HDR1012000170101008961200WEEKLY WEATHER & CROP BULLETIN Released October 8, 1996, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, U.S. Department of Agriculture. For information on "Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin" call Greg Preston at (202) 720-7621, office hours 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET. For assistance with general agricultural statistics, information about NASS, its products or services, contact the NASS Information Hotline at 1-800-727-9540 or E-mail: NASS@NASS.USDA.GOV. NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY September 30 - October 6, 1996 HIGHLIGHTS: A killing frost ended the growing season in parts of the northern Corn Belt. Low temperatures on October 3 lasted long enough to stop crop growth but accelerated the dry down of row crops. The later-than-normal development of late-planted fields increased their vulnerability to frost damage, but minimal damage was reported over most of the Corn Belt. Some fields of late-planted row crops in the Great Lakes region endured the first frost of the season before reaching maturity. Soybean producers with mature fields welcomed the frost, but corn growers hurried to harvest immature corn for silage since the frost reduced moisture levels. Cool, wet weather in the Southeast slowed harvest activity and fieldwork. Dry weather in the middle Mississippi Valley allowed producers to resume harvest activity. The winter wheat crop in the 19 major producing States was 54 percent (%) planted, up 21 points from last week but 7 percentage points behind the 5-year average. Planting progress in Kansas, at 55% complete, increased 35 points from last week, but remained 13 points behind the average. Farmers in Missouri took advantage of fair weather to continue wheat seeding at a normal pace. Planting progress in Nebraska, at 88% complete, increased 32 points from last week, but remained 6 points behind the average. Nebraska wheat growers were concerned that earlier delays to seeding due to wet fields will leave plants with insufficient growth before entering winter dormancy. Wheat producers in Texas treated emerged fields for armyworms. Winter wheat emerged for the major producing States was 28% complete, up 10 points from last week but 6 points behind the average. Corn condition in the 17 major producing States at 65% good to excellent was unchanged from last week. Frost damage was minimal in the eastern Corn Belt. Corn mature at 80% complete was up 24 points from last week but 4 points behind the average. In Minnesota, corn mature at 87% complete was up 44 points from the previous week and 16 points ahead of the average. The moisture content of corn in Minnesota was 31%, compared with 28% for the average moisture content. Corn harvested at 14% complete was up 5 points from last week but 10 points behind normal. Cotton condition was 57 percent good to excellent in the 14 major producing States, down 4 points from last week. Cotton bolls opening was 83% complete, up 6 points from last week and 5 points ahead of the average for the Nation. Cotton acreage harvested was estimated at 25%, up 7 points from last week. Rainy weather associated with Hurricane Josephine slowed harvest activity in the Southeast and Gulf Coast States. Cool weather slowed defoliation of late-planted cotton fields in the southern Great Plains. Cotton condition continued to decline in Georgia due to high winds and heavy rain. Sorghum condition, with 74% of the crop rated good to excellent, was unchanged from last week. Sorghum acreage mature, at 76%, was up 14 points from last week and 4 points ahead of the average. Sorghum harvested, at 32% complete, was up 6 points from the previous week but 8 points below the average. In Missouri, sorghum harvested at 31% complete was up 16 points from last week. Rice harvest reached 84% complete, up 