Released December 2, 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 24 - 30, 1997 Highlights: Above-normal temperatures and early-week dry weather allowed harvest operations of the remaining fall crops to progress across the United States. However, late-week rains hampered harvest efforts of the last few fields in the Corn Belt and Southeast. Intermittent rain and wet soils along the Pacific Coast limited fieldwork activities. The warm weather and precipitation aided growth and development of emerged winter wheat in southern and eastern areas. However, farmers in the northern Plains were concerned about the lack of snow cover on wheat fields going into winter. Corn: The corn acreage was 97 percent (%) harvested, ahead of 96% harvested at this time last year and the 5-year average of 93%. Above-normal temperatures and early-week dry weather allowed farmers to harvest fields in most major corn-producing States. However, late-week showers hampered harvest of a few remaining fields in the Corn Belt and Southeast. Lodging in unharvested fields was a concern in Indiana. Despite wet conditions and slow dry down of unharvested corn, Michigan growers harvested 10% of their State's acreage during the week. Producers in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin also made good progress early in the week. Soybeans: The national soybean acreage was 98% harvested, compared with 96% in 1996 and the average of 97%. Harvest was active in South Carolina, where farmers harvested 20% of their State's crop during the week. Georgia farmers harvested soybeans between showers, but progress remained behind the normal pace. Cool weather across North Carolina slowed harvest activities. Harvest was finished or in its final stages in the other major soybean-producing States. Cotton: Cotton harvest entered its final stages with 89% of the Nation's crop harvested, compared with 87% last year and the average of 88%. Harvest was most active in New Mexico and Oklahoma as farmers took advantage of early-week dry weather to harvest fields ahead of the normal pace. In Texas, growers made good harvest progress until late-week showers slowed activity. Many operators are finished harvesting for the year, and operations are beginning to wind down in the Trans-Pecos region. Rain caused fieldwork delays in southern Georgia, and cotton harvest was still over a week behind the normal pace. Between rains, some California growers continued second-picking harvest on late-maturing fields. Sorghum: Sorghum harvest advanced to 97% complete, equal to harvest progress a year ago but ahead of the average of 95%. In Kansas, wet conditions and a lack of grain storage hindered completion of harvest. Favorable conditions allowed sorghum harvest to rapidly progress in Colorado. Portions of the crop that are unharvestable due to the late-October snowstorm were being grazed by livestock. Early-week good weather conditions allowed many producers in the Texas plains to complete harvest. Harvest activities were winding down by the end of the week in north-central areas of the State. Early-week dry weather in the Corn Belt allowed most farmers to finish sorghum harvest. Winter wheat: Emergence of the 1998 winter wheat crop was 94% complete, behind 96% emerged in 1996 but ahead of the average 93%. Of the major winter wheat-producing States, only Arkansas, California, Georgia, and North Carolina had a large portion of their acreage yet to emerge. Planting was active in Arkansas, California, and North Carolina as weather and fall harvest allowed. In Georgia, winter wheat planting and emergence remained behind the normal pace due to continued rain and delayed fall crop harvest. Overall, condition of the winter wheat crop rated mostly good. Widespread moisture fell in the central Plains for the first time since the late-October snowstorm. Precipitation also benefited emerged fields in the Northwest, Corn Belt, and Southeast. National Weather Summary Volume 84, No. 48 November 23 - 29, 1997 For additional information, call (202) 720-7917. Highlights: A strong Pacific storm, imbued with subtropical moisture, hurtled southeastward through California, dumping as much as 4 to 9 inches of precipitation, then turned eastward, delivering more than 2 inches of rain to parts of the east-central Plains and the Gulf Coast region. That storm, and another at week's end, traveled along the southern branch of a split jet stream, characteristic of El Ni o-driven weather patterns during late autumn and winter. California's precipitation perpetuated a 3-week wet spell, while in the Southeast, moisture surpluses continued to grow for the seventh consecutive week. Rain on the central Plains represented the region's first substantial precipitation since the late-October blizzard. Cold air gradually departed most areas east of the Rockies, ending a 6-week spell of subnormal temperatures. Departures ranged from +4 to +12 degrees F on the Plains. The chill persisted in New England, however, where weekly temperatures averaged as much as 7 degrees F below normal. Early in the week, chilly conditions lingered across the North and East. On November 23-24, lows in Embarrass, MN dipped to -16 and -25 degrees F, respectively. Montpelier, VT notched a daily-record-tying low of 4 degrees F on Tuesday. By midweek, however, warmer air overspread much of the Nation in advance of the West Coast storm. In Rochester, MN, a 23-day streak (November 2-24) of below-normal temperatures ended on Tuesday. Farther south, Midland, TX recorded a high of 80 degrees F. On Wednesday, Las Vegas, NV (75 degrees F) tied a daily record. By Friday, daily-record highs were tied in International Falls, MN (43 degrees