HDR1012000170100124951200WEEKLY WEATHER & CROP BULLETIN HDR2012000170100124951200NAT. AGRI. SUMMARY NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY January 16 - 22, 1995 HIGHLIGHTS: Mild weather early in the week gave way to wintry weather that restored the snow cover for winter wheat in the Mississippi and Ohio Valleys. The snow cover for winter wheat ranged from 2 to 15 inches in Iowa. Winter wheat condition in Montana remained mostly fair to good with little wind damage reported despite the meager snow cover. The added snow improved wheat prospect in North Dakota, while South Dakota wheat farmers remained concerned for the lack of snow cover. Mild weather and sparse snow accumulation in the Northern States have stretched hay supplies and have made this year a relatively easy one for livestock. California's small grain fields were drying after last week's storm, but some low-lying fields were yellowing. Continued mild weather in Texas brought the cotton harvest to a close, and many producers were shredding stalks and plowing fields. Warmer weather in the Texas plains triggered wheat growth in spite of a need for more moisture. In central Texas, rust and yellowing continued to cause producers concern, while south Texas reported that the warm weather had caused weeds to grow rapidly. Above-normal temperatures brought the threat of wheat valleys prematurely across the Southern States. Wheat has yellowed in Arkansas, but was still reported in good condition. Fieldwork was limited by heavy rains and saturated fields across the Delta States. HDR2012000170100124951200NAT. WEATHER SUMMARY National Weather Summary Volume 82, No. 4 January 15 - 21, 1995 For additional information, call (202) 720-7917. HIGHLIGHTS: A series of disturbances crossed the Nation, promoting stormy, cooler weather. Normalcy returned to California, however, where dry weather prevailed at midweek and weekly precipitation totaled less than 1 inch except in the Sierra Nevada, the southern Cascades, and along the central coast. Warmth persisted in the Northeast early in the week, resulting in nearly 50 daily records. On Sunday, January records were set in Massena, NY (67 degrees F) and Burlington, VT (66 degrees F). With 53 degrees F, Caribou, ME also set a January-record high, only 4 days after a January-record low of -33 degrees F. Daily records were shattered by 17 degrees F at Massena and by 14 degrees F at Montpelier, VT. The "January Thaw" continued on Monday, as St. Johnsbury, VT tied a January record with 63 degrees F. Burlington (63 degrees F) topped its daily record for January 17 by 16 degrees F. A day later, Providence, RI bagged its fifth consecutive daily-record high. A dose of warmth also covered the High Plains, where Liberal, KS tied a daily record on Monday with 72 degrees F. Favorably cooler weather overspread winter wheat areas of the central/southern Plains and the lower Ohio Valley after midweek. Winter wheat areas of the Pacific Northwest were briefly covered by up to 2 inches of snow at midweek, but heavier precipitation was confined to areas west of the Cascades, where Quillayute, WA measured 3.20 inches of rain during the week. Snowmelt and heavy rain caused flooding in northern New England. Caribou saw 25 inches of its 35-inch snow cover disappear during the 48-hour period ending on Tuesday morning. In addition, 2.35 inches of precipitation fell on January 16-17, including a January single-day record of 1.58 inches on Monday. Meanwhile, heavy snow blanketed a swath from Utah to North Dakota. In the Wasatch Range at Alta, UT (elevation 8,600 feet), 99.7 inches of snow (liquid equivalent of 6.11 inches) fell in less than 72 hours on January 15-17. Williston, ND set January 24-hour records for snowfall (12.6 inches) and precipitation (0.77 inches) on January 15-16. The storm covered formerly bare ground with 11 inches of snow in Red Lodge, MT and 8 inches in Chadron, NE. Cold air trailed the system, dropping the temperature at Flagstaff, AZ to a daily record of -8 degrees F on Wednesday. By midweek, heavy rain blossomed in conjunction with a developing storm in the western Gulf Coast States. Tupelo, MS set a rainfall record for January 18 with 1.63 inches. A storm total of 2.62 inches soaked Shreveport, LA. A dozen tornadoes swept across the Southeastern States, including six in Louisiana on Wednesday and four in Georgia on Thursday. Farther north, a stripe of heavy snow buried areas from eastern Oklahoma to southern Wisconsin. With 19.7 inches on January 18-19, Columbia, MO endured its heaviest 24-hour snowfall on record. Madison, WI set a January single-day snowfall record with 12.6 inches on Thursday. Other storm totals included 15.1 inches in Moline, IL, 14.4 inches in Springfield, MO, and 1.8 inches in Lubbock, TX. Toward week's end, the system lifted into the Northeast and stalled, delivering additional heavy rain and introducing lake-enhanced snow. Daily-record rainfall records were set on Friday in Wilmington, DE (1.39 inches) and New York (Central Park), NY (1.35 inches). By week's end, snow accumulated to a depth of 10 inches in Mansfield, OH and 8 inches in Flint, MI. Although cooler air gradually swirled into the Northeast, Albany, NY ended the week with a 9-day freeze-free streak intact. Yet another storm emerged from the Southwest on Saturday, spreading snow across Texas' northern panhandle and Oklahoma. By Sunday morning, snow depths included 4 inches in Dalhart, TX and 3 inches in Enid, OK. McAlester, OK received its second 2-inch, or greater, snowfall in 4 days. Outside of the contiguous United States, only light rain fell in Hawaii, prolonging the 3-month dry spell in most areas. Warmth overtook Alaska, with weekly temperatures up to 10 degrees F above normal across the south. Warm weather also prevailed in Puerto Rico, where San Juan logged a daily record of 91 degrees F on Saturday.