HDR1012000170101022961200WEEKLY WEATHER & CROP BULLETIN Released October 22, 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 Agricultural Statistics Hotline at 1-800-727-9540 or E-mail: NASS@NASS.USDA.GOV. NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY October 14 - 20, 1996 HIGHLIGHTS: Strong winds and heavy rains associated with Hurricane Lili delayed fieldwork in Florida's vegetable region and scarred some fruit.Rains over the western Corn Belt interrupted harvest activity, but provided much-needed soil moisture for fall tillage. Crops in the Central States matured rapidly, but harvest activity was unable to keep pace with the ripening crops. As Midwestern farmers completed the soybean harvest, many started to concentrate on harvesting their corn crop, but were restrained by the high-moisture content of corn in the field. A hard freeze in the central High Plains caused little or no damage to mature row crops. Frost dipped into the central Corn Belt, where harvest activity was over a week behind normal, but the crops were mature enough to withstand the frost. Some row-crop producers in the Midwest reported that a hard freeze was needed to lower the moisture content of the grain. The winter wheat crop in the 19 major producing States was 85 percent (%) planted, up 12 percentage points from last week, 2 points ahead of the 5-year average. Winter wheat emerged for the major producing States was 63% complete, up 19 points from last week and 3 points ahead of the average. Planting progress in the eastern Corn Belt remained behind the average due to the prolonged row-crop harvest. Illinois at 57% complete increased 28 points from last week, but remained 18 points behind the average. Planting progress in Ohio at 64% complete increased 29 points from last week, but remained 18 points behind the average. Wheat acreage seeded in Texas at 91% complete was 18 points ahead of the average, while winter wheat emerged was 24 points ahead. Frost in the Texas High Plains may have caused some scattered damage to emerged fields. Cool weather in the Pacific Northwest slowed wheat growth, but rain and wet snow helped the crop to germinate. Corn mature at 95% complete was up 5 points from last week. Corn harvested at 30% complete was up 10 points from last week but 16 points behind normal. The cool weather slowed the dry down of corn remaining in the field, forcing producers to choose between delaying the harvest and waiting for corn to dry naturally to acceptable levels, or harvesting and artifically drying the crop. In Iowa corn moisture averaged 23 percent, compared with 20 percent for this time last year. Corn harvested in Illinois and Ohio was 21 points behind the average, while Iowa and Indiana were over 21 points behind. Cotton condition was 59 percent good to excellent in the 14 major producing States, unchanged from last week. Cotton bolls opening was 93% complete, up 5 points from last week and 5 points ahead of the average for the Nation. Cotton acreage harvested was estimated at 45%, up 10 points from last week but 1 point behind the average. Harvest activity was slowed in the mid-Atlantic States by rainy weather associated with Hurricane Lili. Cotton defoliation was winding down in California's San Joaquin and Sacramento Valleys, where some regrowth required producers to apply additional defoliant. Cool weather at week's end slowed cotton bolls opening in the Texas High Plains. Sorghum acreage mature at 92% was up 8 points from last week and 1 point ahead of the average. Sorghum harvested at 50% complete was up 12 points from the previous week but 10 points below the average. In Nebraska, sorghum harvested at 15% complete was up 7 points from last week, but 34 points behind the average. High grain moisture levels slowed sorghum harvest activity