Released November 12, 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 Rhonda Brandt at (202) 720-7621, office hours 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET. National Agricultural Summary November 3 - 9, 1997 Highlights: Wet snow or rainfall hampered harvest efforts in the Eastern United States. Rainfall was heaviest in New England and the mid-Atlantic States, where flooding caused erosion and damage to unharvested crops in low-lying fields. Light rain in the Northwest delayed some fieldwork, but benefited the winter wheat crop. Elsewhere in the West, dry, warmer weather allowed fieldwork to progress under favorable conditions. Corn: The Nation's corn harvest was 84 percent (%) complete, ahead of 78% harvested at this time in 1996 and the 5-year average of 77%. In Iowa, harvest was complete in many areas, but lodged corn along with damp, cloudy weather slowed harvest of the remaining acreage. Harvest was slowly being completed in the northern areas of Illinois. Indiana corn harvest was controlled by dryer capacity in many areas as damp weather kept moisture content fairly high. Rain across Michigan hindered dry down, and wet fields made harvest difficult. In the western Corn Belt, drier conditions allowed producers to get back into fields and make good harvest progress. Soybeans: Soybeans were harvested on 91% of the national acreage, compared with 88% last year and 90% for the average. Precipitation slowed harvest progress to near normal levels. Growers in Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, and Tennessee were able to make fair harvest progress between rainfalls. However, progress in several Southeastern States fell behind the normal pace. In Nebraska, harvest was slow as farmers' focused on corn harvest and grain moisture content remained high. Cotton: Cotton harvest advanced to 71% complete, compared with 70% in 1996 and the average of 71%. Harvest was most active in New Mexico as dry weather allowed growers to harvest 25% of their State's crop during the week. Ideal harvest weather in Texas allowed growers to make good harvest progress. Some late fields remained to be harvested along the Upper Coast. Harvest in California was rapidly drawing to a close in the San Joaquin Valley. Showers hindered harvest progress in the Southeast, and harvest progress remained behind normal in several States. Sorghum: The sorghum acreage was 82% harvested, compared with 84% for both last year and the average. In Kansas, farmers tried to finish harvest where possible, but some areas needed the ground to dry out or freeze before machinery could enter fields. Colorado sorghum harvest was delayed again this week by melting snow from October's severe storm. Drier soils in Nebraska allowed growers to make some harvest progress. Growers in New Mexico, Oklahoma, and South Dakota made good progress with dry, warmer weather. Harvest neared completion in the Texas plains and north-central areas. Sorghum harvest in the Southeast was delayed by continued showers. Peanuts: Peanut harvest advanced to 93% complete, 1 percentage point ahead of 1996. Harvest was in full swing in Texas, where some peanuts were lost due to freezing temperatures. Oklahoma growers made good progress despite cool, wet weather. In the Southeast, showers limited harvest activities. Winter wheat: Planting of the 1998 winter wheat crop advanced to 94% complete, 1 point behind last year but equal to the average. Planting was most active in Arkansas and North Carolina as farmers planted winter wheat immediately following fall crop harvest. Seeding was nearly complete in Kansas, but wet soils kept farmers out of some fields. Cool, wet weather in Oklahoma delayed planting in some areas. Texas growers planted under mostly good conditions. Eighty-five percent of the winter wheat crop was emerged, compared with 88% in 1996 and the average of 84%. Precipitation in the Eastern States and the Northwest benefited emerged fields. Condition of the winter wheat crop rated mostly good. National Weather Summary Volume 84, No. 45 November 2 - 8, 1997 For additional information, call (202) 720-7917. Highlights: Early- and late-week storms delivered cool, unsettled weather to the eastern half of the Nation, while a high-pressure system provided the West with warm, dry conditions. The first storm raked the Midwest with high winds and light snow, while the latter system dumped excessive rainfall on the northern Middle Atlantic region. Weekly temperatures averaged as much as 10 degrees F below normal from the middle Mississippi Valley to the central Appalachians, but ranged from 3 to 8 degrees F above normal across the West. At week's end, cold air began to spill across the northern Plains. Early in the week, more than two dozen daily-record highs were established in the Southwest. In southern California, highs on Sunday reached 104 degrees F in Santa Ynez and 102 degrees F in Burbank. Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, AZ, notched 94 degrees F, tying their November record set in 1988. A day later in California, highs included 98 degrees F in Simi Valley and 97 degrees F in Pasadena. Meanwhile, a broad low-pressure system centered over the Great Lakes region weakened and drifted into eastern Canada. On Sunday, winds gusts in Iowa were clocked to 59 mph in Sioux City and 50 mph in Des Moines. On the other side of the storm, wind gusts in Maine reached 69 mph in Portland and 76 mph offshore on Matinicus Rock. The Portland Weather Buoy reported seas of 23 feet at the storm's peak. The storm produced significant rainfall throughout the Northeast, including 2.95 inches (and wind gusts to 53 mph) in Portsmouth, NH. At midweek, another storm developed over the Ozark Plateau. Daily-record rainfalls on Wednesday included 1.78 inches in Little Rock, AR and 1.29 inches in Columbia, MO. The storm drifted slowly eastward thereafter, reaching the Mid-Atlantic Coast by week's end. Storm-total precipitation topped 4 inches from northern Virginia into Pennsylvania, causing localized flooding. On Friday, daily-record totals were established in locations such as Baltimore, MD (2.44 inches) and Virginia's Dulles Airport (2.31 inches). Pittsburgh, PA netted 1.86 inches, their greatest single-day rainfall on record in November. Elsewhere in Pennsylvania, November 7-8 totals reached 6.39 inches in Altoona and 7.08 inches in Saxton. In the Northwest, warm weather prevailed in advance of a Pacific storm and an encroaching Arctic front. On Thursday, daily-record highs were established in Boise, ID (73 degrees F) and Butte, MT (65 degrees F). A day later, daily-rainfall records were set in Pendleton, OR (1.07 inches) and Yakima, WA (0.61 inches). By Sunday morning, November 9, however, cold air spilled into Montana, where Cut Bank recorded a low of 0 degrees F. Farther east, the sun appeared in Des Moines on Saturday for the first time since November 1. Weekly temperatures averaged 3 to 14 degrees F above normal in Alaska as extreme maxima reached 30 degrees F or higher statewide. Barrow's 68-day streak (August 26 to November 1) with a trace or more of precipitation ended on November 2. Conditions were occasionally quite stormy across the south, however, as Cold Bay registered a November record-tying wind gust to 75 mph on Tuesday, and Kodiak received a single-day, November-record rainfall (2.87 inches) on Saturday. Corn: Percent Harvested, Soybeans: Percent Harvested, Selected States Selected States -------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 1992- :-----------------------: 1992- State:Nov 9, :Nov 2, :Nov 9, : 1996 State:Nov 9, :Nov 2, :Nov 9, : 1996 : 1997 : 1997 : 1996 : Avg. : 1997 : 1997 : 1996 : Avg. -------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- : Percent : Percent : : CO : 81 77 93 77 AL : 68 58 61 59 GA : 100 98 100 99 AR : 74 65 67 75 IL : 93 89 82 84 GA : 31 25 50 40 IN : 75 59 62 72 IL : 99 98 94 97 IA : 91 84 77 78 IN : 98 96 90 96 KS : 94 93 96 93 IA : 99 99 98 99 KY : 90 85 93 92 KS : 92 85 87 92 MI : 31 15 49 50 KY : 71 60 61 72 MN : 96 90 87 75 LA : 98 96 97 91 MO : 91 87 83 82 MI : 90 87 91 91 NE : 81 66 84 76 MN : 99 99 99 98 NC : 96 95 99 98 MS : 89 85 86 81 OH : 57 41 49 