Released April 21, 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 April 13 - 19, 1998 Highlights: Rain continued to delay spring field preparations, and muddy fields delayed the traditional beginning of the corn-planting season across most of the Corn Belt. Strong thunderstorms caused localized flooding and delayed fieldwork in parts of the Southeast. In the central and northern Plains, rainfall was considerably lighter, allowing farmers to make substantial progress in their fields while also benefiting the winter wheat crop and helping earlier planted crops to emerge. Planting and fieldwork also advanced in the Delta States. The southern Plains remained dry and rain was needed to help germinate recently planted crops. Most of Florida also remained in a dry pattern, but moisture reserves were adequate. Farmers in the Northeast enjoyed dry weather most of the week and made rapid progress preparing fields for planting. Weather conditions in California and the Southwest improved slightly, but continued wet soils and unseasonably low temperatures, especially at night, continued to cause delays in planting the cotton crop. Crop emergence and growth were slowed by cool weather and snow in the Rocky Mountain and Intermountain Plateau regions. Winter wheat: Winter wheat headed increased to 8 percent, slightly ahead of the 5-year average. The crop was most advanced in California, but development was more than 20 percent behind normal. Development remained ahead of normal in Texas and Oklahoma, but not nearly as advanced as the wheat crop in Arkansas, where nearly half of the crop was heading, double the normal progress for this date. In Kansas, the crop was also developing ahead of normal despite a late-week freeze. Most of the Kansas crop was in the jointing stage, with none reported headed. In the northern Plains, nearly all of the crop had broken dormancy, but growth was slowed in the High Plains by cool weather. The soft red winter wheat crop continued to develop up to 2 weeks ahead of normal in parts of the eastern Corn Belt, where conditions were mostly good to excellent despite excessive moisture in some areas. Nationally, the crop condition was nearly unchanged from a week earlier, but windy, dry weather caused a modest decline in the Texas crop. Corn: Five percent of the intended corn crop has been planted, slightly behind this time last year and the 5-year average. Frequent rains have kept fields too wet to plant in the Corn Belt. Illinois and Nebraska farmers planted 1 percent of their intended acreage, but virtually no corn was planted elsewhere in the Corn Belt. Excluding the Southern States, normal progress ranged mostly from 2 to 5 percent. Planting progress jumped 10 percent in Kansas, slightly ahead of normal for this date. Planting was also ahead of the 5-year average in Texas, where planting continued in the High Plains. Recently planted fields were emerging with good stands, but rain was needed to assist growth of young seedlings. In Missouri, planting was behind normal due to wet conditions in the northern third of the State, but rapid progress in the Bootheel partially offset the delays. Cotton: Ten percent of the Nation's cotton crop has been planted, 4 percent behind this time last year and the 5-year average. Progress continued slightly ahead of normal across most of the South despite heavy rains and flooding in the southern Appalachians and Tennessee Valley late in the week. Cotton planting in the Southwest fell further behind normal due to cool, wet soils. Delays were especially evident in California, where only lighter, well-drained fields were planted. In Arizona, growers made respectable planting progress, but were still considerably behind normal. Texas farmers were slightly ahead of the normal planting pace, but cool soils in some areas and dry soils in others