Release January 20, 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. 3 January 10 - 16, 1999 For additional information, call (202) 720-7917. Highlights: Warm weather continued across the Intermountain West and spread across the Plains and Southeast. On the northern Plains, mild, breezy conditions melted much of the snow cover, leaving winter wheat vulnerable to potential cold outbreaks. Farther west, fog lifted from California's Central Valley, allowing temperatures to return to near-normal levels. Toward week's end, bitterly cold conditions eased from the Midwest into the Northeast. Weekly temperatures ranged from 5 to 15 degrees F above normal across most of the western half of the Nation, but averaged as much as 12 degrees F below normal in Michigan. Light snow continued to blanket the northern Corn Belt for much of the week, adding to already impressive snow depths. Significant mid- to late-week snow, sleet, and freezing rain accumulated from the eastern Corn Belt into the Northeast, causing power outages and hampering transportation. Farther south, beneficial showers dampened areas east of the Delta, although soils remained unfavorably dry in much of Florida. Meanwhile, heavy rain returned to areas west of the Cascades during the week, maintaining wet conditions and causing some renewed flooding. Early in the week, record warmth arrived in the Northwest, then spread quickly across the Plains and into the Southeast. On Sunday, Eugene, OR (60 degrees F) posted a daily-record high. A day later, highs of 73 degrees F in Pueblo, CO and 70 degrees F in Russell, KS were among a half-dozen daily records. San Angelo, TX logged 79 degrees F, a daily record, on Tuesday. Meanwhile, locally dense fog persisted through midweek in California's Central Valley, where Sunday's high reached only 37 degrees F in Stockton. A second wave of warmth spread from the Northwest onto the Plains on January 14-15, producing about two dozen daily-record highs. Yakima, WA noted 60 degrees F on Thursday. A day later, highs soared to77 degrees F in Lubbock, TX, 74 degrees F in Clovis, NM, and 65 degrees F in Grand Island, NE. Meanwhile across the Midwest, the lengthy spell of bitterly cold weather left considerable ice in the upper portion of the middle Mississippi River and its tributaries, including the Illinois River, restricting barge movement. In Chicago, IL, an additional 3.8 inches of snow fell during the week, boosting their monthly total to 28.9 inches. On Saturday, however, Chicago's temperature rose above 32 degrees F for the first time since December 29, ending a 17-day span of sub-freezing temperatures. In Grand Rapids, MI, temperatures remained below 20 degrees F on 8 consecutive days (January 7-14), breaking their former record--established in 1961, 1963, 1994, and 1996--by a day. In addition, Grand Rapids' weekly snowfall totaled 11.4 inches, increasing their month-to-date total to 40.5 inches and nearing their January-record value of 45.5 inches, set in 1979 and 1997. Similarly in Wisconsin, Milwaukee's January 1-16 snowfall of 35.5 inches placed as their third-highest January total behind 52.6 inches in 1918 and 51.2 inches in 1886. Snow also continued to accumulate in favored lake-effect regions, including Buffalo, NY. Through week's end, Buffalo's monthly snowfall reached 60.5 inches, approaching their record for any month (68.4 inches in December 1985). Nearly two-thirds of Buffalo's normal seasonal snow (91.1 inches) fell during the first half of January. By Friday morning, snow depths included 19 inches in Chicago, 24 inches in Detroit, MI, and 30 inches in Buffalo, the greatest there since February 1977. Although milder weather overspread the upper Midwest toward week's end, severely cold conditions persisted in New England. On Thursday morning, lows included -34 degrees F in Berlin, NH, -36 degrees F in Canaan, VT, and -55 degrees F in Allagash, ME. Allagash's reading set an all-time record for Maine (formerly -48 degrees F in Van Buren on January 19, 1925) and all of New England. A shallow layer of Arctic air edged southward across the Ohio Valley and Northeast, creating a favorable environment for sleet and freezing rain. Some ice accumulated in the eastern Corn Belt, but more significant amounts glazed the northern Mid-Atlantic States. Snowfall topped 1 foot in portions of the interior Northeast. Meanwhile in the Pacific Northwest, rainfall returned after a dry start to January, perpetuating a 2 -month wet spell. South of the primary storm track, however, the water equivalent of California's Sierra Nevada snow pack stood at 9 inches (59 percent of normal) on January 15, according to California's Department of Water Resources. Despite this season's dryness, the storage of the State's 155 primary reservoirs was 127 percent of normal on December 31, 1998, up from 107 percent a year ago, the result of runoff from the exceptionally stormy 1997-98 wet season. We 1 (1-99) National Agricultural Summary January 11 - 17, 1999 Highlights: Seasonally mild weather remained entrenched over the Rocky Mountains and extended eastward into the Great Plains and across the Southern U.S. Despite the moderate temperatures, growth of small grains was limited in the southern Plains due to excessive dryness. In California, small grain development was hindered by a combination of dry soils and cool, cloudy weather. The dry weather aided vegetable harvest throughout the State and permitted normal pruning and fertilizing activities in vineyards and non-citrus fruit orchards. Citrus growers in the San Joaquin Valley delayed widespread picking while evaluating freeze damage, but picking was active in southern groves. In Florida, warm weather promoted development of citrus bloom buds and open bloom flowers and aided vegetable growth. Dry weather forced citrus growers in sandy and well-drained areas to irrigate groves to maintain tree conditions. The eastern U.S. received mixed precipitation, including rain in the southern Appalachians, freezing rain along the mid- Atlantic Coast, and snow in the Northeast. A high pressure ridge over the Pacific Northwest weakened, allowing storms to return with heavy rains along coastal areas and snow in the interior mountain areas. The Corn Belt remained cold and dry, especially around the Great Lakes. Parts of the upper Mississippi Valley and northern Plains received a light dusting of snow. The next "Weekly Weather & Crop Bulletin" report will be released after 12 p.m. ET on January 26, 1999. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) 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). 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