HDR1012000170100502951200WEEKLY WEATHER AND CROP BULLETIN HDR2012000170100502951200NAT'L WEATHER SUMMARY APR 23-29, 1995 National Weather Summary Volume 82, No. 18 April 23 - 29, 1995 For additional information, call (202) 720-7917. Highlights: A west-to-east procession of storms brought cool, unsettled weather to the northern Plains and the Corn Belt, further delaying planting progress. The main storm track remained north of the Mississippi Delta, allowing the region to recover from last week's deluge. Farther west, very cool air trailed each storm into the Plains, causing possible additional damage to the winter wheat crop. Toward week's end, a late-season shot of precipitation overspread northern California. Early in the week,a storm system traveled from the Tennessee Valley to the East Coast. Near the storm's center, wet snow fell in the central Appalachians, and highs only reached 52 degrees F in Paducah, KY (on Sunday) and 50 degrees F in Washington, DC (on Monday). Much-needed rain dampened the Mid-Atlantic region, but dryness persisted in coastal and piedmont sections of the Southern Atlantic States. A half-dozen tornadoes touched down in the Southeast on Sunday and Monday, including four in Florida. Meanwhile, another disturbance approached the Pacific Northwest,in advance of which daily-record highs were set on Sunday in Quillayute, WA (71 degrees F) and Portland, OR (79 degrees F). Between storms, cool air settled across the Plains, where daily-records were set on Sunday in Pueblo, CO (21 degrees F) and Midland, TX (33 degrees F). A day later,lows of 34 degrees F in Abilene and 35 degrees F in San Angelo were among the dozen daily-record lows tied or broken in Texas. By week's end, however, temperatures soared to 95 degrees F as far north as San Angelo. Wednesday morning, Lander, WY, en route to an April snowfall total of 28.3 inches, reported a fresh 6-inch cover. Farther east, midweek rainfall totaled in excess of an inch from Iowa to Michigan. In the wake of the storm, cold air again covered the Plains on Thursday morning. Daily-record lows included 26 degrees F in Kearney, NE, and 30 degrees F in Amarillo, TX and Concordia, KS. Amarillo's freeze occurred 13 days after their average last freeze; historically there is only a 10-percent chance of a freeze after April 30. Precipitation arrived in the Northwest on Thursday,expanding to encompass areas as far east as the Ohio Valley by week's end. Local totals topped 4 inches in the southern Cascades and the Sierra Nevada, while thunderstorms locally dumped more than 2 inches from the Kansas-Oklahoma border to the Ozark Plateau. Snow returned to the Intermountain West, where Alta, UT reported 6 inches on Saturday. In Montana, depths by Sunday morning (April 30) included 4 inches in Browning and 2 inches in Billings and Butte. In Barrow, AK,where weekly temperatures averaged 21 degrees F above normal, the mercury reached the freezing mark on Sunday for the first time since September 29, 1994. And in Hawaii, locally heavy rain eased long-term dryness. Hilo, HI collected 3.86 inches representing more than 20 percent of their observed year- to-date total. HDR2012000170100502951200NAT'L AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY APR 24-30, 1995 NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY April 24 - 30, 1995 HIGHLIGHTS: Surplus soil moisture and cool weather in the Midwest limited fieldwork and delayed corn planting. Cooler-than-normal weather in Illinois raised farmers' concern about late plantings and disease problems in wheat. Some yellowing of wheat fields was reported in Midwestern saturated fields. In Iowa, surplus soil conditions and cold weather left fewer than 2 days suitable for fieldwork, leaving seedbed preparation behind the average. Fieldwork in North Dakota, normally starting by mid-April, has fallen 2 weeks behind schedule. Small grain planting in North Dakota was just starting in isolated areas. In the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys, cool, wet weather slowed fieldwork, but brought favorable moisture for corn germination and growth. Heavy rainfall in Arkansas required some cotton fields to be replanted. In California, field activities slowly resumed until the late-week rainfall slowed