We 1 (2-00) Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released February 29, 2000, 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 87, No. 9 February 20 - 26, 2000 For additional information, call (202) 720-7917. Highlights: Widespread precipitation continued to alleviate or eliminate dryness in many areas, including much of the Plains, Midwest, and lower Mississippi Valley. In the West, a seventh consecutive week of widespread precipitation further improved soil moisture reserves, high-elevation snow packs, and spring runoff prospects. In California, however, cool (weekly temperatures as much as 7 degrees F below normal), wet conditions slowed spring fieldwork and left standing water in some areas. In contrast, unfavorably warm, dry weather continued to stress dryland winter grains and increase irrigation requirements from southern Arizona to the southern High Plains, and across Peninsular Florida. In areas where soil moisture improved significantly, especially from the eastern portion of the southern Plains to the Delta, very warm weather (8 to 16 degrees F above normal) spurred rapid winter wheat development. Farther north, warmth caused winter wheat to break dormancy as far north as the central Plains and the Ohio Valley. Temperatures averaged 6 to 24 degrees F above normal from the northern and central Plains to the northern and middle Atlantic Coast, excluding northern New England. Nearly two dozen Midwestern and Northeastern cities noted February-record warmth. Continuing a remarkable 7-week turnaround in the West, precipitation again totaled 4 to locally more than 10 inches across much of northern California. According to the California Department of Water Resources, the water equivalent of the high-elevation Sierra Nevada snow pack improved more than 20 inches in less than 7 weeks, from 3 inches (20 percent of normal) on January 10 to 24 inches (102 percent) on February 27. In Sacramento, CA, seasonal rainfall totaled only 1.90 inches through January 10, including only 0.03 inch in December. Since then, Sacramento's rainfall reached 7.20 inches during the remainder of January and totaled 8.48 inches from February 1-27. Meanwhile in southern California, San Diego's February 1-27 rainfall reached 3.66 inches (including a daily-record total of 1.59 inches on February 21), following their driest July-January period (0.56 inch) since 1962-63. San Diego's seasonal rainfall rose to 4.22 inches, or 60 percent of normal. Los Angeles' February 1-27 rainfall, 5.54 inches, accounted for 76 percent of their seasonal total (7.26 inches), which remained 3.65 inches below normal. Significant moisture again bypassed portions of the Southwest and southern High Plains, leaving Phoenix, AZ with a year-to-date total of 0.01 inch (less than 1 percent of normal). Only light showers dampened Tucson, AZ, where February 1-27 precipitation totaled 0.19 inch (28 percent of normal), and October 1 - February 27 rainfall reached 0.29 inch (7 percent). In western Texas, month-to-date precipitation remained as low as a trace in Midland, 0.04 inch in Amarillo, and 0.05 inch in Lubbock. Lubbock's October 1 - February 27 total stood at 1.71 inches, or 41 percent of normal. In southern Nevada, however, Las Vegas saw their February 1-27 rainfall climb to 1.59 inches (338 percent of normal), following a near-record 140-day spell (September 23, 1999 - February 9, 2000) without measurable precipitation. Farther east, the most significant rain (generally 2 to 3 inches) fell from north-central Oklahoma into east-central Kansas, and from northeastern Texas to the lower Ohio Valley. Dallas-Ft. Worth, TX notched a daily-record rainfall (2.01 inches) on February 22. February 1-27 precipitation included 7.26 inches (244 percent of normal) in Evansville, IN and 6.62 inches (209 percent) in Louisville, KY. Substantial moisture (locally more than 1 inch) also dampened the northern Plains and western Corn Belt. February 1-27 precipitation reached 1.74 inches (405 percent of normal) in Bismarck, ND, breaking their February record of 1.67 inches, set in 1998. In South Dakota, Sioux Falls netted 0.82 inch of rain of February 23, well above their normal February precipitation of 0.64 inch. In addition to the monthly records, more than 130 daily-record highs were set or tied during the week. On Monday, Dodge City, KS (79 degrees F) posted a record high. A day later in North Dakota, February records that had stood since 1958 were broken in Grand Forks (67 degrees F) and Devils Lake (60 degrees F). Indianapolis, IN set three consecutive record highs (71, 71, and 76 degrees F) from February 23-25, including a February-record high on Friday. On February 25, Zanesville, OH (74 degrees F) shattered their monthly record that had remained on the books since February 15, 1954, then broke it again the next day with a high of 75 degrees F. On Saturday, warmth abolished February-record highs that had stood since 1932 in Erie, PA (75 degrees F) and Cleveland, OH (74 degrees F), and since 1930 in Green Bay, WI (61 degrees F) and Wausau, WI (59 degrees F). In contrast, cool conditions in southern California resulted in a few daily-record lows. On Thursday, record lows included 33 degrees F in Chatsworth and 31 degrees F in Canoga Park. A day later in northern California, Redding's high of 47 degrees F was 15 degrees F below normal. Generally dry weather continued for a fifth consecutive week in Hawaii, accompanied by a return to warmer-than-normal conditions (temperatures as much as 3 degrees F above normal). As a result, agricultural drought continued to gradually intensify across primarily leeward portions of the central and eastern Hawaiian Islands. Meanwhile in Alaska, temperatures remained above normal in western areas (up to 17 degrees F) for the third week in a row and across interior sections (up to 12 degrees F) for the sixth consecutive week. National Agricultural Summary February 21 - 27, 2000 Highlights: A mid-week thunderstorm soaked dry soils with moderate to heavy rainfall in parts of the central and southern Great Plains. Lighter rainfall boosted soil moisture supplies in the Corn Belt and adjacent areas in the northern Great Plains. Along the Pacific Coast, a wet weather pattern continued. The moisture improved dry soil conditions in southern California and parts of the interior Southwest, but soils in northern California and coastal areas of the Pacific Northwest were too wet. The Atlantic Coastal Plains and eastern Gulf Coast were also dry. The rain and warm weather stimulated winter wheat growth in Oklahoma and Kansas, where most wheat fields have broken dormancy. A narrow band of heavy precipitation eased drought conditions in eastern Texas, but the west Texas High Plains remained very dry, and fieldwork slowed due to excessive wind erosion. Corn planting continued and cotton planting began along the western Gulf Coast region and lower Rio Grande Valley. In California, rain disrupted major field tillage. Sugarbeet growth was hindered by cold weather, but rain stimulated growth of wheat and other winter grains and forages. Where possible, growers continued planting sugarbeets and winter grains. Normal winter orchard work was also hindered by wet weather, although grapefruit and lemon harvesting remained active in southern California and Navel orange picking continued in the San Joaquin Valley. Almonds were near full bloom. In Florida, citrus growers continued irrigating groves to maintain good tree condition. Most trees were starting to put on new growth with pin head bloom buds. Some trees in Navel and Valencia groves were showing a limited number of open bloom flowers. The next "Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin" report will be released at 12:00 p.m. ET on March 7, 2000. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs 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.) 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