Released November 18, 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 10 - 16, 1997 Highlights: Well-below-normal temperatures, combined with rainfall in the Southeast and late-week snow in the Corn Belt and New England, hampered harvest efforts. Snow in North Dakota and Minnesota halted most fieldwork for the winter. Field activities in California were slowed for several days by midweek rainfall. Well-below-normal temperatures and snow limited fieldwork in the Rocky Mountains and High Plains. In the Northwest, fieldwork continued under favorable conditions. Corn: The Nations' corn acreage was 91% harvested, ahead of 87% harvested at this time last year and the 5-year average of 85%. Harvest was active in the Great Lakes region and eastern Corn Belt until late-week snow limited fieldwork. Harvest remained behind the normal pace in Michigan even though farmers harvested 21% of their States' crop during the week. In Iowa, harvest was complete in many areas, but lodging, unfrozen, and slick fields slowed harvest of remaining fields. Good harvesting weather in Nebraska promoted active harvest. However, growers in eastern Nebraska reported significant harvest losses due to earlier snowstorms and high winds. In Missouri, poor drying weather hampered harvest efforts. Soybeans: Soybean harvest continued at a slow pace, advancing only 2 percentage points to 93% complete at week's end. This compares with 92% harvested in 1996 and the average of 93%. In the Southeast, cool, wet weather hampered harvest progress. Daily rainfall halted harvest in Tennessee until Saturday afternoon. Wet conditions were beginning to cause losses in Virginia. A hard freeze would aid harvest in Georgia. Harvest was virtually complete in the Corn Belt, with only a few fields of double-crop soybeans yet unharvested. Soybean harvest was slow in Nebraska as farmers concentrated on corn. In Minnesota, soybean harvest was virtually complete before the arrival of snow cover at the end of the week. Cotton: Cotton harvest reached 78% complete, 1 point ahead of last year and the average. Harvest was in its final stages in California, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Cotton harvest progressed well in New Mexico despite limited fieldwork time due to cold, wet conditions. Weather problems in Texas caused numerous harvest delays and the quality of the crop may be affected. However, even with the delays, harvest progressed ahead of the normal pace. Continued rainfall in the Southeast caused harvest to remain behind the average pace, especially in Georgia and South Carolina, where quality and yields were deteriorating rapidly. Sorghum: Eighty-nine percent of the sorghum acreage was harvested, behind 91% harvested in 1996 and the average of 90%. Despite snow, New Mexico sorghum growers were able to harvest 25% of their States' crop during the week, 19 points ahead of the average pace. Colorado harvest progress remained well behind average as another snowstorm blanketed much of the State. In Kansas, snowdrifts from October's blizzard were preventing harvest in some areas. Cool, wet weather delayed harvest in the north-central and plains areas of Texas. Nebraska growers made good progress under good harvesting conditions. Poor drying weather limited harvest in Missouri. Peanuts: Peanut harvest was in its final stages with 96% of the crop out of the field, 3 points ahead of last year. Texas was the only major peanut-producing State to have a significant amount of acreage yet unharvested. Producers in north-central areas needed a few more good weather days to complete harvest. Fields dug but not harvested may have sustained some damage from rain. Harvest in North Carolina moved into its final stages as growers made good progress. Winter wheat: Planting of the 1998 winter wheat crop advanced to 96% complete, equal to planting a year ago but 1 point ahead of the average. Planting was most active in California and North Carolina, where fields planted were after fall crop harvest. In Georgia, planting was a week behind average due to the continued wet weather and delayed fall crop harvest. Planting was virtually complete in the remaining major winter wheat-producing States. Eighty-nine percent of the crop was