Released February 3, 1998, 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 (202) 720-7621, office hours 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET. National Agricultural Summary January 26 - February 1, 1998 Highlights: Mild temperatures prevailed nationwide again this week. The Plains States recorded temperatures well above normal for this time of year. Despite rains erupting in parts of Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas at week's end, parts of the Plains remained dry. Some farmers were concerned that if the mild temperatures continue, winter wheat fields may break dormancy. Farmers in the Corn Belt were also concerned about winter wheat greening due to mild temperatures. In the Southeast, midweek storms caused minor flooding, and continued wet soils kept farmers from harvesting remaining unharvested fields. Early-week cool nights in the Florida citrus belt considerably slowed the emergence of feathery new growth. New England farmers received a much-needed break as above-normal temperatures moved into the area after severe weather in January. In Oregon and California, the progress of field activities was hampered by rain and wet soils in most areas. Midweek storms caused some lodging in early-planted winter wheat fields in the central coast area of California. Fruit, vegetable, and vineyard activities progressed as weather permitted. National Weather Summary Volume 85, No. 5 January 25 - 31, 1998 For additional information, call (202) 720-7917. Highlights: Storminess shifted southward along the West Coast, resulting in more than 4 inches or rain in parts of northern California. The new storm track also delivered the month's first significant rainfall to parts of the central and southern Plains. Farther east, a major midweek storm battered the Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic States with high winds, heavy surf, and significant precipitation. Snowfall in the central and southern Appalachians topped 2 feet in some areas. With the exception of a brief cold snap in New England, very mild conditions prevailed nearly nationwide. Weekly departures ranged from +8 to +20 degrees F across the northern and central Plains and the Midwest. Temperatures averaged up to 4 degrees F below normal, however, in southern Florida. More than a dozen daily-record highs were set during the week. On Monday, Butte, MT registered 49 degrees F, followed a day later by a high of 63 degrees F in Hill City, KS. Highs of 57 degrees F in Seattle, WA and 56 degrees F in Boise, ID were among the half-dozen daily records on Wednesday. Eastern Alaska, where weekly temperatures ranged from 4 to 13 degrees F above normal, also shared in the warmth. Juneau closed the month with consecutive daily-record highs (46 and 49 degrees F). In western Alaska, however, where Nome posted a low of -30 degrees F on Wednesday, weekly readings averaged as much as 18oF below normal. Cooler-than-normal weather also dominated Hawaii. Weekly readings averaged 4 degrees F below normal in Lihue, and Honolulu notched an all-time record-tying low of 53 degrees F on Saturday. In the Southeast, the midweek storm further boosted record or near-record monthly precipitation totals. On January 27-28, as much as 2 to 4 inches fell in the Mid-Atlantic region. Farther north, cold weather briefly settled into the Northeast. On Tuesday, lows included -30 degrees F in Canaan, VT and -25 degrees F in Saranac Lake, NY. Meanwhile, wet snow buried the central and southern Appalachians. Preliminary data indicated a 24-hour, State-record snowfall for West Virginia, where Flat Top received 35 inches on January 27-28. Storm-total snowfall in nearby Ghent was 42 inches. Elsewhere in West Virginia, 24-hour snowfall records were also set in Bluefield (21.9 inches) and Beckley (31.0 inches). Farther south, as much as 30 inches of snow fell in the higher elevations of eastern Tennessee, while local totals reached 40 inches in the mountains of western North Carolina. Along the coast, the tide at Sewells Point, VA reached 6.44 feet above mean lower low water (mllw) on Wednesday, their highest since March 8, 1962. Similarly, the tide reached 9.00 feet above mllw at Lewes, DE, approaching their 1962 record of 9.49 feet mllw. Along the Virginia coast, wind gusts were clocked to 83 mph on Cape Henry and 78 mph in Chincoteague. Early in the week, a final round of rain and wind lashed the Northwest. In Oregon on Sunday, wind gusts reached 77 mph on Cape Blanco and 60 mph in Florence. Medford, OR received measurable rain on 22 days during January, breaking a record that had stood since 1919. Widespread rainfall moved into California after midweek, boosting January rainfall to 13.63 inches (225 percent of normal) in Redding and 13.30 inches (222 percent) in Eureka. Farther east, rain arrived on the Plains on Saturday. In Kansas, January 31 rainfall of 0.93 inch in Concordia and 0.64 inch in Dodge City accounted for more than 70 percent of the month's precipitation. The moisture missed much of the High Plains, however, leaving locations such as Lubbock, TX (a trace), Burlington, CO (0.03 inch), and Goodland, KS (0.07 inch) with a nearly dry January. Note: US level crop conditions are weighted averages based on 1997 planted acres for the selected states. The next "Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin" report will be released at 12 p.m. ET on February 10, 1998. 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. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact the USDA's TARGET Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint, write the Secretary of Agriculture, USDA, Washington, D.C., 20250, or call 1-800-245-6340 (voice) or 202-720-1127 (TDD). USDA is an equal employment opportunity employer. ACCESS TO REPORTS!! For your convenience, there are several ways to obtain NASS reports, data products, and services: INTERNET ACCESS All NASS reports are available free of charge on the worldwide Internet. For access, connect to the Internet and go to the NASS Home Page at: http://www.usda.gov/nass/. Select "Today's Reports" or Publications and then Reports by Calendar or Publications and then Search, by Title or Subject. E-MAIL SUBSCRIPTION All NASS reports are available by subscription free of charge direct to your e-mail address. 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