HDR1012000170100429971200WEEKLY WEATHER & CROP BULLETIN Released April 29, 1997, 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. National Agricultural Summary April 21-27, 1997 HIGHLIGHTS: A slow-moving, low pressure system moved from the Pacific Northwest southeastward to the Gulf of Mexico, leaving rain and snow in its wake. Damp weather prevailed in Washington and Oregon, snow fell on the central Rockies, and heavy rain caused localized flooding in parts of Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Florida. Beneficial rains fell in the Southeast, where precipitation had been lacking for several weeks. An area extending from southeast Wyoming to northwest Kansas received scattered precipitation, but overall conditions remained dry. Flooding eased slowly in the Red River Valley as the flood crest neared the Canadian border by week's end. Temperatures were below normal in the Central and Eastern United States, while the Southwest recorded higher than normal temperatures. Winter Wheat: The winter wheat crop rated mostly good to fair as condition improved slightly from last week. The Kansas crop condition rebounded from last week as freeze damage was confined to southern areas and less extensive than first expected. However, the wheat condition in Oklahoma declined as freeze damage became more apparent. Freeze-damage assessments continued in Texas, where early-week heat was followed by cooler weather. In Texas, damage to dryland fields seemed more severe than irrigated fields. Damage appeared in headed fields, but damage to late-boot fields may not be as severe as earlier indicated. Recent rains should benefit the wheat crop. Nevertheless, open, sunny conditions are very much needed as the crop begins to dry down. Nationwide, 16 percent (%) of the wheat crop was headed, compared with 12% last year and the 5-year average of 15%. Corn: Despite temperatures that reached only into the 60's, corn growers in the Middle Mississippi and Ohio Valleys made very good planting progress. For the Nation, corn planting progressed to 18% complete, just behind 21% planted at this time last year, but just ahead of the average of 15%. Corn planting in Illinois equaled 1988's progress as the earliest on record for this date. Corn planting in Indiana was well ahead of normal even though soil temperatures remained low. Ground temperatures were still below average in Ohio, but corn planting accelerated to a near-record pace. Planting in the western Corn Belt remained behind normal even though farmers made a significant start. Cotton: Cotton planting was 21% complete, 2 percentage points ahead of 1 year ago, but 3 points behind the average. Warm, dry weather aided Arizona, California, and New Mexico cotton planting. The late-week cold front delayed planting in the Southeast, where progress fell further behind normal. Rice: Rice seeding progressed to 45% complete, 3 points ahead of 1996 and equal to the average. Some producers along the Upper Coast of Texas who opted for aerial seeding made limited planting progress. Cool weather in Louisiana hampered rice planting. Despite excessive rainfall that halted most fieldwork in Mississippi, rice growers made good progress. Farmers in Arkansas made good progress before late-week heavy rains arrived. Fourteen percent of the rice crop was emerged by week's end, behind both the 20% emerged at this time last year and the average of 24%. Other Small Grains: Flooding and saturated soils in the Red River Valley continued to delay the start of small grain planting. Farmers in Idaho and Montana seeded limited amounts of spring wheat, but nationwide the progress remained well behind the average. Likewise, the western barley-producing States made limited planting progress, while North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota lagged behind normal. Oat planting made significant progress, with 40% of the crop in the ground. This compared with 34% in 1996 and the average of 36%. All major oat-producing States, except North Dakota and South Dakota, made good progress. Other Crops: For the Nation, sorghum planting advanced to 19% complete, 1 point behind last year and 3 points behind the average. Sorghum growers in Arkansas and Louisiana made very good progress before late-week rains fell. Planting activity increased in many parts of Texas during the first half of the week. Peanut planting was 9% complete, but fell further behind the average of 16%. Peanut farmers in South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida made good planting progress, while growers in Alabama, North Carolina, and Virginia made limited progress. Late-week, cool weather and precipitation halted planting in the Southeast. National