prevented faster progress. Germination continued to be hampered by low nighttime temperatures. Rice: Rice farmers nearly doubled their planting to 41 percent of the intended acreage, 14 percent ahead of the 5-year average. Planting was substantially ahead of normal in Texas and Louisiana, but Mississippi growers were a few days behind normal for this date. Other crops: Sorghum planting advanced to 17 percent completed, equal to the 5-year average. Progress continued to be limited to Texas and the Mississippi Delta States. Spring wheat seeded advanced to 12 percent, twice the normal progress by this date. South Dakota farmers made excellent progress from the previous week, advancing to 38 percent seeded, well ahead of this time last year and the 5-year average. Oats seeded advanced to 20 percent of intended acres, 5 percent ahead of normal. Farmers in Iowa and Nebraska made some progress but continued to be limited by muddy fields. More than half of the intended seedings were complete in Ohio and Pennsylvania. Barley planted was at 15 percent, slightly ahead of normal. Planting was most advanced in Washington, but South Dakota farmers were also substantially ahead of normal. Peanut planting was just getting started. National Weather Summary Volume 85, No. 16 April 12 - 18, 1998 For additional information, call (202) 720-7917. Highlights: Heavy rain struck parts of the Midwest and Southeast for the third consecutive week, maintaining soil saturation and pushing rivers into minor to moderate flooding. The Southeastern wetness was part of a long-term wet spell that dates back more than 6 months, to mid-October 1997. In contrast, short-term dryness stretched to 4 weeks across the southern Plains, immediate Gulf Coast, and most of Florida. On April 18, temperatures dipped slightly below freezing as far south as eastern New Mexico and northern Texas, where winter wheat was approaching or entering the heading stage. Meanwhile, California and the Southwest experienced late-week improvement from 3 weeks of very cool, damp weather. Weekly temperatures ranged from 6 to 10 degrees F below normal in the Southwest to as much as 8 degrees F above normal in the Great Lakes States and New England. Early in the week, warm, windy weather prevailed across the Nation's mid-section in advance of a series of low-pressure systems. On Sunday, southerly winds gusted to 54 mph in Manhattan, KS, 55 mph in Sioux Falls, SD, and 59 mph in Ottumwa, IA. In contrast, cool weather lingered in the East and continued across the West. Daily-record lows were established on Sunday in Tallahassee, FL (35 degrees F) and San Luis Obispo, CA (34 degrees F). Waves of cool air continued to overspread the West until the late-week period, resulting in more than a dozen daily records. In California's San Joaquin Valley, Bakersfield not only notched daily-record lows of 38 degrees F on both April 14 and 16, but also posted a daily-record rainfall (0.12 inches) on April 15. Inland, daily-record lows included 13 degrees F in Ely, NV (on Tuesday), 29 degrees F in Albuquerque, NM (Thursday), and 18 degrees F in Cedar City, UT (Friday). Heavy snow fell in parts of the West. In Wyoming's Big Horn Mountains, totals locally topped 3 feet on April 14-15. By week's end, April snowfall reached 16.3 inches in Flagstaff, AZ and 10.1 inches in Cheyenne, WY. The monthly total rose to 9.5 inches in Colorado Springs, CO, aided by a daily-record total (6.7 inches) on Wednesday. Late in the week, cold air spilled onto the central and southern Plains, producing a half-dozen daily-record lows. On Friday, lows fell to 18 degrees F in both Tribune, KS and Yuma, CO. A day later, Midland, TX recorded 34 degrees F, while readings dipped below freezing in locations such as Roswell, NM (29 degrees F) and Lubbock, TX (31 degrees F). On the Texas Coast, Corpus Christi's high