in the Central States. The cool weather slowed sorghum development in the Texas High Plains, with minimal damage from the frost. Soybean dropping leaves at 95% complete was up 6 points from last week. Soybean acreage harvested at 63% was up 23 points from last week but 7 points less than the average. Ohio's soybean harvest at 45% complete was up 23 points from the previous week, but 34 points behind normal. Indiana's soybean harvest at 54% complete was up 27 points from the previous week, 30 points behind the average. National Weather Summary Volume 83, No. 42 October 13 - 19, 1996 For additional information, call (202) 720-7917. Highlights: Summer-like weather ended abruptly in the West as a series of strong Pacific storms punched inland. One of the storms lifted northeastward through the North-Central States, drawing cold air southward onto the Plains. Another intensified over the Northeast late in the week, initiating a period of very wet, windy weather. At week's end, a third Pacific storm delivered widespread snow and reinforced an already cold pattern across the West. Farther north, very cold weather persisted in Alaska for a sixth consecutive week. In the tropical Atlantic, meanwhile, Hurricane Lili veered northeastward away from southern Florida, but scored a direct hit on Cuba and parts of the Bahamas. On Sunday, a final day of warmth covered the interior West. Among the half-dozen daily records were highs of 85 degrees F in Salt Lake City, UT, 86 degrees F in Sheridan, WY, and 91 degrees F in El Paso, TX. Thereafter, warm air shifted eastward before being flushed off the East Coast on Friday. Weekly departures ranged from +3 to +8 degrees F from the northern and central Plains to the Middle Atlantic region. A Canadian high-pressure system briefly invaded New England, producing daily-record lows on Tuesday in Caribou, ME (24 degrees F) and atop Mt. Washington, NH (3 degrees F, with wind gusts to 133 mph). At midweek, heavy rain developed across the upper Midwest, halting harvest activities and fieldwork. Rainfall totaled 1 to 3 inches from eastern South Dakota to northern Wisconsin. Thunderstorms, some severe, erupted on Thursday afternoon from the eastern Corn Belt to the central Gulf Coast. A day later, an intense, slow-moving storm system developed over the northern Middle Atlantic region. By week's end, rainfall topped 2 inches from northern Virginia to southern New England, with totals in excess of 4 inches from eastern Pennsylvania to Connecticut. On Saturday, daily-rainfall records were broken in locations such as Newark, NJ (4.04 inches) and New York's Central Park (4.35 inches). In addition, late-week winds gusted to 81 mph on Fire Island, NY, and 56 mph at both New York's JFK Airport and Bridgeport, CT. Very cold air reached the interior West on Thursday, delivering daily-record lows to a half-dozen locations, including Pocatello, ID (14 degrees F) and Elko, NV (7 degrees F). A day later, a half-dozen records were reported on the central High Plains, among them lows of 19 degrees F in Pueblo, CO and 22 degrees F in Garden City, KS. Lows dipped below freezing as far south as Amarillo, TX (29 degrees F). Farther north, snowfall on Friday reached 4.3 inches in Casper, WY and 1.6 inches in International Falls, MN, while northerly winds in South Dakota gusted to 45 mph at Huron and Sioux Falls. Warm weather continued in Hawaii, as temperatures averaged 1 to 3 degrees F above normal. Honolulu notched a daily-record high (91 degrees F) on Saturday. Much-needed rain returned to windward areas, as totals reached 7.41 inches in Hilo. Meanwhile, temperatures averaged 6 to 14 degrees F below normal in Alaska. Barrow (-14 degrees F on Thursday) and McGrath (-7 degrees F on Saturday) were among the many stations to report daily-record