proven Superior Accuracy About AccuWeather Digital Advertising Careers Press Contact Us
Products & Services
For Business For Partners For Advertising AccuWeather APIs Podcast RealFeel® and RealFeel Shade™
Apps & Downloads
iPhone App Android App See all Apps & Downloads
Subscription Services
AccuWeather Premium AccuWeather Professional
More
AccuWeather Shop AccuWeather Ready Business Health Hurricane Leisure and Recreation Severe Weather Space and Astronomy Sports Travel Weather News Weather Blogs Winter Weather
Company
Proven Superior Accuracy About AccuWeather Digital Advertising Careers Press Contact Us
Products & Services
For Business For Partners For Advertising AccuWeather APIs Podcast RealFeel® and RealFeel Shade™
Apps & Downloads
iPhone App Android App See all Apps & Downloads
Subscription Services
AccuWeather Premium AccuWeather Professional
More
AccuWeather Shop AccuWeather Ready Business Health Hurricane Leisure and Recreation Severe Weather Space and Astronomy Sports Travel Weather News Weather Blogs Winter Weather
© 2021 AccuWeather, Inc. "AccuWeather" and sun design are registered trademarks of AccuWeather, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy | TAG Disclosure | Do Not Sell My Data checkmark Confirmed Not Selling Your Data

We have updated our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy.

I Understand

Get AccuWeather alerts as they happen with our browser notifications.

Notifications Enabled

Thanks! We’ll keep you informed.

FEEDBACK