63 MO : 87 82 81 87 PA : 53 46 56 57 NE : 94 92 100 100 SD : 92 80 75 66 NC : 21 16 28 23 TX : 100 99 100 100 OH : 97 95 84 95 WI : 58 41 58 61 SC : 16 11 34 22 : SD : 100 98 100 97 17 Sts: 84 75 78 77 TN : 63 51 42 59 -------------------------------------- : These 17 States produced 92% of the 19 Sts: 91 89 88 90 1996 corn crop. -------------------------------------- These 19 States produced 94% of the 1996 soybean crop. Winter Wheat: Percent Planted, Winter Wheat: Percent Emerged, Selected States Selected States -------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 1992- :-----------------------: 1992- State:Nov 9, :Nov 2, :Nov 9, : 1996 State:Nov 9, :Nov 2, :Nov 9, : 1996 : 1997 : 1997 : 1996 : Avg. : 1997 : 1997 : 1996 : Avg. -------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- : Percent : Percent : : AR : 72 60 57 70 AR : 56 42 45 54 CA : 15 7 29 23 CA : 5 2 14 9 CO : 100 100 100 100 CO : 98 96 98 98 GA : 13 9 15 20 GA : 8 5 9 13 ID : 99 96 99 98 ID : 85 77 85 83 IL : 99 97 96 95 IL : 93 86 82 84 IN : 98 96 96 97 IN : 86 78 82 85 KS : 98 96 99 99 KS : 91 89 97 94 MI : 99 99 100 98 MI : 97 95 91 87 MO : 93 86 87 86 MO : 77 65 70 68 MT : 100 99 100 98 MT : 88 82 87 84 NE : 100 100 100 100 NE : 100 100 100 100 NC : 55 35 60 51 NC : 30 15 36 34 OH : 99 97 94 98 OH : 88 71 77 86 OK : 96 93 99 97 OK : 82 76 90 82 OR : 95 93 95 93 OR : 75 70 82 78 SD : 100 100 100 100 SD : 100 100 95 98 TX : 92 86 99 90 TX : 80 70 94 76 WA : 100 99 99 98 WA : 99 97 96 88 : : 19 Sts: 94 91 95 94 19 Sts: 85 80 88 84 -------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- These 19 States produced 92% of the These 19 States produced 92% of the 1996 winter wheat crop. 1996 winter wheat crop. Cotton: Percent Harvested, Peanuts: Percent Harvested, Selected States Selected States -------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 1992- :-----------------------: 1992- State:Nov 9, :Nov 2, :Nov 9, : 1996 State:Nov 9, :Nov 2, :Nov 9, : 1996 : 1997 : 1997 : 1996 : Avg. : 1997 : 1997 : 1996 : Avg. -------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- : Percent : Percent : : AL : 68 56 81 76 AL : 99 96 96 NA AZ : 74 64 62 78 FL : 100 99 98 NA AR : 84 74 90 87 GA : 99 98 97 NA CA : 85 75 73 82 NC : 83 75 95 NA GA : 58 47 75 67 OK : 92 80 86 NA LA : 98 98 100 96 SC : 94 90 96 NA MS : 93 85 96 91 TX : 77 62 77 NA MO : 82 72 79 85 VA : 99 98 99 NA NM : 56 31 60 51 : NC : 50 34 72 63 8 Sts : 93 87 92 NA OK : 40 32 27 41 -------------------------------------- SC : 55 41 81 65 These 8 States produced 99% of the TN : 82 73 86 82 1996 peanut crop. TX : 62 45 46 53 : 14 Sts: 71 59 70 71 -------------------------------------- These 14 States produced 98% of the 1996 cotton crop. Sorghum: Percent Harvested, Selected States -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 1992- State:Nov 9, :Nov 2, :Nov 9, : 1996 : 1997 : 1997 : 1996 : Avg. -------------------------------------- : Percent : AR : 99 99 100 99 CO : 17 10 82 64 IL : 91 89 68 83 KS : 80 75 85 81 LA : 100 100 100 100 MS : 100 100 100 100 MO : 89 82 84 85 NE : 85 80 77 87 NM : 59 48 34 53 OK : 59 46 64 62 SD : 90 80 90 86 TX : 88 82 88 92 : 12 Sts: 82 76 84 84 -------------------------------------- These 12 States produced 99% of the 1996 sorghum crop. Winter Wheat: Crop Condition by Percent, Selected States -------------------------------------- State : VP : P : F : G : EX -------------------------------------- : Percent : AR : 0 1 28 60 11 CA : 0 5 45 40 10 CO : 1 5 15 59 20 GA : 0 0 24 69 7 ID : 0 0 5 86 9 IL : 0 1 29 60 10 IN : 1 5 28 56 10 KS : 0 1 12 67 20 MI : 1 4 41 47 7 MO : 0 1 30 60 9 MT : 0 7 41 50 2 NE : 0 4 20 66 10 NC : 0 1 19 74 6 OH : 1 6 36 49 8 OK : 0 1 15 78 6 OR : 0 0 15 83 2 SD : 0 1 13 59 27 TX : 2 18 35 40 5 WA : 0 3 8 75 14 : 19 Sts : 0 4 21 63 12 : Prev Wk : 0 3 22 64 11 Prev Yr : 0 3 24 61 12 -------------------------------------- The next "Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin" report will be released at 12 p.m. ET on November 18, 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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