It has been assumed that because of an early warm weather season and lack of precipitation, farmers who are Virginia farm insurance policyholders would be greatly affected and potentially need to file claims for losses in 2012. However, recent pictures from a NASA satellite may indicate otherwise.

Richmond's CBS affiliate, WTVR, reported that the photo taken April 7 from the Aqua satellite over the Eastern Seaboard shows greening across most of the state. The picture revealed lush vegetation throughout Virginia, particularly in the Piedmont region.

The regions that the Appalachian Mountain chain runs through, however, appear mostly brown, according to WTVR, due to lower temperatures experienced at high elevations, which can stall tree blooming. Parts of Virginia close to the Atlantic appear tan, which NASA experts told the source was due to agricultural areas marked by fields that experience planting in late spring.

Delmarva.com reported fire risks and hard, dry soil in the Tri-State area, and suggested that it could greatly affect spring planting schedules. Farmers told the source that a persistent lack of rain could have resulted in less harvests and a hostile environment for plants and trees to bloom.