10 points from last week and 8 points ahead of the average. Harvest activity in California at 45% complete was up 20 points from the previous week and 6 points ahead of normal. Harvested rice fields in California had stubble burned or chopped and disced. Lodging in some rice fields was reported in Arkansas. Soybean condition rated 59% good to excellent, up 2 points from last week. Soybeans dropping leaves, at 75% complete, was up 19 points from last week but 8 points behind the average. Soybean acreage harvested, at 17%, was up 13 points from last week but 14 points less than the average. Iowa's soybean harvest, at 22% complete, was up 21 points from the previous week, but 11 points behind normal. The soybean harvest remained behind schedule across the Ohio and middle Mississippi Valley, where minimal frost damage was reported. National Weather Summary Volume 83, No. 40 September 29 - October 5, 1996 For additional information, call (202) 720-7917. Highlights: Sub-freezing temperatures ended the growing season from the northern Corn Belt to New England, as a strong high-pressure system traversed the region on October 3-5. Some late-planted corn and soybeans from Wisconsin to Michigan sustained damage, but late-developing fields from Illinois to Ohio were spared the freeze. Prior to the cold snap, several warm, dry days hastened late-planted Midwestern crops toward maturity. Farther west, very warm, dry weather prevailed, with temperature departures reaching +10 degrees F in Idaho. An upper-level disturbance crossing the Four Corners States sparked thunderstorms after midweek. Elsewhere, clouds and showers lingered across the Southeast for much of the week. Persistent easterly winds and heavy rain buffeted the southern Atlantic Coast. At week's end, a tropical depression (later Tropical Storm Josephine) formed in the western Gulf of Mexico, enhancing winds and rainfall north of its center. Extremely heavy rain struck southern Texas, while coastal flooding developed along the central and western Gulf Coast. Early in the week, warm weather continued in the West and briefly overspread much of the remainder of the Nation. On Sunday, Yakima, WA (86 degrees F) and Klamath Falls, OR (87 degrees F) notched daily-record highs. A day later, September ended with a daily record in LaCrosse, WI (87 degrees F). However, a strong cold front edged into the northern Plains on Tuesday and punched southward into Texas at midweek. The growing season ended on Wednesday in North Dakota; a day later, a freeze blanketed eastern South Dakota, northern Iowa, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. On October 4, the chill closed out the growing season in Michigan and from central Pennsylvania to New England. Daily-record lows were set at more than a dozen locations. On Thursday, lows in Minnesota dipped to 20 degrees F in St. Cloud and 26 degrees F in Minneapolis. Allentown, PA tallied their first of three consecutive daily-record lows (29, 31, and 31 degrees F) on October 4. In Michigan, daily records on Friday included 27 degrees F in Flint, 28 degrees F in Jackson, and 30 degrees F in Muskegon. The high-pressure system responsible for the chill settled over New York on Saturday morning, producing the third-highest October barometric reading on record in Albany (30.74 inches) and second-highest in Binghamton (30.67 inches). Saranac Lake, NY recorded lows of 18 degrees F on Friday and Saturday. In Idaho, meanwhile, Boise's high on Friday reached a daily-record-tying 88 degrees F. More than 5 inches of rain fell during the week in Daytona Beach, FL, including a daily-record total of 3.51 inches on Thursday. Weekly totals topped 2 inches as far north as Greensboro, NC, although drier air invaded the region (except Florida) after midweek. On Friday, a persistent rain band (associated with the developing tropical