on Saturday (64 degrees F) was lower than their low temperature on Wednesday (74 degrees F). Farther east, weekly rainfall topped 4 inches in and near the southern Appalachians. In Union County, TN, 10.77 inches fell at Big Ridge. Twenty-four hour totals on April 16-17 reached 6.32 inches in Tazewell, TN. Also in Tennessee, Knoxville's monthly rainfall reached 9.70 inches through April 19, second on record in April to their 17.32-inch total in 1874. A tornado outbreak on Thursday battered downtown Nashville, TN and left five people dead (three in Tennessee and two in Arkansas), pushing the Nation's 1998 tornado death count to 103 (the highest since 1984). In South Carolina, Anderson received 4.60 inches on Friday, breaking their calendar-day record for April. Farther north, weekly rainfall totaled 2 to 5 inches in most of the Ohio River Valley and 1 to 3 inches from north-central Nebraska to Lake Michigan. By Monday, April 20, water levels on the lower Ohio River ranged from 1.7 feet above flood stage (afs) at Paducah, KY to 9.0 feet afs at Cairo, IL, and continued to rise. Back water from the Mississippi River caused the higher stage at Cairo. On the Mississippi River, a crest passed Moline, IL (2.34 feet afs) on April 12 and Keithsburg, IL (5.71 feet afs) on April 14. The crest reached Chester, IL, just north of the Ohio River confluence, on Saturday night, producing a stage 8.1 feet afs. (According to data released on April 20, the crest is expected to reach Caruthersville, MO (7.5 feet afs) on April 25, and Baton Rouge, LA (2.5 feet afs) on May 7. These forecasts are based on current conditions and may be affected by future rainfall in the basin.) Extremely mild spring weather continued in Alaska, where weekly temperatures ranged from 2 to 20 degrees F above normal. McGrath posted daily-record highs on Thursday (55 degrees F) and Saturday (61 degrees F). On April 17, Nenana's high of 60 degrees F was their earliest such occurrence. In Barrow, where temperatures averaged 15 degrees F above normal during the 7 weeks ending April 18, temperatures were last below normal on March 5. Meanwhile in Hawaii, dryness stretched toward a sixth consecutive month. In Honolulu, rainfall totaled 0.19 inches during the week, but only 2.80 inches (18 percent of normal) from November 1, 1997, to April 18, 1998. Corn: Percent Planted, Selected States -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 1993- State:Apr 19,:Apr 12,:Apr 19,: 1997 : 1998 : 1998 : 1997 : Avg. -------------------------------------- : Percent : CO : 2 1 5 5 GA : 77 77 90 85 IL : 1 0 11 5 IN : 0 0 4 2 IA : 0 0 0 2 KS : 12 1 6 10 KY : 27 15 24 18 MI : 0 0 0 0 MN : 0 0 0 2 MO : 14 6 16 18 NE : 1 0 0 2 NC : 46 25 56 49 OH : 2 1 5 3 PA : 1 0 1 0 SD : 0 0 0 0 TX : 60 49 56 57 WI : 0 0 0 0 : 17 Sts: 5 3 7 6 -------------------------------------- These 17 States planted 90% of last year's corn acreage. Winter Wheat: Percent Headed, Selected States -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 1993- State:Apr 19,:Apr 12,:Apr 19,: 1997 : 1998 : 1998 : 1997 : Avg. -------------------------------------- : Percent : AR : 47 19 39 23 CA : 60 40 87 81 CO : 0 0 0 0 GA : 43 20 87 60 ID : 0 0 0 0 IL : 0 0 0 0 IN : 0 0 0 0 KS : 0 0 0 0 MI : 0 0 0 0 MO : 1 0 2 1 MT : 0 0 0 0 NE : 0 0 0 0 NC : 20 8 19 16 OH : 0 0 0 0 OK : 12 3 15 11 OR : 0 0 0 0 SD : 0 0 0 0 TX : 28 9 23 21 WA : 0 0 0 0 : 19 Sts: 8 3 9 7 -------------------------------------- These 19 States planted 91% of last year's winter wheat acreage. Cotton: Percent Planted, Selected States -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 1993- State:Apr 19,:Apr 12,:Apr 19,: 1997 : 1998 : 1998 : 1997 : Avg. -------------------------------------- : Percent : AL : 19 5 14 15 AZ : 31 19 61 57 AR : 0 0 2 2 CA : 10 6 67 46 GA : 8 5 8 8 LA : 1 0 3 6 MS : 2 1 3 6 MO : 0 0 0 1 NM : 10 6 34 