Weather Summary Volume 84, No. 17 April 20 - 26, 1997 For additional information, call (202) 720-7917. Highlights: A series of storms traversed the Nation from the Northwest to the Southeast. Rainfall locally in excess of 4 inches caused flash flooding from northern Texas to Florida's west coast, while heavy snow blanketed parts of the High Plains and Rockies. The moisture tempered the effects of a 2-month dry spell across the Southeast. Farther north, Corn Belt planting progressed despite low temperatures (3 to 6 degrees F below normal). Cold weather also continued on the central and southern Plains, resulting in weekly departures of -3 to -10 degrees F. Meanwhile, the Red River crest approached the Canadian border after devastating Grand Forks, ND. Early in the week, a low-pressure system displaced cool air across the East. On Sunday, daily-record lows included 25 degrees F in Pittsburgh, PA and 26 degrees F in Manfield, OH. Farther west, thunderstorm winds gusted to 69 mph in Cape Girardeau, MO and 61 mph in Paducah, KY. Warmth overspread Texas, propelling Midland (93 degrees F) to a daily-record high. Farther west, another storm system crossed the Northwest, producing (non-thunderstorm) wind gusts to 49 mph in Spokane, WA and 57 mph in Rexburg, ID. Substantial rainfall boosted topsoil moisture across the Southeast on April 21-23 and 25-26. In Georgia, Macon received 1.78 inches, lifting their total since March 1 to 3.12 inches (40 percent [%] of normal). Some severe weather struck the Southeast, especially on Wednesday across Florida, where more than a dozen tornadoes were reported, and thunderstorm winds in Melbourne gusted to 66 mph. Heavy rainfall returned to the South at week's end. In Florida, totals on April 26 reached 2.85 inches in Miami and 5.44 inches in Tampa. As a result, Tampa's monthly rainfall reached an April-record 9.13 inches (904% of normal). Farther west, 48-hour (April 25-27) totals reached 5.66 inches in Lake Charles, LA and 8.51 inches in McComb, MS. In Texas, late-week rainfall lifted monthly totals to April-record levels in Amarillo (6.05 inches; 747% of normal) and Victoria (11.50 inches; 581% of normal). Some of Amarillo's precipitation fell as 6.5 inches of wet snow on Friday, eclipsing their April-record total of 6.4 inches, set in 1947. Highs on April 25 struggled to only 38 degrees F in Amarillo and 43 degrees F in Liberal, KS. April 23-24 snowfall topped 2 feet in parts of the Colorado Rockies, including 30 inches in Allenspark. Elsewhere, snowfall totaled 4.2 inches in Cheyenne, WY and 11.7 inches in Colorado Springs, CO. The storm eradicated warmth from the South, leaving only the West with above-normal temperatures. Locations in California noting daily-record highs included Santa Barbara (93 degrees F on Monday) and Bakersfield (94 degrees F on Saturday). Warm weather (up to 11 degrees F above normal) also prevailed in Alaska, where daily-record highs on Friday reached 61 degrees F in McGrath and 69 degrees F in Fairbanks. Four days after overwhelming Grand Forks, ND, the Red River crested at 26.1 feet above flood stage on April 22, shattering their April 1979 record by 5.3 feet. Farther north, 1979 crest records were broken by less than 2 feet in the North Dakota towns of Drayton (13.5 feet above flood stage on April 25) and Pembina (12.9 feet on April 28). In northeastern North Dakota, the elevation of Devils Lake rose to 1,438.5 feet, second only to a 1,441-foot level in 1830, and 37.6 feet above the minimum elevation of record, set in 1940. Devils Lake is forecast to crest at 1,442.0 feet by July. Meanwhile, the middle and upper Mississippi River began to fall or continued to fall at all gauging points after April 23. Corn: Percent Planted, Winter Wheat: Percent Headed, Selected States Selected States -------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 1992- :-----------------------: 1992- State:Apr 27,:Apr 20,:Apr 27,: 1996 State:Apr 27,:Apr 20,:Apr 27,: 1996 : 1997 : 1997 : 1996 : Avg. : 1997 : 1997 : 1996 : Avg. -------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- : Percent : Percent : : CO : 11 5 35 17 AR : 74 41 33 48 GA : 92 90 92 94 CA : 99 90 94 95 IL : 37 12 27 15 CO : 0 0 0 0 IN : 30 5 7 8 GA : 92 89 66 78 IA : 4 0 20 14 ID : 0 0 0 0 KS : 20 6 55 32 IL : 0 0 0 0 KY : 35 26 24 33 IN : 0 0 0 0 MI : 0 0 0 1 KS : 2 0 0 3 MN : 9 0 1 7 MI : 0 0 0 0 MO : 22 17 65 32 MO : 6 2 0 4 NE : 6 0 23 13 MT : 0 0 0 0 NC : 80 60 75 70 NE : 0 0 0 0 OH : 39 6 4 8 NC : 35 21 30 41 PA : 8 1 4 4 OH : 0 0 0 0 SD : 0 0 2 2 OK : 33 16 24 40 TX : 61 57 72 71 OR : 0 0 0 0 WI : 4 0 0 2 SD : 0 0 0 0 : TX : 44 25 41 39 17 Sts: 18 7 21 15 WA : 0 0 0 0 -------------------------------------- : These 