progress. Emerged cotton fields showed good growth and development, but replanting was underway where low soil temperatures caused poor germination. Scattered rains in the Southeastern States brought much-needed moisture, but some dry areas remained. Despite low soil temperatures, spring wheat farmers in the Northern States were forced to plant oats and other crops so they would not miss the planting season altogether. SMALL GRAINS: The Nation's winter wheat crop was in mostly good to fair condition. Damage from past freezing temperatures continued to be evaluated. Wheat progress in Kansas was well ahead of normal, with wheat jointing at 99(%) percent, 17 percentage points ahead of the 5-year average. Northern Kansas experienced freezing temperatures on April 27 with potential damage to winter wheat. Previous cold weather damaged wheat stands in southwestern Kansas. Freeze damage is heaviest in southwestern Kansas where 39% of the acreage sustained moderate damage and 35% sustained severe damage. Foliar diseases were reported in eastern Kansas, while light to moderate greenbug problems were reported in southwestern Kansas. Rust and other wheat diseases were reported in the lower Mississippi Valley. A late frost in Ohio damaged the tips of wheat, and some wheat leaves were yellowing from too much moisture. Low temperatures in the Texas High Plains may have caused additional damage to the already weakened wheat crop. Scattered rainfall came too late to provide much benefit for some Texas wheat fields, where windy conditions caused soil drying. Wheat rated as good to excellent in California fell by 10 points, from 70% last week to 60% this week. High winds caused some lodging of wheat in California. Wheat headed in the 19 major producing States was 23% complete, up 9 points from last week and 1 point ahead of the average. Wheat headed in Arkansas was 32 points ahead of the average. Spring wheat seeding was 14% complete, up 9 points from last week but 35 points below the average. Saturated fields and low soil temperatures blocked farmers from planting in the Dakotas. Some producers were considering switching from small grains to late-season row crops. North Dakota producers were 34 points behind the seeding average. FIELD CROPS: Corn planted was 10% complete for the 17 major producing States, 28 points behind last year and 13 points below the average. Illinois and Iowa are 18 and 20 points behind the average, respectively. Corn planting in Indiana was 5% complete, up 2 points from last week and 11 points behind the average. Cold, wet soil continued to leave the Corn Belt States behind the average for corn planting. Cold temperatures in Texas early in the week slowed corn development, with some disease problems reported. Cotton planting was 25% complete up 7 points from last week and 5 points behind the average for the Nation. California cotton planting increased 20 points from last week, but remained below the average by 35 points. Arizona cotton planting was 80% complete, up 15 points from last week. As weather conditions permitted, Texas cotton planting progressed to 19% complete,up 4 points from last week and equal to the average. In Louisiana, rains compacted the soil in some areas to the extent that cotton cannot emerge. Most cotton cropland preparation has been completed in the Texas Plains. Sorghum planting was 20% complete for the 12 major producing States up 2 points from last week and 1 point below the average. Planting was delayed by rains in Louisiana, at 26% complete, up 2 points but behind the average by 19 points. Grain sorghum planting continued but only in the Texas Plains. Seedling disease and surplus moisture has caused some weak stands in central Texas. Rice seeding was 57% complete,15 points ahead of the average for the five major producing States. California was 6 points behind the average. Mississippi rice planting was 80% complete, up 10 points from last week and 39 points ahead of the average. Arkansas rice planting was 63% complete, up 8 points from last week and 27 points ahead of the average. Rice headed in the five major producing States was 35% complete, 1 point ahead of the average. Rice was 50% emerged in Mississippi, 25 points ahead of the average. Rice planting was winding down