F) and Evansville, IN (70 degrees F). Several dry days in the Southeast permitted late summer-crop harvesting and winter wheat planting to progress, but rain returned toward week's end. Late-week totals topped 2 inches in locations such as Macon, GA and Valparaiso, FL. Another band of rainfall (1 to 2 inches, with locally higher totals) stretched from eastern Kansas and southeastern Nebraska to western Ohio, boosting soil moisture for winter wheat establishment. Farther east, a powerful coastal storm developed on November 26-27, buffeting New England with Thanksgiving Day wind gusts that reached 71 mph in Milton, MA (Blue Hill Observatory) and 61 mph in Tiverton, RI. Less than 1 inch of snow fell in Portland, ME, but the monthly total was 20.5 inches, their highest in November since 1921. At the end of October, California's 155-reservoir water-supply system held about 7.1 trillion gallons (21.8 million acre feet) of water, 105 percent of the long-term average and 58 percent of capacity. November precipitation was above normal across most of the State. In San Francisco, the monthly rainfall of 6.97 inches was 268 percent of normal, their 10th highest November total in the past 149 years. Weekly precipitation reached 4.93 inches in the Sierra Nevada foothills at Blue Canyon and 4.73 inches in the Bay Area at Kentfield. On Wednesday, daily-record rainfalls were reported in Chatsworth (0.86 inches) and downtown Sacramento (1.07 inches). As the storm moved inland, snow accumulated across higher elevations of the West as far south as southern California. Alaskan temperatures fell sharply, as weekly departures ranged from -7 to +7 degrees F. Fairbanks' monthly temperature averaged 10.8 degrees F (more than 8 degrees above normal) and was their highest in November since 1981. A November average of 28.0 degrees F in Anchorage (6.8 degrees above normal) was their highest since 1979. Significant precipitation during the week was confined to southernmost locations. Corn: Percent Harvested, Soybeans: Percent Harvested, Selected States Selected States -------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 1992- :-----------------------: 1992- State:Nov 30,:Nov 23,:Nov 30,: 1996 State:Nov 30,:Nov 23,:Nov 30,: 1996 : 1997 : 1997 : 1996 : Avg. : 1997 : 1997 : 1996 : Avg. -------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- : Percent : Percent : : CO : 100 98 100 96 AL : 92 85 87 86 GA : 100 100 100 100 AR : 94 89 83 94 IL : 99 98 97 95 GA : 68 53 84 77 IN : 96 92 93 91 IL : 100 100 100 100 IA : 100 99 97 95 IN : 100 100 100 100 KS : 100 98 99 98 IA : 100 100 100 100 KY : 98 97 98 98 KS : 99 99 94 97 MI : 80 70 92 80 KY : 95 87 95 98 MN : 99 98 98 96 LA : 100 99 100 99 MO : 100 97 95 95 MI : 98 97 99 96 NE : 98 96 97 94 MN : 99 99 99 99 NC : 100 100 100 100 MS : 97 94 100 96 OH : 86 82 84 88 MO : 99 95 93 96 PA : 82 74 88 82 NE : 100 99 100 100 SD : 99 99 94 91 NC : 65 57 71 65 TX : 100 100 100 100 OH : 100 100 98 100 WI : 94 85 89 87 SC : 60 40 70 58 : SD : 100 100 100 100 17 Sts: 97 95 96 93 TN : 89 79 76 89 -------------------------------------- : These 17 States produced 92% of the 19 Sts: 98 96 96 97 1996 corn crop. -------------------------------------- These 19 States produced 94% of the 1996 soybean crop. Winter Wheat: Percent Emerged, Cotton: Percent Harvested, Selected States Selected States -------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 1992- :-----------------------: 1992- State:Nov 30,:Nov 23,:Nov 30,: 1996 State:Nov 30,:Nov 23,:Nov 30,: 1996 : 1997 : 1997 : 1996 : Avg. : 1997 : 1997 : 1996 : Avg. -------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- : Percent : Percent : : AR : 77 74 77 85 AL : 90 86 93 92 CA : 35 20 44 30 AZ : 91 88 81 92 CO : 100 100 100 100 AR : 97 95 100 98 GA : 26 16 38 41 CA : 98 97 94 97 ID : 95 92 96 97 GA : 74 66 90 85 IL : 100 99 100 98 LA : 100 100 100 100 IN : 99 97 98 99 MS : 99 97 100 99 KS : 98 96 99 98 MO : 98 94 94 97 MI : 100 99 100 99 NM : 91 80 89 80 MO : 100 92 93 88 NC : 80 76 89 85 MT : 94 93 93 94 OK : 88 72 50 69 NE : 100 100 100 100 SC : 85 78 95 88 NC : 77 65 72 68 TN : 96 91 97 97 OH : 100 96 98 99 TX : 84 79 74 77 OK : 93 92 98 92 : OR : 90 85 93 95 14 Sts: 89 85 87 88 SD : 100 100 100 99 -------------------------------------- TX : 92 89 100 88 These 14 States produced 98% of the WA : 100 99 99 97 1996 cotton crop. : 19 Sts: 94 92 96 93 -------------------------------------- Sorghum: Percent Harvested, These 19 States produced 92% of the Selected States 1996 winter wheat crop. -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 1992- State:Nov 30,:Nov 23,:Nov 30,: 1996 : 1997 : 1997 : 1996 : Avg. -------------------------------------- : Percent : AR : 100 100 100 100 CO : 68 35 96 91 IL : 100 97 95 97 KS : 98 91 97 92 LA : 100 100 100 100 MS : 100 100 100 100 MO : 99 96 95 96 NE : 99 97 97 97 NM : 100 98 94 92 OK : 86 80 94 91 SD : 98 98 100 98 TX : 98 95 98 99 : 12 Sts: 97 92 97 95 -------------------------------------- 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 4 33 55 8 CA : 0 0 35 40 25 CO : 1 3 20 62 14 GA : 0 0 38 58 4 ID : 0 0 8 81 11 IL : 0 1 25 66 8 IN : 0 5 27 56 12 KS : 0 2 21 67 10 MI : 2 8 31 50 9 MO : 0 4 25 62 9 MT : 0 4 44 52 0 NE : 0 7 26 60 7 NC : 0 1 27 68 4 OH : 0 4 35 49 12 OK : 0 1 16 79 4 OR : 0 0 15 83 2 SD : 0 6 13 55 26 TX : 1 10 40 46 3 WA : 0 0 11 78 11 : 19 Sts : 0 3 24 65 8 : Prev Wk : 0 4 23 62 11 Prev Yr : 1 3 21 64 11 -------------------------------------- The next "Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin" report will be released at 12 p.m. ET on December 9, 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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