Release January 5, 1999 by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) Agricultural Statistics Board, U.S. Department of Agricultural. For information on "Weekly Weather & Crop Bulletin" call Mark E. Miller at (202) 720-7621, office hours 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET. National Weather Summary Volume 86, No. 1 December 27, 1998 - January 2, 1999 For additional information, call (202) 720-7917. Highlights: Cold weather overspread the eastern half of the Nation, holding weekly temperatures as much as 7 degrees F below normal and setting the stage for a late-week blizzard across the Midwestern and Great Lakes States. While the snowfall benefited soft red winter wheat, cold, windy conditions severely stressed livestock. Bitterly cold air trailed the storm into the northern and central Plains at week's end, lowering temperatures to 0 degrees F as far south as northern Kansas. Hard red winter wheat on the central Plains had limited protection from the cold weather due to a light, patchy snow cover. Farther east, strong to severe late-week thunderstorms raced across the Gulf Coast States, while sleet, freezing rain, heavy rain, and gusty winds battered the East. In contrast, mild, dry weather prevailed in the Southwest, where weekly temperatures ranged from 3 to 11 degrees F above normal. Warmer-than-normal weather (departure of +4 to +14 degrees F) was also observed in the Northwest, but was accompanied by heavy rain. Rain- and snowmelt-induced flooding ensued, primarily west of the Cascades. Early in the week, warm weather lingered across Florida, while record warmth developed across the West. Miami Beach, FL noted consecutive daily-record highs, including 84 degrees F on Tuesday. About two dozen daily records were set or tied in the West, including a high of 86 degrees F in Chatsworth, CA on December 30. On the same day, Cuyama, CA posted a December record-tying high of 79 degrees F. On New Year's Day, highs topped 70 degrees F as far north as Redding, CA (71 degrees F). A day later, Red Bluff, CA notched 74 degrees F. Unusually mild weather briefly spread as far east as the High Plains, as downslope winds on Monday pushed highs 55 degrees F in Billings, MT and 70 degrees F in La Junta, CO. On the same day, Cheyenne, WY clocked a December-record wind gust to 75 mph. In contrast, a re-inforcement of the previous week's cold outbreak maintained or introduced below-normal temperatures from the eastern Plains to the East Coast. In Indiana, Indianapolis registered their lowest temperature of the year (4 degrees F) on December 31. On New Year's Day, Sault Ste. Marie, MI (-23 degrees F) reported a daily-record low, while minima in northern Minnesota plummeted to -37 degrees F in International Falls and -42 degrees F in Embarrass. Snow accumulated across much of the Midwest on Wednesday, as a fast-moving storm crossed the region. The system dropped the season's first measurable snowfall in locations such as Columbia, MO (1.0 inch), Evansville, IN (1.5 inches), and Huntington, WV (2.0 inches). Days later, a much stronger storm developed on the southern Plains before tracking northeastward through Michigan. Chicago's O'Hare Airport netted 21.6 inches of snow from January 1-3, second only to their 23.0-inch storm total on January 26-27, 1967. On January 2, however, Chicago's 18.6-inch accumulation, accompanied by easterly wind gusts up to 47 mph, was their greatest calendar-day total on record (surpassing 16.5 inches on January 13, 1979). In Wisconsin, Milwaukee collected 15.4 inches, their greatest single-storm accumulation since January 28-30, 1947. Wind gusts in Milwaukee reached 51 mph. Elsewhere, January 1-3 totals included 7.5 inches in Dayton, OH, 9.3 inches in Columbia, MO, 10.9 inches in Indianapolis, IN, 15.6 inches in Grand Rapids, MI, and 18.7 inches in Burlington, IA. We 1 (1-99) Meanwhile, damaging amounts of freezing rain glazed areas as far south as the western Carolinas before a rapid changeover to rain. Some significant icing also occurred in the Ohio Valley just south of the main heavy snow area. Storm-total rainfall exceeded 4 inches in a few locations along the northern Atlantic Coast, accompanied by strong winds. On Sunday, January 3, peak wind gusts included 61 mph in Wilmington, DE and 71 mph in Chatham, MA. Farther south, heavy rains accompanied a line of thunderstorms across the South. Daily-record totals for New Year's Day were reported in locations such as Longview, TX (2.05 inches) and Texarkana, AR (2.09 inches). Renewed heavy rainfall and high freezing levels led to widespread flooding across the Pacific Northwest during the early- to midweek period. In Washington, Seattle's November-December precipitation totaled 20.60 inches (175 percent of normal), breaking their 1995 record of 18.46 inches. Astoria, OR received 36.13 inches (also 175 percent) during the same period. On December 28, several coastal rivers in western Oregon responding to maximum 24-hour rainfall rates of 6 to 9 inches crested at levels slightly above those observed during the February 1996 flood. The Siletz River at Siletz peaked at 8.7 feet above flood stage, while the Wilson River near Tillamook surged to 6.6 feet above flood stage. National Agricultural Summary December 28, 1998 - January 3, 1999 Highlights: Frigid temperatures spread across most of the eastern half of the United States as a cold Canadian airmass moved into the northern Plains early in the week. Most wheat fields in the northern Plains and eastern Corn Belt received an additional layer of snow, protecting it from the sub-zero temperatures and wind chills. Blizzard conditions developed as the system pushed through the central Corn Belt and Great Lakes Region. Below-normal temperatures extended nearly to the Gulf Coast, and sub-freezing temperature readings were recorded in northern Florida. Peach orchards in the Southeast, in need of additional chill hours, welcomed the cold weather. In Florida, the cooler weather hindered development of some vegetables. A storm system that developed along the western Gulf Coast delivered a mixture of rain and freezing rain to the lower Mississippi Valley, Southeast, and middle Atlantic Coast States. Icing caused power outages in some areas, but most areas welcomed the precipitation as soil moisture levels improved. In the Western United States, temperatures averaged above normal in most areas and well above normal through most of the Rocky Mountains. The snow pack continued to accumulate in the northern Rocky Mountains, but heavy rains and mild temperatures melted snow in the Pacific Northwest. The combination of heavy rain and snow melt caused flooding in low-lying areas along streams. In California, cold morning temperatures delayed winter vegetable harvest. A slow warming trend in the San Joaquin Valley allowed citrus growers to salvage some fruit from their orchards. Farther south, the citrus harvest was active and growers were pruning and fertilizing vineyards and non-citrus trees. The next "Weekly Weather & Crop Bulletin" report will be released after 12 p.m. ET on January 12, 1999. 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