24 NC : 7 5 4 4 OK : 0 0 0 0 SC : 4 0 6 6 TN : 0 0 1 2 TX : 16 12 11 15 : 14 Sts: 10 7 14 14 -------------------------------------- These 14 States planted 98% of last year's cotton acreage. Sorghum: Percent Planted, Selected States -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 1993- State:Apr 19,:Apr 12,:Apr 19,: 1997 : 1998 : 1998 : 1997 : Avg. -------------------------------------- : Percent : AR : 31 12 24 19 CO : 0 0 0 0 IL : 0 0 0 0 KS : 0 0 0 0 LA : 22 0 19 17 MS : 23 9 37 33 MO : 0 0 1 1 NE : 0 0 0 0 NM : 0 0 0 0 OK : 2 0 2 3 SD : 0 0 0 0 TX : 48 45 42 50 : 12 Sts: 17 15 15 17 -------------------------------------- These 12 States planted 99% of last year's sorghum acreage. Spring Wheat: Percent Planted, Selected States -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 1993- State:Apr 19,:Apr 12,:Apr 19,: 1997 : 1998 : 1998 : 1997 : Avg. -------------------------------------- : Percent : ID : 41 30 49 49 MN : 3 0 0 3 MT : 16 5 4 9 ND : 3 0 0 1 SD : 38 16 1 9 : 5 Sts : 12 4 3 6 -------------------------------------- These 5 States planted 96% of last year's spring wheat acreage. Rice: Percent Planted, Selected States -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 1993- State:Apr 19,:Apr 12,:Apr 19,: 1997 : 1998 : 1998 : 1997 : Avg. -------------------------------------- : Percent : AR : 37 9 17 20 CA : 0 0 1 0 LA : 77 60 60 55 MS : 35 26 51 40 TX : 73 59 11 43 : 5 Sts : 41 23 24 27 -------------------------------------- These 5 States planted 96% of last year's rice acreage. Oats: Percent Planted, Selected States -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 1993- State:Apr 19,:Apr 12,:Apr 19,: 1997 : 1998 : 1998 : 1997 : Avg. -------------------------------------- : Percent : IA : 22 5 51 49 MI : 24 3 23 7 MN : 16 1 3 6 NE : 38 20 52 50 ND : 2 0 0 1 OH : 64 47 61 32 PA : 50 30 46 26 SD : 28 12 1 9 WI : 10 4 7 9 : 9 Sts : 20 8 16 15 -------------------------------------- These 9 States planted 57% of last year's oat acreage. Barley: Percent Planted, Selected States -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 1993- State:Apr 19,:Apr 12,:Apr 19,: 1997 : 1998 : 1998 : 1997 : Avg. -------------------------------------- : Percent : ID : 30 NA 29 34 MN : 3 NA 0 2 MT : 13 NA 5 12 ND : 1 NA 0 1 SD : 26 NA 0 6 WA : 73 NA 32 43 : 6 Sts : 15 NA 8 12 -------------------------------------- These 6 States planted 83% of last year's barley acreage. Winter Wheat: Crop Condition by Percent, Selected States -------------------------------------- State : VP : P : F : G : EX -------------------------------------- : Percent : AR : 0 4 35 54 7 CA : 0 0 40 25 35 CO : 1 3 16 45 35 GA : 1 8 31 51 9 ID : 0 1 4 60 35 IL : 1 2 16 63 18 IN : 0 2 11 59 28 KS : 0 2 19 55 24 MI : 1 5 16 60 18 MO : 1 8 31 51 9 MT : 2 10 29 54 5 NE : 1 5 21 60 13 NC : 3 5 37 46 9 OH : 0 2 13 51 34 OK : 0 1 13 82 4 OR : 0 0 9 59 32 SD : 0 1 9 58 32 TX : 1 10 32 48 9 WA : 0 0 9 69 22 : 19 Sts : 0 4 20 58 18 : Prev Wk : 0 3 19 60 18 Prev Yr : 6 13 35 40 6 -------------------------------------- Peanuts: Percent Planted, Selected States -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 1993- State:Apr 19,:Apr 12,:Apr 19,: 1997 : 1998 : 1998 : 1997 : Avg. -------------------------------------- : Percent : AL : 6 NA 5 NA FL : 1 NA 3 NA GA : 2 NA 4 NA NC : 1 NA 0 NA OK : 1 NA 0 NA SC : 0 NA 11 NA TX : 0 NA 0 NA VA : 1 NA 0 NA : 8 Sts : 2 NA 2 NA -------------------------------------- These 8 States planted 99% of last year's peanut acreage. VP=Very poor, P=Poor, F=Fair, G=Good, E=Excellent National crop conditions for selected States are weighted based on 1997 planted acres. The next "Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin" report will be released at 12 p.m. ET on April 28, 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!! 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