emerged, compared with 92% emerged in 1996 and the average of 88%. Fields in the Eastern and Southern States benefited from precipitation. Sunny weather and good moisture conditions favored growth of fall seeded crops in eastern Washington. In the Texas plains, extremely cold weather early in the week may have set back weaker stands. Overall, winter wheat condition rated mostly good. National Weather Summary Volume 84, No. 46 November 9 - 15, 1997 For additional information, call (202) 720-7917. Highlights: Cold air, already in place east of the Rockies when the week began, was twice reinforced, holding weekly temperatures below normal by 8 to 20 degrees F on the Plains and 6 to 14 degrees F in the Midwest. Widespread snowfall accompanied the chill from the upper Midwest into the Northeast, especially late in the week. Ice glazed parts of the Northeast. In sharp contrast, readings averaged 8 to 21 degrees F above normal on Alaska's mainland. Significant precipitation continued across the Southeast for a fifth consecutive week, and torrential rains caused some flooding in west-central Florida. Unsettled weather enveloped California, where weekly rainfall topped 6 inches in some locations. Early in the week, daily-record warmth covered Alaska and the Pacific Northwest. On Sunday, Juneau, AK posted their first of two consecutive daily records (52 degrees F and 55 degrees F). The only warmer November day on record in Juneau was November 2, 1946 (56 degrees F). On Tuesday in Alaska, Fairbanks' high of 49 degrees F was their second highest on record in November, behind a 54-degree reading on November 25, 1936. In Washington, Seattle (64 degrees F) and Olympia (62 degrees F) logged their first of three daily records on Sunday. Seattle's highs reached or exceeded 60 degrees F four times during the first half of the month, their most in November since 1987. Meanwhile, daily-record lows were set on Sunday in Florida at West Palm Beach (49 degrees F) and Miami (52 degrees F). For much of the week, maxima in Alaska exceeded those observed across parts of the South. In Texas, Austin's high peaked at 47 degrees F on Tuesday, 2 degrees below Fairbanks'. Precipitation spread onto the southern Plains early in the week, intensifying across the South by midweek and the East on Thursday and Friday. The season's first 1-inch snowfall occurred in Amarillo, TX on Monday, and 5.2 inches fell there by week's end. Snow reached St. Louis, MO on Thursday, producing a daily-record total of 2.3 inches. Heavy snow blanketed the interior Northeast and upper Midwest late in the week. Sleet and freezing rain fell in the northern Mid-Atlantic States and southern New England. On Friday in New York, daily-record snowfall totals were reported by Rochester (10.6 inches), Syracuse (10.3 inches), and Buffalo (9.5 inches). The only other time that Rochester had an 8-inch accumulation earlier in the season was in 1953. Storm-total snowfall reached 14 inches in central New York. Farther south, Orlando, FL noted consecutive daily-record rainfalls (1.42 inches on Thursday and 1.32 inches on Friday). Melbourne, FL netted 4.70 inches on November 13. Heavy rain (up to 9 inches) also fell in west-central Florida, where a record flood was reported on the Manatee River near Myakka Head, eclipsing the September 1988 record by 0.35 feet. The season-to-date's heaviest and most widespread rain arrived in California during the week. For the 7 days ending Sunday, November 16, rainfall totaled 3.33 inches in Santa Rosa, 2.34 inches in Redding, 1.71 inches in Sacramento, and 0.92 inches in Los Angeles. Localized totals reached 6 to 8 inches near Mt. Shasta and in the Pacific Coast Ranges. At week's end, another surge of cold air spread southward through the Plains. Highs on Friday in Colorado reached only 18 degrees F in Colorado Springs and 23 degrees F in Pueblo. Daily-record lows were established on Saturday in Valentine, NE (-10 degrees F) and Pueblo (-4 degrees F). Snow accompanied the chill across the upper Midwestern and Great Lakes States, boosting month-to-date snowfall to 30.9 inches in Marquette, MI, 7.0 inches in Waterloo, IA, 6.6 inches in Fargo, ND, 6.2 inches in Aberdeen, SD, and 5.7 inches in Indianapolis, IN. Corn: