HDR1012000170100411951200WEEKLY WEATHER & CROP BULLETIN HDR2012000170100411951200NAT. AGRI. SUMMARY NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY April 3 - 9, 1995 HIGHLIGHTS: Wheat fields in Texas received much-needed moisture from heavy rainfall that also slowed rice and cotton planting. In the Midwest, a widespread storm system, combined with Arctic temperatures, limited field preparation. Some plowing, disking, and fertilizing were completed where drier soils and weather conditions permitted. Winter returned to the northern States as temperatures dropped and removed hope of early-spring planting. Heavy snows in northern Rocky Mountain States brought moisture to dormant small grain fields. Fields remained too wet for planting in the Dakotas and the Great Lakes. Producers delayed Spring planting in the Delta region becuase of wet conditions and in the Southeastern States becuse of dry conditions. Small grains in the Southeast were in a critical stage of growth and needed rain. Fieldwork resumed in California as fields dried, but late-week rains in the northern part of the State slowed progress. Rice fields in California were burned in preparation for planting, while cotton planting in California was behind the 5-year average due to wet fields. Many northern almond orchards were being cleand from the aftermath of March's storms. SMALL GRAINS: The Nation's winter wheat crop was in mostly good to excellent condition. In Washington, weed infestation brought wheat condition down slightly from last week's rating of mostly good to mostly fair. In Oregon, wheat was overseeded with spring wheat where weed infestations were reported. Wheat condition increased slightly in Texas after the much-needed rain. Rust and powdery mildew continued to be a problem for winter wheat in the lower Mississippi Valley. Wheat made good growth in California, but disease problems were reported in some counties. Warm weather put Kansas wheat development ahead of normal. In central Kansas, freeze damage was slight, while greenbugs and speckled leaf blotch were reported as a problem. HDR2012000170100411951200NAT. WEATHER SUMMARY National Weather Summary Volume 82, No. 15 April 2 - 8, 1995 For additional information, call (202) 720-7917. Highlights: Arctic high pressure swept southeast-ward into the Midwest on Monday, reaching the East Coast by midweek. Farther south, thunderstorms rumbled eastward through the Gulf Coast region, while warmth built in the West and spread eastward. Late in the week, precipitation arrived along the West Coast as far south as northern California. At week's end, a narrow, east-west band of locally heavy precipitation fell along a developing warm front from the northern Plains into the Northeast. Between Tuesday and Thursday, about three dozen daily-record lows were set from the northern Plains to the Northeast. On Tuesday, the low of 5 degrees F in Minneapolis, MN came within 3 degrees F of an April record. Ely, MN reported - 6 degrees F. A day later, Caribou, ME (1 degree F) and Worcester, MA (12 degrees F) noted their lowest temperatures for so late in the season. Readings remained below 20 degrees F all day in locations such as St. Johnsbury, VT (high of 19 degrees F). Farther south, blooming peaches in the Middle Atlantic region appeared to escape serious damage, as temperatures associated with the short-lived cold snap fell only to near-critical levels in the middle 20's. Strong winds accompanied the chill, with an April-record gust to 61 mph in Concord, NH on Wednesday. A gust to 45 mph in Wilmington, DE was their highest in April since 1975. Heavy rain developed in the Arklatex region on Monday along the leading edge of the cold air. A day later, thunderstorm activity shifted southward into central and southeastern Texas, where rainfall locally topped 2 inches, and four tornadoes were