in Texas, where producers continued to flush emerged fields. HDR2012000170100502951200CROP PROGRESS WK ENDING APR 30, 1995 Corn: Percent Planted, Winter Wheat: Percent Headed, Selected States Selected States -------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 1990- :-----------------------: 1990- State:Apr 30,:Apr 23,:Apr 30,: 1994 State:Apr 30,:Apr 23,:Apr 30,: 1994 : 1995 : 1995 : 1994 : Avg. : 1995 : 1995 : 1994 : Avg. -------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- : Percent : Percent : : CO : 8 3 26 25 AR : 91 71 68 59 GA : 96 93 98 95 CA : 95 90 96 92 IL : 8 5 40 26 CO : 0 0 0 0 IN : 5 3 31 16 GA : 96 85 98 91 IA : 2 0 59 22 ID : 0 0 0 0 KS : 17 10 47 43 IL : 2 0 0 1 KY : 60 53 39 34 IN : 2 0 0 0 MI : 1 0 9 5 KS : 6 1 4 9 MN : 2 0 29 15 MI : 0 0 0 0 MO : 26 25 45 32 MO : 19 6 3 6 NE : 3 1 29 20 MT : 0 0 0 0 NC : 86 66 74 75 NE : 0 0 0 0 OH : 7 3 42 19 NC : 68 43 50 57 PA : 10 3 9 7 OH : 0 0 0 0 SD : 0 0 10 5 OK : 63 33 56 55 TX : 75 60 75 80 OR : 0 0 0 0 WI : 0 0 14 6 SD : 0 0 0 0 : TX : 46 30 43 47 17 Sts: 10 7 38 23 WA : 0 0 0 0 -------------------------------------- : These 17 States produced 91% of the 19 Sts: 23 14 20 22 1994 corn crop. -------------------------------------- These 19 States produced 92% of the 1994 winter wheat crop. Cotton: Percent Planted, Spring Wheat: Percent Planted, Selected States Selected States -------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 1990- :-----------------------: 1990- State:Apr 30,:Apr 23,:Apr 30,: 1994 State:Apr 30,:Apr 23,:Apr 30,: 1994 : 1995 : 1995 : 1994 : Avg. : 1995 : 1995 : 1994 : Avg. -------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- : Percent : Percent : : AL : 51 36 44 49 ID : 81 65 86 79 AZ : 80 65 86 76 MN : 3 0 35 51 AR : 8 7 37 16 MT : 44 14 47 55 CA : 50 30 88 85 ND : 2 0 16 36 GA : 38 22 43 26 SD : 6 1 70 80 LA : 21 16 72 45 : MS : 27 21 73 33 5 Sts : 14 5 34 49 MO : 5 3 10 8 -------------------------------------- NM : 39 24 57 57 These 5 States produced 98% of the NC : 22 13 20 20 1994 spring wheat crop. OK : 4 3 3 2 SC : 24 12 44 28 TN : 15 10 9 9 Rice: Percent Planted, TX : 19 15 23 19 Selected States : -------------------------------------- 14 Sts: 25 18 40 30 : Week Ending : -------------------------------------- :-----------------------: 1990- These 14 States produced 99% of the State:Apr 30,:Apr 23,:Apr 30,: 1994 1994 cotton crop. : 1995 : 1995 : 1994 : Avg. -------------------------------------- : Percent Sorghum: Percent Planted, : Selected States AR : 63 55 62 36 -------------------------------------- CA : 1 0 13 7 : Week Ending : LA : 67 64 70 68 :-----------------------: 1990- MS : 80 70 93 41 State:Apr 30,:Apr 23,:Apr 30,: 1994 TX : 70 60 76 71 : 1995 : 1995 : 1994 : Avg. : -------------------------------------- 5 Sts : 57 50 61 42 : Percent -------------------------------------- : These 5 States produced 96% of the AR : 42 32 53 35 1994 rice crop. CO : 0 0 0 1 IL : 0 0 0 0 KS : 0 0 0 1 LA : 26 24 42 45 MS : 47 44 65 42 MO : 8 7 6 6 NE : 0 0 0 0 NM : 0 0 0 5 OK : 6 3 6 6 SD : 0 0 0 0 TX : 59 54 68 62 : 12 Sts: 20 18 23 21 -------------------------------------- These 12 States produced 98% of the 1994 sorghum crop. Rice: Percent Emerged, Selected States -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 1990- State:Apr 30,:Apr 23,:Apr 30,: 1994 : 1995 : 1995 : 1994 : Avg. -------------------------------------- : Percent : AR : 33 13 62 36 CA : 0 0 0 0 LA : 55 46 58 54 MS : 50 47 64 25 TX : 45 40 33 41 : 5 Sts : 35 24 49 34 -------------------------------------- These 5 States produced 96% of the 1994 rice crop. HDR2012000170100502951200CROP CONDITION BY PCT SEL STS Winter Wheat: Crop Condition by Percent, Selected States -------------------------------------- State : VP : P : F : G : EX -------------------------------------- : Percent : AR : 0 2 24 60 14 CA : 0 0 40 35 25 CO : 3 8 21 52 16 GA : 0 20 49 31 0 ID : 0 2 25 60 13 IL : 0 0 6 72 22 IN : 0 1 12 70 17 KS : 6 11 28 43 12 MI : 1 4 20 47 28 MO : 1 8 28 54 9 MT : 1 5 52 37 5 NE : 0 1 20 69 10 NC : 1 10 54 33 2 OH : 0 3 19 53 25 OK : 9 6 24 55 6 OR : 3 13 34 39 11 SD : 0 2 21 67 10 TX : 15 20 33 26 6 WA : 2 5 23 63 7 : 19 Sts : 5 9 27 48 11 : Prev Wk : 4 9 27 48 12 Prev Yr : 1 11 38 45 5 --------------------------------------