We 1 (11-99) Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released November 30, 1999, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, U.S. Department of Agriculture. For information on "Weekly Weather and 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. 48 November 21 - 27, 1999 For additional information, call (202) 720-7917. Highlights: Much-needed rain fell across the east-central Plains and upper Midwest, but unfavorably dry weather continued to adversely affect winter wheat development from the central High Plains southward into western and central Texas. Although scattered showers aided pastures and recently planted winter grains from eastern Texas into the Southeast, soil moisture remained short in many areas west of the Delta. In contrast, widespread showers further eased the 9-month drought across the interior Northwest, while seasonably wet weather prevailed in the Pacific Northwest. Dry weather in southern California and the Southwest favored fieldwork, including winter wheat planting and final cotton harvesting. Late-week, heavy rain and cooler weather spread across the East, reversing a recent drying trend. Precipitation topped 4 inches in parts of the southern Appalachians. Weekly temperatures averaged 9 to 17 degrees F above normal in the Northeast and 5 to 11 degrees F above normal in the Midwest. Above-normal temperatures prevailed on the Plains for a 5th consecutive week, although record warmth shifted eastward. Readings averaged as much as 4 degrees F below normal in the Southwest, ending a month-long warm spell. More than 50 daily-record highs were set across the eastern half of the Nation during the week. Monday marked the 18th day this month with a high temperature at or above 80 degrees F in Austin (Bergstrom), TX, well above their previous November record of 14 days, set in 1950. Farther north, daily records were achieved on 3 consecutive days (November 22-24) in locations such as Alpena, MI (60, 59, and 58 degrees F) and Mansfield, OH (66, 69, and 63 degrees F). Cooler air arrived in the Plains and Midwest at midweek, however, while record warmth spread into the East. On November 24, Austin (59 degrees F) recorded a high below 60 degrees F for the first time since March 13. A day later in Arkansas, Little Rock's high of 48 degrees F represented their first sub-50 degrees F maximum since March 14. By Friday morning, Austin posted a daily-record low of 27 degrees F. Farther east, daily-record highs included 70 degrees F in Philadelphia, PA and 80 degrees F in Wilmington, NC. A storm system crossed the central Plains and upper Midwest during the early- to midweek period, producing the regions' first significant precipitation of the month. In Nebraska, dry spells ended at 49 days (October 4 - November 21) in Lincoln--their longest since September-November 1952--and 44 days (October 8 - November 21) in Omaha (Valley)--their longest since December 1985 - February 1986. In Illinois, Moline's third-longest dry spell (36 days, from October 17 - November 21) ended on Monday. Wichita, KS netted 1.45 inches of rain on November 22, their first measurable rainfall since October 30. On the same day in Wisconsin, rainfall of 1.50 inches in Green Bay and 1.22 inches in LaCrosse were the greatest single-day totals since September 26, 1998, and July 8, 1999, respectively. August 1 - November 22 rainfall had totaled just 3.30 inches (31 percent of normal) in Green Bay and 6.01 inches (51 percent) in LaCrosse. Farther south, although storm-total rainfall reached 1.53 inches in Houston, TX, their year-to-date total through November 27 stood at 25.88 inches (61 percent of normal). The storm also produced snow from parts of the West and the central High Plains to the western Great Lakes region. In Utah, early-week snowfall totaled 13.0 inches in Alta and 5.5 inches in Salt Lake City. Totals in eastern Colorado included 10.6 inches in Colorado Springs and 8.4 inches in Denver. Colorado Springs' snowfall followed a 34-day dry spell. In Minnesota, totals included 0.7 inch in Minneapolis and 5.7 inches in Duluth. In several other areas, however, a remarkably snow-free autumn continued. With a trace of snow so far this season, International Falls, MN headed toward their first autumn without a measurable amount since 1924. Milwaukee, WI established a record for their latest first trace of snow (the old record was November 27, 1994). Elsewhere in Wisconsin, locations such as LaCrosse and Green Bay did not receive a single flake of snow during November 1-27. The November record in both cities is a trace. A late-week storm system brought renewed heavy rainfall to the Pacific Northwest. The system boosted November 1-27 rainfall to 14.60 inches (163 percent of normal) in Astoria, OR, 11.22 inches (156 percent) in Olympia, WA, and 9.09 inches (174 percent) in Seattle, WA. Meanwhile, the storm that had earlier affected the Plains and upper Midwest shifted into the East. In western North Carolina, late-week rainfall totaled 5.86 inches at Lake Toxaway. Farther north, light rain (0.04 inch) on November 25 ended a 22-day spell without measurable rainfall in Washington, DC. The following day, 1.52 inches pelted the Nation's capital. Cold weather returned to much of Alaska, especially across southern areas. On Thursday, the snow depth in Bethel reached 17 inches, breaking their November record of 16 inches, set in 1994. In Juneau, a 59-day streak (September 29 - November 26) with at least a trace of rain ended on Saturday. Their record, established in 1977, remains 77 days. After Juneau's rain ended, their first hard freeze (at or