observed. Palacios, TX netted 6.12 inches on Tuesday. By midweek, rains spread into Florida, where Jacksonville (Naval Air Station) and Ft. Myers measured more than 2 inches of rain. Tornadoes touched down on Thursday near Naples and West Palm Beach. On Monday, Olympia, WA (74 degrees F) was among four stations in the Pacific Northwest to report a daily-record high. A day later, highs topped 70 degrees F as far north as Billings, MT (72 degrees F). Meanwhile in Alaska, Fairbanks recorded a high of 54 degrees F, helping to boost weekly temperatures 11 degrees F above normal. By midweek, warmth shifted into the Desert Southwest, where Lake Havasu City, AZ registered a high of 96 degrees F on April 5 and 6. At week's end, highs rose above 90 degrees F at Childress, TX (94 degrees F) and Altus, OK (91 degrees F). Farther north, however, highs on Saturday remained below freezing in locations such as Williston, ND (30 degrees F) and Glasgow, MT (31 degrees F). In addition, snow blanketed Glasgow to a depth of 12 inches by early Sunday (April 9). Elsewhere, depths reached 5 inches in Great Falls, MT, 2 inches in Pierre, SD, and an inch in Binghamton, NY. Rainfall locally exceeded an inch from the Midwest into the eastern Great Lakes States, easing short-term dryness. Farther south, however, precipitation since March 1 remained at less than 30 percent of normal at many locations, including Augusta, GA, Florence, SC, Charlotte, NC, and Atlantic City, NJ. Due to the dryness and several breezy, low-humidity days, numerous wild fires flourished in the Atlantic Coast States. Dry conditions also persisted in much of Hawaii, where Hilo marked its 12th consecutive week with below-normal rainfall, pushing their year-to-date deficit to more than 25 inches. Significant precipitation in northern California was confined to coastal areas and higher elevations, where nearly 4 inches fell at Blue Canyon on April 6-8. Farther north, totals in excess of 2 inches were confined to areas from the Cascades westward. Heavy snow spread into the Utah's Wasatch Range at week's end. HDR2012000170100411951200CROP PROGRESS Released April 10, 1995, by the Agricultural Statistics Board. Cotton: Percent Planted, Rice: Percent Planted, Selected States Selected States -------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 1990- :-----------------------: 1990- State:Apr 9, :Apr 2, :Apr 9, : 1994 State:Apr 9, :Apr 2, :Apr 9, : 1994 : 1995 : 1995 : 1994 : Avg. : 1995 : 1995 : 1994 : Avg. -------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- AL : 2 NA 2 4 AR : 16 5 5 4 AZ : 32 NA 38 38 CA : 0 0 0 0 AR : 1 NA 0 0 LA : 37 27 39 34 CA : 5 NA 10 21 MS : 26 9 13 8 GA : 2 NA 2 1 TX : 41 20 46 34 LA : 0 NA 0 1 : MS : 2 NA 0 0 5 Sts : 21 11 16 13 MO : 0 NA 0 0 -------------------------------------- NM : 4 NA 0 1 These 5 States produced 96% of the NC : 0 NA 0 0 1994 rice crop. OK : 0 NA 0 0 SC : 1 NA 0 0 TN : 0 NA 0 0 TX : 11 NA 15 11 : 14 Sts: 6 NA 8 8 -------------------------------------- These 14 States produced 99% of the 1994 cotton crop. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ For information call (202) 720-7621. Office hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET. We 1 (4-95) HDR2012000170100411951200CROP CONDITION Winter Wheat: Crop Condition by Percent, Selected States -------------------------------------- State : VP : P : F : G : EX -------------------------------------- AR : 0 2 23 53 22 CA : 0 0 25 45 30 CO : 3 10 29 48 10 GA : 3 7 49 39 2 ID : 0 0 12 64 24 IL : 0 1 9 62 28 IN : 0 1 15 68 16 KS : 0 0 15 73 12 MI : 0 3 19 45 33 MO : 0 0 34 60 6 MT : 1 7 31 39 22 NE : 0 0 22 68 10 NC : 0 0 14 83 3 OH : 0 3 19 55 23 OK : 0 4 19 67 10 OR : 5 17 47 30 1 SD : 0 1 27 60 12 TX : 5 9 49 32 5 WA : 7 11 40 39 3 : 19 Sts : 1 4 26 57 12 : Prev Wk : 1 4 25 57 13 Prev Yr : 1 6 41 48 4 ----------------------------------------