system) parked over extreme southern Texas. A 9.09-inch deluge in Brownsville represented their wettest October day on record and fifth wettest day all-time. At week's end, showers returned to the Gulf Coast, accompanied by gale-force winds and coastal flooding. Generally dry weather prevailed elsewhere; only the Four Corners region and the Pacific Northwest experienced local totals in excess of 1 inch. Cold air eroded from western and northern Alaska, but lingered elsewhere across the State. Weekly temperatures averaged as much as 5 degrees F below normal in the southeast, where Yakutat (21 degrees F) logged a daily-record low on Monday. Before milder air arrived, midweek lows dipped to -11 degrees F in Umiat and -6 degrees F in Prudhoe Bay, both records for so early in the season. In contrast, Hawaiian highs soared to daily-record levels on several occasions, including midweek readings of 92 degrees F in Kahului and 90 degrees F in Hilo. Corn: Percent Mature, Corn: Percent Harvested, Selected States Selected States -------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 1991- :-----------------------: 1991- State:Oct 6, :Sep 29,:Oct 6, : 1995 State:Oct 6, :Sep 29,:Oct 6, : 1995 : 1996 : 1996 : 1995 : Avg. : 1996 : 1996 : 1995 : Avg. -------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- : Percent : Percent : : CO : 85 59 50 65 CO : 10 7 0 9 GA : 100 100 100 100 GA : 90 87 97 94 IL : 83 59 96 92 IL : 15 6 31 30 IN : 70 53 97 91 IN : 8 5 32 26 IA : 85 63 95 89 IA : 5 3 13 15 KS : 96 84 86 94 KS : 32 20 22 50 KY : 95 85 92 93 KY : 45 36 65 52 MI : 54 25 99 62 MI : 5 2 19 11 MN : 87 43 99 71 MN : 6 3 16 11 MO : 94 88 80 92 MO : 45 31 32 40 NE : 91 67 91 89 NE : 7 3 7 20 NC : 100 100 100 100 NC : 71 66 84 74 OH : 40 15 91 77 OH : 6 4 15 17 PA : 58 38 83 55 PA : 15 9 25 12 SD : 79 52 86 75 SD : 6 3 6 16 TX : 98 96 98 96 TX : 84 74 83 84 WI : 48 26 98 67 WI : 5 2 20 11 : : 17 Sts: 80 56 94 84 17 Sts: 14 9 23 24 -------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- These 17 States produced 91% of the These 17 States produced 93% of the 1995 corn crop. 1995 corn crop. Soybeans: Percent Dropping Leaves, Soybeans: Percent Harvested, Selected States Selected States -------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 1991- :-----------------------: 1991- State:Oct 6, :Sep 29,:Oct 6, : 1995 State:Oct 6, :Sep 29,:Oct 6, : 1995 : 1996 : 1996 : 1995 : Avg. : 1996 : 1996 : 1995 : Avg. -------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- : Percent : Percent : : AL : 51 38 66 51 AL : 10 4 8 7 AR : 44 34 36 35 AR : 17 10 8 10 GA : 64 47 49 62 GA : 2 1 3 5 IL : 73 45 91 93 IL : 17 4 48 49 IN : 80 57 100 98 IN : 12 3 52 42 IA : 84 66 95 93 IA : 22 1 25 33 KS : 83 71 83 89 KS : 15 5 6 28 KY : 54 35 72 59 KY : 3 2 12 8 LA : 76 64 72 63 LA : 43 31 38 28 MI : 68 53 99 93 MI : 7 2 36 20 MN : 99 83 99 89 MN : 20 3 16 27 MS : 72 68 81 64 MS : 31 29 45 24 MO : 55 38 65 73 MO : 11 3 8 17 NE : 94 64 95 96 NE : 22 2 18 45 NC : 35 21 37 37 NC : 6 1 3 2 OH : 74 40 100 99 OH : 12 2 38 37 SC : 14 9 11 16 SC : 2 0 1 0 SD : 96 88 96 93 SD : 13 4 11 32 TN : 67 44 69 56 TN : 4 2 4 5 : : 19 Sts: 75 56 85 83 19 Sts: 17 4 27 31 -------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- These 19 States produced 94% of the These 19 States produced 94% of the 1995 soybean crop. 1995 soybean crop. Winter Wheat: Percent Planted, Winter Wheat: Percent Emerged, Selected States Selected States -------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 1991- :-----------------------: 1991- State:Oct 6, :Sep 29,:Oct 6, : 1995 State:Oct 6, :Sep 29,:Oct 6, : 1995 : 1996 : 1996 : 1995 : Avg. : 1996 : 1996 : 1995 : Avg. -------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- : Percent : Percent : : AR : 10 5 5 9 AR : 5 0 3 3 CA : 1 0 1 1 CA : 0 0 0 0 CO : 80 60 79 91 CO : 51 37 49 64 GA : 2 1 4 5 GA : 1 0 2 2 ID : 60 47 52 