We 1 (12-99) Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released December 7, 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. 49 November 28 - December 4, 1999 For additional information, call (202) 720-7917. Highlights: A late-week storm provided much-needed precipitation to winter wheat areas in parts of the central and southern Plains, but disrupted final cotton harvesting in the latter region. Heavy snow fell across the central and southern Rockies, and on the Plains in a swath from northeastern New Mexico to northeastern Kansas. Significant precipitation had last dampened Texas' northern panhandle and surrounding areas in mid-September, resulting in poor establishment for a portion of the winter wheat crop. At week's end, however, soils remained unfavorably dry south of the Texas panhandle and from western Kansas northward. Meanwhile, wet weather continued in the Pacific Northwest, especially west of the Cascades and northern Sierra Nevada. Pockets of drought lingered, however, across the interior Northwest. Farther east, beneficial precipitation overspread the Midwest and South at week's end, helping to recharge soil moisture and aiding fall-sown crops. Earlier in the week, a sharp but short-lived cold snap in the East produced a hard freeze (temperatures at or below 28 degrees F) as far south as northern Florida, burning back pastures and emerging fall-sown grains and holding weekly temperatures as much as 7 degrees F below normal. Scattered frost in central Florida did not adversely affect vegetables and citrus. In contrast, very warm conditions prevailed across the Western and Central States in advance of the late-week storm. On the Plains, where temperatures averaged above normal for the 6th consecutive week, departures ranged from +3 to +15 degrees F. The parade of daily-record highs continued through midweek across the Western and Central States, boosting the Nation's November total by more than 50 to well over 800. On Monday, highs in southern California soared to 91 degrees F in Riverside and 86 degrees F in Vista. A day later, daily records included 70 degrees F in Alliance, NE and 65 degrees F in Wells, NV. In contrast, the coldest air of the season spread into the East, where a half-dozen daily-record lows were set or tied. On Thursday, records included 20 degrees F in Raleigh-Durham, NC and 23 degrees F in North Myrtle Beach, SC. In Florida, lows on December 2 dipped to 22 degrees F in Tallahassee and 38 degrees F in Lakeland. Mid- to late-week precipitation topped 4 inches on parts of the Ozark Plateau. In southwestern Missouri, December 1-4 rainfall reached 5.50 inches in Joplin and 4.04 inches in Springfield, bolstered by daily-record totals (3.59 and 2.81 inches, respectively) on December 4. Although Little Rock, AR netted 1.56 inches in early December, their year-to-date total (33.75 inches, or 74 percent of normal) remained well below normal. Similarly in Texas, Houston's weekly total of 1.52 inches boosted their year-to-date total to only 27.40 inches (63 percent of normal). The late-week storm deposited heavy snow in the central and southern Rockies, then lifted northeastward across the Plains. In Utah, locally more than 1 foot of snow blanketed the Wasatch Range, while locally 2 feet or more buried the southern Colorado Rockies. On Sunday morning, December 5, snow depths in southeastern Colorado included 24 inches in Rye and 11 inches in Walsenburg. On the Plains, storm-total snowfall included 5.0 inches in Amarillo, TX, 6.0 inches in Topeka, KS, and 7.5 inches in Wichita, KS. Only light accumulations were noted east of the Plains, but locations such as Milwaukee, WI (a trace on December 5) and Chicago, IL (0.1 inch on December 5) marked their latest date of their first snowfall. In both cities, the previous record had been established on November 27, 1994. Prior to the late-week storm system, a relatively weaker system crossed the Central States, sparking beneficial rainfall from the eastern Plains to the Delta. However, the system produced some severe weather, including the first December tornadoes in Oklahoma (at least two occurred on Thursday evening) since December 23-24, 1982. Cold weather gripped western and interior Alaska, holding weekly temperatures 5 to 11 degrees F below normal. Below-normal temperatures have prevailed in these areas during 5 of the last 6 weeks. Meanwhile in Hawaii, locally heavy rain soaked windward locations. On the Big Island, Hilo netted more than 8 inches during the week. National Agricultural Summary November 29 - December 5, 1999 Highlights: Wheat conditions improved in eastern Kansas and northern and eastern Oklahoma, as rain and snow boosted soil moisture supplies. The late-week rain and cold weather also benefited wheat by reducing insect populations. In other areas of the Great Plains, dry soils continued to hamper wheat development. Additionally, in Texas and western Oklahoma, dry weather and above-normal temperatures aided insect populations. In the Corn Belt, light precipitation provided much-needed moisture in parts of Illinois, Indiana, and Missouri, but wheat fields in Ohio and Michigan remained mostly dry. Harvest activity, winter wheat seeding, and fall tillage and fertilizer applications, progressed without rain delays in the Atlantic Coastal Plains. In Florida, activities included harvesting fruits and vegetables, as well as cutting and grinding old crop and planting new crop sugarcane. Dry weather also aided normal fall field activities in central and southern California. Activities included planting small grains and winter forages, harvesting sugarbeets, cotton, grain sorghum, and vegetables, and tree pruning in fruit orchards. In the Pacific Northwest, a persistent rainy pattern limited field activities along the coast from northern California to the Canada border. The next "Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin" report will be released at 12:00 p.m. ET on December 14,1999. 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