lows. Across southern Florida, a lingering front and the outer rain bands of Hurricane Lili combined to produce heavy rain. Lili crossed Cuba on Friday, packing 80 mph winds and torrential rainfall, then briefly intensified to a category-3 hurricane (115 mph sustained winds) while traversing the central Bahamas on Saturday. Corn: Percent Mature, Corn: Percent Harvested, Selected States Selected States -------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 1991- :-----------------------: 1991- State:Oct 20,:Oct 13,:Oct 20,: 1995 State:Oct 20,:Oct 13,:Oct 20,: 1995 : 1996 : 1996 : 1995 : Avg. : 1996 : 1996 : 1995 : Avg. -------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- : Percent : Percent : : CO : 99 95 91 90 CO : 36 18 12 32 GA : 100 100 100 100 GA : 95 93 97 97 IL : 94 89 100 99 IL : 35 22 73 56 IN : 93 84 100 99 IN : 23 15 69 48 IA : 98 94 100 99 IA : 17 8 46 39 KS : 100 100 100 100 KS : 70 53 57 74 KY : 100 100 100 99 KY : 75 64 88 75 MI : 95 73 100 86 MI : 13 10 43 28 MN : 99 97 99 86 MN : 25 15 54 36 MO : 100 98 98 99 MO : 62 54 54 61 NE : 100 97 100 99 NE : 22 13 31 42 NC : 100 100 100 100 NC : 88 77 91 87 OH : 81 56 100 93 OH : 15 9 41 36 PA : 81 75 96 82 PA : 30 21 55 31 SD : 98 96 97 91 SD : 19 7 34 36 TX : 100 100 100 100 TX : 94 91 91 95 WI : 80 72 100 84 WI : 12 8 48 29 : : 17 Sts: 95 90 99 95 17 Sts: 30 20 54 46 -------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- 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 20,:Oct 13,:Oct 20,: 1995 State:Oct 20,:Oct 13,:Oct 20,: 1995 : 1996 : 1996 : 1995 : Avg. : 1996 : 1996 : 1995 : Avg. -------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- : Percent : Percent : : AL : 85 69 81 76 AL : 32 13 24 24 AR : 78 60 77 71 AR : 38 23 46 35 GA : 87 73 83 88 GA : 11 3 8 12 IL : 97 90 100 100 IL : 60 34 90 86 IN : 100 98 100 100 IN : 54 27 91 84 IA : 99 96 100 100 IA : 83 59 86 86 KS : 96 91 100 98 KS : 61 30 64 65 KY : 87 75 97 91 KY : 23 10 48 30 LA : 99 85 94 83 LA : 85 57 71 55 MI : 100 99 100 100 MI : 40 14 77 57 MN : 99 99 99 99 MN : 95 81 71 80 MS : 92 83 95 85 MS : 66 53 72 46 MO : 93 77 94 96 MO : 46 24 52 52 NE : 100 99 100 100 NE : 91 64 76 85 NC : 71 45 73 70 NC : 8 7 7 8 OH : 95 90 100 100 OH : 45 22 80 79 SC : 43 24 33 42 SC : 5 3 2 4 SD : 100 100 100 100 SD : 84 46 58 72 TN : 91 85 94 89 TN : 18 9 28 21 : : 19 Sts: 95 89 96 95 19 Sts: 63 40 72 70 -------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- 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 20,:Oct 13,:Oct 20,: 1995 State:Oct 20,:Oct 13,:Oct 20,: 1995 : 1996 : 1996 : 1995 : Avg. : 1996 : 1996 : 1995 : Avg. -------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- : Percent : Percent : : AR : 34 15 32 31 AR : 11 7 10 15 CA : 10 5 3 4 CA : 1 0 1 1 CO : 98 93 91 97 CO : 89 68 84 89 GA : 6 3 12 9 GA : 3 1 5 4 ID : 91 79 76 83 ID : 53 34 46 50 IL : 57 29 78 75 IL : 22 6 30 35 IN : 60 27 79 76 IN : 26 5 36 38 KS : 94 82 95 94 KS : 74 44 69 70 MI : 82 42 91 84 MI : 40 15 70 60 MO : 51 33 60 52 MO : 24 11 26 27 MT : 95 88 94 88 MT : 61 43 67 59 NE : 99 98 99 100 NE : 91 73 93 94 NC : 25 16 27 26 NC : 7 0 6 9 OH : 64 35 93 82 OH : 26 10 48 41 OK : 90 74 79 87 OK : 57 35 36 54 OR : 81 69 71 70 OR : 43 27 37 36 SD : 97 93 98 100 SD : 81 71 86 91 TX : 91 85 70 73 TX : 78 69 48 54 WA : 97 94 94 91 WA : 91 71 79 73 : : 19 Sts: 85 73 82 83 19 Sts: 63 44 56 60 -------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- 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 20,:Oct 13,:Oct 20,: 1995 State:Oct 20,:Oct 13,:Oct 20,: 1995 : 1996 : 1996 : 1995 : Avg. : 1996 : 1996 : 1995 : Avg. -------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- : Percent : Percent : : AL : 95 90 96 90 AL : 53 38 65 51 AZ : 100 100 100 100 AZ : 35 26 29 49 AR : 99 99 99 97 AR : 68 46 70 60 CA : 100 100 100 100 