57 ID : 19 13 21 24 IL : 6 2 14 21 IL : 1 0 2 3 IN : 14 8 29 29 IN : 2 0 4 7 KS : 55 20 55 68 KS : 24 10 19 36 MI : 29 14 55 51 MI : 12 0 17 23 MO : 17 6 19 18 MO : 5 0 4 6 MT : 65 32 78 69 MT : 16 6 28 27 NE : 88 56 90 94 NE : 49 36 65 72 NC : 14 11 11 15 NC : 0 0 0 2 OH : 12 4 42 34 OH : 3 1 6 6 OK : 46 25 36 64 OK : 18 8 11 26 OR : 33 19 47 43 OR : 9 6 16 16 SD : 72 64 93 94 SD : 48 39 68 75 TX : 74 65 49 57 TX : 51 40 27 34 WA : 90 72 76 76 WA : 68 58 54 58 : : 19 Sts: 54 33 51 61 19 Sts: 28 18 24 34 -------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- These 19 States produced 92% of the These 19 States produced 92% of the 1995 winter wheat crop. 1995 winter wheat crop. Cotton: Percent Bolls Opening, Cotton: Percent Harvested, Selected States Selected States -------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 1991- :-----------------------: 1991- State:Oct 6, :Sep 29,:Oct 6, : 1995 State:Oct 6, :Sep 29,:Oct 6, : 1995 : 1996 : 1996 : 1995 : Avg. : 1996 : 1996 : 1995 : Avg. -------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- : Percent : Percent : : AL : 86 81 88 80 AL : 26 16 35 24 AZ : 100 100 100 99 AZ : 20 17 14 25 AR : 94 92 95 85 AR : 29 18 24 24 CA : 100 100 96 99 CA : 15 10 3 9 GA : 87 80 90 82 GA : 20 16 28 18 LA : 100 99 99 97 LA : 47 28 58 47 MS : 99 96 100 96 MS : 49 29 59 35 MO : 92 87 86 85 MO : 32 21 23 26 NM : 92 86 80 83 NM : 10 1 1 1 NC : 93 89 95 95 NC : 16 8 16 16 OK : 59 31 20 53 OK : 1 1 0 8 SC : 89 88 81 87 SC : 32 16 15 17 TN : 98 97 99 96 TN : 38 25 18 24 TX : 66 57 63 60 TX : 19 18 27 28 : : 14 Sts: 83 77 81 78 14 Sts: 25 18 28 25 -------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- These 14 States produced 99% of the These 14 States produced 99% of the 1995 cotton crop. 1995 cotton crop. Sorghum: Percent Mature, Selected States -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 1991- State:Oct 6, :Sep 29,:Oct 6, : 1995 : 1996 : 1996 : 1995 : Avg. -------------------------------------- : Percent : AR : 100 98 98 97 CO : 33 24 44 50 IL : 54 47 57 78 KS : 72 51 56 63 LA : 100 100 100 99 MS : 100 100 100 99 MO : 81 64 62 78 NE : 75 48 82 77 NM : 40 35 5 30 OK : 45 42 19 40 SD : 87 76 83 74 TX : 88 84 91 86 : 12 Sts: 76 62 69 72 -------------------------------------- These 12 States produced 98% of the 1995 sorghum crop. Sorghum: Percent Harvested, Peanuts: Percent Harvested, Selected States Selected States -------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 1991- :-----------------------: 1991- State:Oct 6, :Sep 29,:Oct 6, : 1995 State:Oct 6, :Sep 29,:Oct 6, : 1995 : 1996 : 1996 : 1995 : Avg. : 1996 : 1996 : 1995 : Avg. -------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- : Percent : Percent : : AR : 90 76 88 85 AL : 40 38 67 64 CO : 8 1 1 10 FL : 60 51 NA NA IL : 4 1 7 20 GA : 43 41 67 62 KS : 16 9 7 20 NC : 20 9 29 23 LA : 98 97 95 92 OK : 21 8 15 19 MS : 91 88 97 88 SC : 41 23 43 41 MO : 31 15 44 39 TX : 12 5 16 19 NE : 2 0 9 22 VA : 55 20 64 48 NM : 0 0 0 6 : OK : 15 13 6 13 8 Sts : 35 28 49 46 SD : 13 7 3 18 -------------------------------------- TX : 65 62 79 76 These 8 States produced 99% of the : 1995 peanut crop. 12 Sts: 32 26 33 40 -------------------------------------- These 12 States produced 99% of the 1995 sorghum crop. Rice: Percent Harvested, Selected States -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 1991- State:Oct 6, :Sep 29,:Oct 6, : 1995 : 1996 : 1996 : 1995 : Avg. -------------------------------------- : Percent : AR : 87 75 79 77 CA : 45 25 21 39 LA : 98 95 96 95 MS : 87 78 96 75 TX : 100 100 98 97 : 5 Sts : 84 74 77 76 -------------------------------------- These 5 States produced 96% of the 1995 rice crop. Corn: Crop Condition Soybeans: Crop Condition by Percent, Selected States by Percent, Selected States -------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- State : VP : P : F : G : EX State : VP : P : F : G : EX -------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- : Percent : Percent : : CO : 1 3 9 66 21 AL : 0 4 19 68 9 GA : 2 15 47 30 6 AR : 2 12 27 41 18 IL : 4 11 31 41 13 GA : 2 5 30 47 16 IN : 2 12 41 39 6 IL : 5 13 40 36 6 IA : 1 4 20 57 18 IN : 3 15 41 37 4 KS : 0 1 14 59 26 IA : 1 4 23 57 15 KY : 1 4 20 50 25 KS : 0 1 12 63 24 MI : 7 15 42 32 4 KY : 1 3 25 54 17 MN : 2 7 37 47 7 LA : 0 3 24 64 9 MO : 0 6 25 45 24 MI : 6 15 36 37 6 NE : 1 2 11 57 29 MN : 2 8 37 47 6 NC : 13 26 31 28 2 MS : 1 5 29 59 6 OH : 4 15 42 34 5 MO : 1 8 34 45 12 PA : 1 3 15 51 30 NE : 0 1 15 52 32 SD : 0 3 16 57 24 NC : 1 8 27 59 5 TX : 0 0 8 39 53 OH : 4 16 41 34 5 WI : 1 8 26 52 13 SC : 0 6 21 60 13 : SD : 0 3 16 65 16 17 Sts : 2 7 26 48 17 TN : 1 2 17 60 20 : : Prev Wk : 2 7 26 47 18 19 Sts : 2 8 31 48 11 Prev Yr : 2 10 36 46 6 : -------------------------------------- Prev Wk : 3 9 31 46 11 Prev Yr : 4 14 36 39 7 -------------------------------------- Cotton: Crop Condition Peanut: Crop Condition by Percent, Selected States by Percent, Selected States -------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- State : VP : P : F : G : EX State : VP : P : F : G : EX -------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- : Percent : Percent : : AL : 6 3 29 52 10 AL : 2 15 46 31 6 AZ : 5 13 34 27 21 FL : 2 26 30 36 6 AR : 0 5 34 46 15 GA : 3 9 48 36 4 CA : 0 0 0 60 40 NC : 0 3 26 58 13 GA : 1 7 45 40 7 OK : 0 6 32 53 9 LA : 0 15 36 46 3 SC : 0 0 20 73 7 MS : 1 7 30 54 8 TX : 2 3 16 60 19 MO : 1 8 26 61 4 VA : 0 0 30 60 10 NM : 0 3 37 46 14 : NC : 1 5 24 63 7 8 Sts : 2 8 36 45 9 OK : 2 19 44 32 3 : SC : 0 4 25 62 9 Prev Wk : 1 8 30 50 11 TN : 0 2 16 66 16 Prev Yr : NA NA NA NA NA TX : 4 21 31 30 14 -------------------------------------- : 14 Sts : 2 12 29 44 13 : Prev Wk : 4 10 25 44 17 Prev Yr : 5 18 44 30 3 -------------------------------------- Sorghum: Crop Condition by Percent, Selected States -------------------------------------- State : VP : P : F : G : EX -------------------------------------- : Percent : AR : 0 13 35 40 12 CO : 1 2 13 65 19 IL : 7 8 28 49 8 KS : 0 1 14 58 27 LA : 0 0 29 68 3 MS : 0 11 25 62 2 MO : 1 6 26 52 15 NE : 1 0 19 52 28 NM : 1 51 26 21 1 OK : 0 2 12 71 15 SD : 0 3 12 68 17 TX : 1 5 30 43 21 : 12 Sts : 1 4 21 52 22 : Prev Wk : 0 4 22 53 21 Prev Yr : 5 17 39 36 3 -------------------------------------- Note: US level crop conditions are weighted averages based on 1995 planted acres for the selected states. Pasture and Range: Crop Condition by Percent, Selected States -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- State : VP : P : F : G : EX :: State : VP : P : F : G : EX -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent :: : Percent : :: : AL : 0 4 23 64 9 :: NJ : 0 0 0 95 5 AZ : 13 12 32 34 9 :: NM : 4 11 32 45 8 AR : 1 19 31 43 6 :: NY : 0 0 33 61 6 CA : 5 10 75 10 0 :: NC : 0 3 21 69 7 CO : 4 7 25 54 10 :: ND : 3 17 41 34 5 CT : 0 0 8 92 0 :: OH : 4 14 36 40 6 DE : 0 3 23 72 2 :: OK : 0 1 20 51 28 FL : 0 5 20 70 5 :: OR : 0 34 38 27 1 GA : 0 5 33 59 3 :: PA : 0 5 22 56 17 ID : 2 28 45 24 1 :: RI : 0 0 6 6 88 IL : 10 19 35 33 3 :: SC : 2 10 32 53 3 IN : 7 17 45 28 3 :: SD : 1 6 25 56 12 IA : 6 17 33 38 6 :: TN : 0 2 21 65 12 KS : 0 3 21 71 5 :: TX : 2 10 39 37 12 KY : 1 10 32 47 10 :: UT : 11 23 49 17 0 LA : 0 2 30 62 6 :: VT : 0 10 60 30 0 ME : 0 10 48 29 13 :: VA : 0 1 11 69 19 MD : 1 2 14 69 14 :: WA : 0 7 48 44 1 MA : 0 18 0 79 3 :: WV : 0 2 15 71 12 MI : 4 22 36 33 5 :: WI : 13 21 37 28 1 MN : 7 30 37 25 1 :: WY : 2 15 31 51 1 MS : 1 6 31 53 9 :: : MO : 2 13 37 41 7 :: 48 Sts : 3 11 34 44 8 MT : 4 16 47 31 2 :: : NE : 0 5 16 53 26 :: Prev Wk: 3 14 32 43 8 NV : 6 11 51 32 0 :: Prev Yr: 3 14 33 43 7 NH : 0 2 63 35 0 :: : -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- VP - Very Poor P - Poor F - Fair G - Good Ex - Excellent