HDR1012000170101205951200WEEKLY WEATHER AND CROP BULLETIN HDR2012000170101205951200NATIONAL WEATHER SUMMARY NOV 26-DEC 2, 95 National Weather Summary Volume 82, No. 49 November 26 - December 2, 1995 For additional information, call (202) 720-7917. Highlights: Near-record to record flooding struck mainland western Washington after an early- to midweek deluge, while less severe flooding affected western Oregon and the northern Rockies. In contrast, a 2-month dry spell persisted in the central and southern Plains, where high winds and oscillating temperatures also hampered wheat establishment. From the Plains westward, more than 150 daily-record highs were tied or set, raising the 3-week total to more than 300. Farther east, a pair of early-week storms left swaths of snow from the Midwest to northern New England and from eastern Kentucky to southern New England. Toward week's end, a jet-stream shift ended the East's month-long cold spell and brought beneficial precipitation to areas as far south as California's Sierra Nevada and Utah's Wasatch Range. Early in the week, a storm traveled from the central Rockies to New England, dragging a strong cold front southward through the Plains. On Sunday, highs reached daily-record levels in Garden City, KS (82 degrees F) and Midland, TX (83 degrees F). Meanwhile, Tucson, AZ registered a 14th consecutive (and final) day of 80-degree heat, breaking their November record. Snow depths along the storm's track reached 10 inches by Tuesday morning in Alpena, MI and Green Bay and Milwaukee, WI. An inch blanketed areas as far south as Aurora, CO and Burlington, IA. Upslope and overrunning conditions deposited an inch of snow on Roswell, NM and dropped light snow on parts of Texas. The storm helped to boost monthly snowfall to 30.8 inches in Lander, WY, 41.7 inches in Houghton Lake, MI, and a November-record 25.7 inches in Muskegon, MI. A low-pressure system formed on the storm's trailing cold front, reinforcing a surge of cold air into the Nation's mid-section. Dodge City, KS recorded a low of 7 degrees F on Tuesday, less than 48 hours after a high of 79 degrees F. A day later, temperatures dipped below zero as far south as Waterloo, IA (-4 degrees F). By Thursday, cold air receded to New England, where Caribou, ME notched a monthly record low of -8 degrees F, eclipsing the mark of -5 degrees F set on November 30, 1989. Temperatures rebounded quickly in the Plains, however, as Dodge City warmed to 67 degrees F by Wednesday and closed the week with a trio of 74-degree highs. Farther east, brief daily-record warmth on Tuesday (65 degrees F in New York City; 64 degrees F in Bridgeport, CT) yielded to midweek snow, including the first accumulations of the season in Philadelphia, PA (1.9 inches), Portland, ME (2.0 inches), and New York City (2.9 inches). The storm bolstered November-record snow totals in New York at Syracuse (34.2 inches), Binghamton (32.8 inches), and Rochester (23.4 inches). Williamsport, PA not only set a November record with 13.8 inches, but surpassed their 1994-95 seasonal total as well. On Tuesday, in advance of the storm, westerly winds gusted to 51 mph in Providence, RI. In the Northwest, weekly rainfall approached 9 inches in Astoria, OR, and topped a foot in the Washington Cascades. Astoria's monthly rainfall of 17.47 inches was a record at the current observing site. In Seattle, WA, the monthly rainfall of 10.40 inches was second only to November 1990's 10.71-inch total. Flooding resulted from a combination of the heavy rain, warmth (enhanced snow-melt runoff), and antecedent wetness (a less serious flood event peaked on November 8), and was most severe in the Puget Sound drainage basin and along a few tributaries of the lower Columbia River. In Washington, all-time record crests were established on the Skagit River at Concrete (13.6 feet above flood stage on November 29; former record set on November 27, 1949) and the Wenatchee River at Peshastin (4.9 feet above flood stage on November 30; former record set on November 25, 1990). Flooding washed out the gauge along the Skykomish River near Gold Bar, preventing comparison with the 1990 record flood. Water rose to within a foot of November 1990 or December 1933 record crests at many other gauging sites, including the Snoqualmie River near Carnation, the Snohomish River at Snohomish, and the Cowlitz River at Castle Rock. Widespread minor to moderate flooding affected western Oregon (including the Williamette and lower Columbia Valleys), northern Idaho (including the Clearwater and Coeur d'Alene Valleys), and northwestern Montana. East of the Washington Cascades on Tuesday, Yakima set a daily-record high (66 degrees F), while Hanford clocked a wind gust to 45 mph. Farther east, more than 100 daily records were set on November 30 and December 1. Brigham City, UT closed out November with their ninth record high of the month, then tallied a December-record high of 66 