CA : 42 25 15 43 GA : 91 90 92 90 GA : 45 29 49 37 LA : 100 100 100 100 LA : 82 72 88 77 MS : 100 100 100 100 MS : 78 66 86 63 MO : 100 100 96 95 MO : 62 57 58 62 NM : 100 95 97 97 NM : 21 13 12 13 NC : 100 98 100 99 NC : 35 20 32 36 OK : 71 66 49 70 OK : 10 4 4 19 SC : 97 93 90 94 SC : 54 40 35 34 TN : 100 100 100 100 TN : 73 59 51 53 TX : 87 75 76 75 TX : 24 21 37 37 : : 14 Sts: 93 88 88 88 14 Sts: 45 35 47 46 -------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- 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 20,:Oct 13,:Oct 20,: 1995 : 1996 : 1996 : 1995 : Avg. -------------------------------------- : Percent : AR : 100 100 100 100 CO : 75 51 80 81 IL : 93 70 77 93 KS : 93 83 93 90 LA : 100 100 100 100 MS : 100 100 100 100 MO : 93 88 91 94 NE : 93 84 100 97 NM : 36 35 23 69 OK : 78 53 66 72 SD : 98 93 96 93 TX : 97 94 97 93 : 12 Sts: 92 84 92 91 -------------------------------------- These 12 States produced 98% of the 1995 sorghum crop. Sorghum: Percent Harvested, Selected States -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 1991- State:Oct 20,:Oct 13,:Oct 20,: 1995 : 1996 : 1996 : 1995 : Avg. -------------------------------------- : Percent : AR : 96 94 96 95 CO : 39 12 36 34 IL : 19 6 40 52 KS : 45 25 54 51 LA : 100 100 99 98 MS : 97 95 100 97 MO : 58 45 58 61 NE : 15 8 62 49 NM : 1 0 4 15 OK : 20 18 17 23 SD : 56 17 44 49 TX : 71 68 88 83 : 12 Sts: 50 38 64 60 -------------------------------------- These 12 States produced 99% of the 1995 sorghum crop. Peanuts: Percent Harvested, Selected States -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 1991- State:Oct 20,:Oct 13,:Oct 20,: 1995 : 1996 : 1996 : 1995 : Avg. -------------------------------------- : Percent : AL : 71 44 82 83 FL : 80 67 NA NA GA : 73 56 84 83 NC : 55 32 54 56 OK : 49 30 47 46 SC : 74 55 69 64 TX : 36 23 30 33 VA : 85 75 92 86 : 8 Sts : 64 46 68 68 -------------------------------------- These 8 States produced 99% of the 1995 peanut crop. Cotton: Crop Condition by Percent, Selected States -------------------------------------- State : VP : P : F : G : EX -------------------------------------- : Percent : AL : 2 3 15 68 12 AZ : 0 4 37 50 9 AR : 0 5 30 52 13 CA : 0 0 0 65 35 GA : 1 13 37 35 14 LA : 0 13 51 34 2 MS : 1 5 28 51 15 MO : 0 10 28 57 5 NM : 0 3 32 34 31 NC : 2 7 35 49 7 OK : 2 35 37 23 3 SC : 0 2 26 60 12 TN : 0 2 16 66 16 TX : 8 14 29 33 16 : 14 Sts : 3 10 28 44 15 : Prev Wk : 2 10 29 44 15 Prev Yr : 5 16 42 34 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 : 1 4 35 54 6 :: NJ : 0 0 0 100 0 AZ : 13 12 32 34 9 :: NM : 5 13 35 42 5 AR : 1 20 41 33 5 :: NY : 0 0 45 55 0 CA : 5 10 75 10 0 :: NC : 1 8 25 57 9 CO : 3 9 23 56 9 :: ND : 6 20 37 31 6 CT : 0 0 15 85 0 :: OH : 3 12 37 43 5 DE : 0 0 6 91 3 :: OK : 0 2 22 58 18 FL : 0 0 35 55 10 :: OR : 1 36 21 39 3 GA : 1 6 43 47 3 :: PA : 3 9 29 49 10 ID : 10 22 42 25 1 :: RI : 0 0 17 16 67 IL : 7 19 42 30 2 :: SC : 1 6 32 54 7 IN : 2 13 51 33 1 :: SD : 0 3 24 63 10 IA : 3 20 31 39 7 :: TN : 0 2 25 61 12 KS : 0 3 24 65 8 :: TX : 2 15 37 34 12 KY : 2 9 35 44 10 :: UT : 9 37 44 10 0 LA : 0 4 29 61 6 :: VT : 0 0 70 30 0 ME : 0 19 47 34 0 :: VA : 0 0 11 68 21 MD : 1 3 18 67 11 :: WA : 0 5 40 54 1 MA : 0 18 5 77 0 :: WV : 0 4 22 59 15 MI : 4 26 39 28 3 :: WI : 8 20 49 23 0 MN : 9 23 44 23 1 :: WY : 1 30 33 36 0 MS : 3 13 31 48 5 :: : MO : 2 12 42 39 5 :: 48 Sts : 3 12 36 42 7 MT : 6 33 36 24 1 :: : NE : 0 4 25 58 13 :: Prev Wk: 3 12 35 42 8 NV : 8 9 50 33 0 :: Prev Yr: 4 14 35 42 5 NH : 0 6 48 46 0 :: : -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- VP - Very Poor P - Poor F - Fair G - Good Ex - Excellent The next "Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin" report will be released at 12:00 p.m. ET on October 29, 1996. 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