below 28 degrees F) of the autumn occurred on November 27, nearly 2 weeks later than their previous record (November 14, 1952). National Agricultural Summary November 22 - 28, 1999 Highlights: A cold front, producing light showers, pushed eastward across the Great Plains and Corn Belt, delivering much needed moisture to dry wheat fields. A band of heavy rainfall recharged topsoil moisture supplies in the southern and central Appalachain Mountains. Lighter precipitation boosted moisture levels and temporarily delayed harvest activity in the Piedmont and adjacent areas of the Atlantic Coastal Plains. In the Pacific Northwest, stormy weather continued to produce heavy rain along the coast and snow in the high elevations of the Cascade Range. Fieldwork continued without delays in California, as dry conditions prevailed in most areas. Winter Wheat: Ninety-seven percent of the acreage was planted, slightly behind last year and the 5-year average. Sowing remained active in the Atlantic Coastal Plains and Southwest, advancing 20 percentage points during the week and surpassing 50 percent complete in California and Georgia. Planting also steadily progressed in North Carolina, even though widespread showers temporarily halted planting. Progress remained well behind normal due to the late row crop harvest. Planting lagged slightly behind average in Texas, where dry soils discouraged some growers. Ninety-one percent of the acreage was emerged, 3 percentage points behind last year and the 5-year average. Light showers provided moisture to germinate seeds and stimulate growth in parts of the Great Plains, Corn Belt, Mississippi Valley, and Southeast. Emergence progressed 15 percentage points in Arkansas, Georgia, and North Carolina. However, dry soils continued to hinder development in the northern Great Plains and southern High Plains. In Texas, emergence lagged behind normal and growth was uneven due to dry soils, but beneficial moisture boosted crop conditions in the eastern halves of Kansas and Oklahoma. In North Carolina, precipitation promoted germination, but emergence was well behind the 5-year average due to the late planting season. Cotton: Harvest was 88 percent complete, compared with 90 percent last year, and the 87-percent average for this date. Ideal weather aided rapid picking progress in the southern High Plains, especially in New Mexico where harvest advanced 20 percentage points. In Texas, where over three-fourths of the crop was picked, dry weather aided progress. Although scattered showers limited harvest progress in the Atlantic Coastal Plains, producers in North and South Carolina picked nearly 10 percent of the acreage. Winter Wheat: Percent Planted, Selected States 1/ -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 1994- State:Nov 28,:Nov 21,:Nov 28,: 1998 : 1999 : 1999 : 1998 : Avg. -------------------------------------- : Percent : AR : 98 95 96 93 CA : 65 45 69 63 CO : 100 100 100 100 GA : 55 35 63 55 ID : 100 100 100 100 IL : 100 100 100 100 IN : 100 100 100 100 KS : 100 100 99 100 MI : 100 100 100 100 MO : 100 99 98 98 MT : 100 100 100 100 NE : 100 100 100 100 NC : 70 58 84 82 OH : 100 100 100 100 OK : 99 98 99 100 OR : 98 95 100 97 SD : 100 100 100 100 TX : 92 89 97 96 WA : 100 100 100 100 : 19 Sts: 97 96 98 98 -------------------------------------- 1/ These 19 States planted 91% of last year's winter wheat acreage. Winter Wheat: Percent Emerged, Selected States 1/ -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 1994- State:Nov 28,:Nov 21,:Nov 28,: 1998 : 1999 : 1999 : 1998 : Avg. -------------------------------------- : Percent : AR : 92 77 88 83 CA : 25 15 29 29 CO : 100 100 99 99 GA : 36 21 34 33 ID : 91 90 97 96 IL : 99 97 100 99 IN : 99 97 99 99 KS : 94 92 98 98 MI : 100 100 100 100 MO : 92 85 94 93 MT : 96 90 95 94 NE : 100 100 100 100 NC : 50 35 69 68 OH : 100 100 100 99 OK : 92 87 91 93 OR : 90 85 99 93 SD : 100 95 100 99 TX : 78 73 88 90 WA : 100 97 100 98 : 19 Sts: 91 87 94 94 -------------------------------------- 1/ These 19 States planted 91% of last year's winter wheat acreage. Cotton: Percent Harvested, Selected States 1/ -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 1994- State:Nov 28,:Nov 21,:Nov 28,: 1998 : 1999 : 1999 : 1998 : Avg. -------------------------------------- : Percent : AL : 95 93 99 94 AZ : 79 72 83 87 AR : 100 100 100 99 CA : 96 93 69 90 GA : 86 82 85 82 LA : 100 100 100 100 MS : 100 100 100 99 MO : 100 100 99 97 NM : 85 65 72 82 NC : 72 63 98 87 OK : 87 85 87 73 SC : 92 84 96 87 TN : 100 100 100 96 TX : 77 67 86 78 : 14 Sts: 88 82 90 87 -------------------------------------- 1/ These 14 States harvested 98% of last year's cotton acreage. Winter Wheat: Crop Condition by Percent, Selected States -------------------------------------- State : VP : P : F : G : EX -------------------------------------- : Percent : AR : 0 2 33 60 5 CA : 0 0 30 50 20 CO : 0 2 10 50 38 GA : 3 5 33 56 3 ID : 0 1 36 52 11 IL : 4 28 44 20 4 IN : 13 13 38 30 6 KS : 5 17 42 35 1 MI : 1 5 31 41 22 MO : 2 11 60 26 1 MT : 0 8 36 52 4 NE : 10 13 32 40 5 NC : 0 3 18 71 8 OH : 0 3 22 61 14 OK : 5 17 35 41 2 OR : 0 20 50 20 10 SD : 1 7 31 53 8 TX : 10 37 39 14 0 WA : 0 8 64 28 0 : 19 Sts : 4 16 37 37 6 : Prev Wk : 5 15 38 35 7 Prev Yr : 0 4 24 58 14 -------------------------------------- VP-Very Poor, P-Poor, F-Fair, G-Good, EX-Excellent. National crop conditions for selected States are weighted based on 1998 planted acres. The next "Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin" report will be released at 12:00 p.m. December 7, 1999. 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