degrees F the following day. December records were also set in more than a dozen Utah sites, including Salt Lake City (69 degrees F) and Zion National Park (74 degrees F), as well as in Worland, WY (67 degrees F). Record warmth also encompassed the Plains on the strength of west-to-southwesterly winds that on Thursday gusted to 49 mph in Cheyenne, WY and 32 mph in Dodge City. On November 30, daily records included 60 degrees F in Bismarck, ND and 72 degrees F in Grand Island, NE. A day later, records were set in locations such as Billings, MT (65 degrees F) and Pueblo, CO (74 degrees F). Highs on Saturday peaked at 76 degrees F in Tulsa, OK and 83 degrees F in Wichita Falls, TX. In contrast, arctic high pressure began to amass over interior Alaska, lowering the temperature to -38 degrees F in Fairbanks at week's end. Meanwhile, the first showers of the season dampened northern California's Sacramento Valley. Downtown Sacramento, which recorded 0.03 inches of rain on December 1, marked the latest onset date for their seasonal rains, previously set on November 22, 1880. HDR2012000170101205951200NATIONAL AGRI. SUMMARY NOV 27-DEC 3, 95 NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY November 27 - December 3, 1995 HIGHLIGHTS: Continued dry weather and record-high temperatures in the Southwestern States left small grain fields in critical need of moisture. In the central Great Plains, small grain emergence and growth were delayed or suspended by the continued dry conditions. Heavy rains in the Pacific Northwest caused rivers to overflow and some saturated fields to flood. In Florida, mild weather was suitable for the vegetable harvest but left citrus groves in need of moisture. Florida's tangerine harvesting for the holidays was increasing. The winter wheat crop in the 19 major producing States was 93 percent (%) emerged, 3 percentage points behind last year at this time and 1 point behind the average. Wheat condition in most States was good to fair, except in the southern Great Plains where the continued lack of rainfall left many nonirrigated fields in serious need of moisture. Snowfall in parts of Texas brought much-needed moisture to wheat fields. Cotton harvested at 89% complete was up 5 points from last week and 1 point ahead of normal. Cotton harvested in Oklahoma at 79% complete was up 17 points from the previous week. Cotton harvesting was delayed by showers in the Southeast. Cotton harvesting neared completion in California, where harvested fields were shredded and disced for pink bollworm control and program compliance. Snow in central Texas slowed the cotton harvest, but for the State, 78% of the cotton harvest was complete, up 7 points from last week. HDR2012000170101205951200CROP PROGRESS TABLES WK ENDNG DEC 3, 95 The historic data series for crop progress and condition, summarized by crop and State for 1985-95, will be available in January. The historic data series will be available on the Internet through the NASS Home page on the World Wide Web at: "http://www.usda.gov/nass/". For more information call (202) 720-7621. Winter Wheat: Percent Emerged, Cotton: Percent Harvested, Selected States Selected States -------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 1990- :-----------------------: 1990- State:Dec 3, :Nov 26,:Dec 3, : 1994 State:Dec 3, :Nov 26,:Dec 3, : 1994 : 1995 : 1995 : 1994 : Avg. : 1995 : 1995 : 1994 : Avg. -------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- : Percent : Percent : : AR : 98 83 94 90 AL : 98 96 93 95 CA : 25 15 29 30 AZ : 90 85 99 98 CO : 99 98 100 100 AR : 100 100 100 100 GA : 53 37 40 46 CA : 95 90 99 99 ID : 97 94 99 98 GA : 88 85 82 90 IL : 99 98 100 98 LA : 100 100 100 100 IN : 100 99 100 98 MS : 100 100 99 99 KS : 97 96 100 97 MO : 100 98 98 98 MI : 100 100 100 99 NM : 85 74 94 79 MO : 98 93 90 89 NC : 89 79 93 90 MT : 92 91 95 94 OK : 79 62 87 70 NE : 100 100 100 100 SC : 86 75 87 93 NC : 61 56 80 72 TN : 99 94 99 99 OH : 100 100 100 100 TX : 78 71 82 76 OK : 90 87 99 93 : OR : 95 91 95 97 14 Sts: 89 84 90 88 SD : 97 96 100 100 -------------------------------------- TX : 83 81 89 89 These 14 States produced 99% of the WA : 100 98 98 99 1994 cotton crop. : 19 Sts: 93 90 96 94 -------------------------------------- These 19 States produced 92% of the 1994 winter wheat crop. We 1 (12-95) Winter Wheat: Crop Condition by Percent, Selected States -------------------------------------- State : VP : P : F : G : EX -------------------------------------- : Percent : AR : 0 0 0 75 25 CA : 0 0 30 70 0 CO : 3 5 26 60 6 GA : 0 0 16 83 1 ID : 0 0 10 75 15 IL : 2 6 34 54 4 IN : 1 5 31 47 16 KS : 4 20 40 33 3 MI : 1 4 19 58 18 MO : 3 16 49 31 1 MT : 0 2 17 69 12 NE : 0 2 42 54 2 NC : 0 4 32 58 6 OH : 0 1 24 61 14 OK : 2 17 51 30 0 OR : 0 0 4 96 0 SD : 0 2 16 74 8 TX : 6 18 52 22 2 WA : 0 3 18 68 11 : 19 Sts : 3 12 36 44 5 : Prev Wk : 2 11 35 47 5 Prev Yr : NA NA NA NA NA --------------------------------------