2.3 North America

Crop condition was generally below average in the south of the North American MPZ, at a time (October to January) when summer crops have been harvested and winter crops have been planted and reached over-wintering stage.

Dry weather was reported in the MPZ as a whole, with the RAIN CropWatch agroclimatic indicators  9% below average.  Both temperature and RADPAR were average. Similar to the whole MPZ, the United States were also dominanted by dry weather (RAIN was 9% below average), while wet and cold weather was recorded in Canada where RAIN was up 18% above the average. Temperature fluctuated significantly, in particular in the Northern Plains, where abnormally low-temperature occurring at the beginning of November (9℃ below average in the Northern Plains), followed by higher than average temperature (a 7℃ positive departure) in the middle of December and  a cold peak (10℃ below the average) during late of December. Dry weather and significant variation of temperature resulted in BIOMSS being 3% below the average. 

Predominantly dry weather was recorded in the Cotton Belt to the Mexican Nordeste area (MRU-16), the West Coast  (MRU-14), and south-western United States and N. Mexican highlands (MRU-18): RAIN was 29%, 28% and 13% below average, respectively. RADPAR was average and stayed in the  -1% to +1% range. Warm weather was recorded in MRU-18 (United States and N. Mexican highlands) with temperature 1.1℃ above the average. Moist weather was recorded in British Columbia to Colorado (MRU-C11), and the Northern Great Plains (MRU-C12), with rain departures of  +21% and +24%, respectively, average TEMP and RADPAR 4% below the average. 

Dry weather caused the decrease of the potential biomass accumulation index below average in the south of the North American MPZ. BIOMASS was 14%, 10% and 13% below the average, respectively, in the Cotton Belt to Mexican Nordeste, West Coast (North American), and SW U.S. and N. Mexican highlands. 

Production prospects are currently mixed; the North American MPZ needs further monitoring.

Figure 2.2a North America MPZ spatial distribution of rainfall profiles (left) and profiles of rainfall departure from average (mm) (right), October 2017-January 2018

Figure 2.2b. North America MPZ spatial distribution of temperature profiles (left) and profiles of temperature departure from average (℃) (right), October 2017-January 2018

Figure 2.2c. North America MPZ maximum VCI, October 2017-January 2018

Figure 2.2d. North America MPZ cropped and uncropped arable land, October 2017-January 2018

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