17 States produced 90% of the 19 Sts: 16 9 12 15 1996 corn crop. -------------------------------------- These 19 States produced 92% of the 1996 winter wheat crop. Cotton: Percent Planted, Spring Wheat: Percent Planted, Selected States Selected States -------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 1992- :-----------------------: 1992- State:Apr 27,:Apr 20,:Apr 27,: 1996 State:Apr 27,:Apr 20,:Apr 27,: 1996 : 1997 : 1997 : 1996 : Avg. : 1997 : 1997 : 1996 : Avg. -------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- : Percent : Percent : : AL : 26 15 22 37 ID : 64 51 66 70 AZ : 76 63 85 73 MN : 1 0 3 18 AR : 4 2 5 11 MT : 10 5 14 35 CA : 90 70 62 67 ND : 0 0 2 12 GA : 13 9 16 24 SD : 2 1 30 44 LA : 10 3 6 25 : MS : 10 3 4 22 5 Sts : 5 3 9 23 MO : 3 0 2 4 -------------------------------------- NM : 60 37 37 44 These 10 States produced 96% of the NC : 9 4 13 12 1996 spring wheat crop. OK : 0 0 0 2 SC : 15 6 23 20 TN : 3 0 3 7 Rice: Percent Planted, TX : 16 12 17 19 Selected States : -------------------------------------- 14 Sts: 21 14 19 24 : Week Ending : -------------------------------------- :-----------------------: 1992- These 14 States produced 99% of the State:Apr 27,:Apr 20,:Apr 27,: 1996 1996 cotton crop. : 1997 : 1997 : 1996 : Avg. -------------------------------------- : Percent Sorghum: Percent Planted, : Selected States AR : 46 19 36 46 -------------------------------------- CA : 15 1 1 3 : Week Ending : LA : 72 61 71 65 :-----------------------: 1992- MS : 78 55 57 56 State:Apr 27,:Apr 20,:Apr 27,: 1996 TX : 25 12 78 67 : 1997 : 1997 : 1996 : Avg. : -------------------------------------- 5 Sts : 45 25 42 45 : Percent -------------------------------------- : These 10 States produced 96% of the AR : 51 24 36 39 1996 rice crop. CO : 0 0 0 0 IL : 0 0 0 0 KS : 0 0 1 0 LA : 53 19 39 30 MS : 47 39 59 46 MO : 2 1 6 6 NE : 0 0 0 0 NM : 0 0 1 1 OK : 2 2 3 5 SD : 0 0 0 0 TX : 49 43 53 59 : 12 Sts: 19 16 20 22 -------------------------------------- These 12 States produced 99% of the 1996 sorghum crop. Rice: Percent Emerged, Oats: Percent Planted, Selected States Selected States -------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 1992- :-----------------------: 1992- State:Apr 27,:Apr 20,:Apr 27,: 1996 State:Apr 27,:Apr 20,:Apr 27,: 1996 : 1997 : 1997 : 1996 : Avg. : 1997 : 1997 : 1996 : Avg. -------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- : Percent : Percent : : AR : 6 NA 0 17 IA : 81 53 84 68 CA : 0 NA 0 0 MI : 70 24 17 17 LA : 56 NA 57 51 MN : 25 3 11 25 MS : 11 NA 29 32 NE : 73 54 94 74 TX : 5 NA 64 39 ND : 0 0 1 11 : OH : 80 63 41 49 5 Sts : 14 NA 20 24 PA : 60 48 38 44 -------------------------------------- SD : 5 1 27 40 These 10 States produced 96% of the WI : 40 8 18 20 1996 rice crop. : 9 Sts : 40 21 34 36 -------------------------------------- Barley: Percent Planted, These 9 States produced 56% of the Selected States 1996 oat crop. -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 1992- Peanuts: Percent Planted, State:Apr 27,:Apr 20,:Apr 27,: 1996 Selected States : 1997 : 1997 : 1996 : Avg. -------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : : Percent :-----------------------: 1992- : State:Apr 27,:Apr 20,:Apr 27,: 1996 ID : 44 30 49 62 : 1997 : 1997 : 1996 : Avg. MN : 2 0 1 14 -------------------------------------- MT : 10 6 16 38 : Percent ND : 0 0 0 10 : SD : 1 0 12 35 AL : 12 5 12 20 WA : 44 34 40 65 FL : 15 3 8 NA : GA : 14 4 17 26 6 Sts : 11 8 13 28 NC : 4 0 4 5 -------------------------------------- OK : 0 0 0 1 These 6 States produced 82% of the SC : 23 11 15 22 1996 barley crop. TX : 0 0 5 2 VA : 5 0 5 9 : 8 Sts : 9 3 11 16 -------------------------------------- These 8 States produced 99% of the 1996 peanut crop. Winter Wheat: Crop Condition by Percent, Selected States -------------------------------------- State : VP : P : F : G : EX -------------------------------------- : Percent : AR : 1 23 44 30 2 CA : 0 0 20 45 35 CO : 2 12 35 40 11 GA : 2 14 40 41 3 ID : 1 5 24 54 16 IL : 2 4 22 62 10 IN : 2 7 28 54 9 KS : 3 11 31 52 3 MI : 1 7 21 45 26 MO : 1 10 26 51 12 MT : 1 6 33 55 5 NE : 1 3 35 54 7 NC : 1 4 28 59 8 OH : 3 12 36 38 11 OK : 12 23 36 28 1 OR : 0 2 24 63 11 SD : 10 21 28 32 9 TX : 11 26 39 17 7 WA : 0 5 32 51 12 : 19 Sts : 5 14 33 41 7 : Prev Wk : 6 13 35 40 6 Prev Yr : 20 26 27 22 5 -------------------------------------- The next "Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin" report will be released at 12 P.M. ET on May 6, 1997. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in its programs on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, and marital or familial status. 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