Percent Harvested, Soybeans: Percent Harvested, Selected States Selected States -------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 1992- :-----------------------: 1992- State:Nov 16,:Nov 9, :Nov 16,: 1996 State:Nov 16,:Nov 9, :Nov 16,: 1996 : 1997 : 1997 : 1996 : Avg. : 1997 : 1997 : 1996 : Avg. -------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- : Percent : Percent : : CO : 92 81 96 87 AL : 72 68 75 69 GA : 100 100 100 100 AR : 81 74 71 83 IL : 96 93 91 90 GA : 44 31 67 55 IN : 87 75 76 81 IL : 99 99 98 98 IA : 96 91 89 88 IN : 99 98 95 98 KS : 95 94 98 96 IA : 99 99 99 100 KY : 93 90 96 95 KS : 95 92 91 94 MI : 52 31 69 64 KY : 77 71 76 82 MN : 97 96 94 86 LA : 99 98 99 95 MO : 93 91 88 87 MI : 93 90 95 94 NE : 91 81 92 85 MN : 99 99 99 99 NC : 100 96 100 99 MS : 90 89 93 88 OH : 72 57 60 72 MO : 90 87 86 91 PA : 66 53 69 68 NE : 97 94 100 100 SD : 98 92 89 79 NC : 33 21 40 36 TX : 100 100 100 100 OH : 100 97 89 97 WI : 70 58 76 74 SC : 20 16 52 34 : SD : 100 100 100 99 17 Sts: 91 84 87 85 TN : 64 63 57 71 -------------------------------------- : These 17 States produced 92% of the 19 Sts: 93 91 92 93 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 16,:Nov 9, :Nov 16,: 1996 State:Nov 16,:Nov 9, :Nov 16,: 1996 : 1997 : 1997 : 1996 : Avg. : 1997 : 1997 : 1996 : Avg. -------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- : Percent : Percent : : AR : 77 72 62 77 AR : 65 56 52 65 CA : 40 15 39 31 CA : 15 5 24 15 CO : 100 100 100 100 CO : 99 98 99 99 GA : 19 13 25 29 GA : 13 8 13 18 ID : 99 99 99 99 ID : 90 85 89 89 IL : 100 99 99 98 IL : 98 93 93 90 IN : 100 98 100 100 IN : 93 86 91 93 KS : 99 98 99 99 KS : 94 91 98 96 MI : 100 99 100 99 MI : 99 97 96 92 MO : 95 93 91 91 MO : 84 77 78 78 MT : 100 100 100 100 MT : 91 88 92 90 NE : 100 100 100 100 NE : 100 100 100 100 NC : 71 55 69 62 NC : 42 30 47 47 OH : 100 99 99 100 OH : 94 88 87 93 OK : 98 96 99 98 OK : 88 82 94 88 OR : 97 95 97 95 OR : 80 75 90 89 SD : 100 100 100 100 SD : 100 100 99 99 TX : 94 92 100 92 TX : 85 80 98 81 WA : 100 100 99 99 WA : 99 99 97 91 : : 19 Sts: 96 94 96 95 19 Sts: 89 85 92 88 -------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- 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 16,:Nov 9, :Nov 16,: 1996 State:Nov 16,:Nov 9, :Nov 16,: 1996 : 1997 : 1997 : 1996 : Avg. : 1997 : 1997 : 1996 : Avg. -------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- : Percent : Percent : : AL : 75 68 85 82 AL : 100 99 98 NA AZ : 82 74 72 85 FL : 100 100 99 NA AR : 88 84 94 92 GA : 100 99 99 NA CA : 95 85 84 89 NC : 93 83 99 NA GA : 59 58 81 73 OK : 97 92 89 NA LA : 99 98 100 98 SC : 96 94 99 NA MS : 95 93 98 95 TX : 83 77 86 NA MO : 86 82 80 89 VA : 99 99 100 NA NM : 70 56 73 64 : NC : 63 50 78 72 8 Sts : 96 93 96 NA OK : 48 40 34 51 -------------------------------------- SC : 64 55 89 77 These 8 States produced 99% of the TN : 83 82 91 88 1996 peanut crop. TX : 71 62 58 61 : 14 Sts: 78 71 77 77 -------------------------------------- These 14 States produced 98% of the 1996 cotton crop. Sorghum: Percent Harvested, Selected States -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 1992- State:Nov 16,:Nov 9, :Nov 16,: 1996 : 1997 : 1997 : 1996 : Avg. -------------------------------------- : Percent : AR : 99 99 100 100 CO : 27 17 87 75 IL : 94 91 79 89 KS : 89 80 93 88 LA : 100 100 100 100 MS : 100 100 100 100 MO : 92 89 88 89 NE : 96 85 87 93 NM : 84 59 44 65 OK : 73 59 81 76 SD : 96 90 94 92 TX : 92 88 93 95 : 12 Sts: 89 82 91 90 -------------------------------------- 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 3 26 63 8 CA : 0 0 50 40 10 CO : 1 3 20 62 14 GA : 0 1 38 58 3 ID : 0 0 8 86 6 IL : 0 3 23 66 8 IN : 1 8 29 49 13 KS : 0 1 11 72 16 MI : 1 4 41 48 6 MO : 0 1 28 63 8 MT : 4 12 35 47 2 NE : 0 7 26 58 9 NC : 0 0 24 67 9 OH : 0 4 34 50 12 OK : 0 1 16 77 6 OR : 0 0 15 83 2 SD : 0 6 13 55 26 TX : 2 8 40 41 9 WA : 0 0 7 72 21 : 19 Sts : 1 3 21 64 11 : Prev Wk : 0 4 21 63 12 Prev Yr : 0 3 23 62 12 -------------------------------------- The next "Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin" report will be released at 12 p.m. ET on November 25, 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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