We 1 (12-00) Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released December 12, 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. 50 December 3 - 9, 2000 For additional information, call (202) 720-7917. Highlights: Mostly dry weather prevailed nearly nationwide, favoring late-autumn fieldwork, including final summer crop harvesting and winter wheat planting on the southern Plains. Previously soaked fields in the South continued to dry out, although unfavorable dryness persisted across Florida's peninsula. Very cool conditions lingered in the Midwest, East, and South, but milder weather on the southern Plains aided late-planted wheat. Warm weather continued for a second consecutive week in California and the Southwest. Weekly temperatures averaged 3 to 11 degrees F below normal in the Corn Belt and as much as 10 degrees F below normal in the southern Atlantic region. In contrast, temperatures generally ranged from 3 to 9 degrees F above normal in the Southwest. At week's end, however, a significant cold outbreak reached the northern Plains and the Northwest, increasing livestock stress. However, the regions' winter grains remained largely protected by snow cover. An early-week storm system dropped heavy snow (locally more than 1 foot) in eastern North Carolina and extreme southeastern Virginia. The storm produced lighter amounts in the southern Appalachians, including 3.8 inches (on December 2-3) in Jackson, KY. Meanwhile in the southern half of Texas, a separate weather system produced light precipitation, including a half-inch snowfall on Sunday in Midland, TX. Elsewhere, significant precipitation was confined to southern Louisiana, where up to 1 inch of rain fell. Light snow developed across southern New England toward week's end, resulting in totals of 3.2 inches in Providence, RI and 2.0 inches in Hartford, CT. Prior to midweek, warm weather prevailed in California and the Southwest, while a reinforcing shot of cold air produced more than a dozen daily-record lows in the Southeast. On Sunday, Simi Valley, CA posted a daily-record high of 86 degrees F. A day later, record lows included 10 degrees F in Lynchburg, VA and 19 degrees F in Greenville-Spartanburg, SC. By Wednesday morning, cold air settled into northern Florida, where Tallahassee (24 degrees F) tallied a daily-record low. Toward week's end, bitterly cold air settled into the Northeast, where Friday morning's low temperatures in New York included -22 degrees F in Saranac Lake and -17 degrees F, a daily record, in Massena. An even more impressive cold wave reached the northern Plains on Saturday night. In Rapid City, SD, Saturday represented the last of 705 consecutive days (January 5, 1999 to December 9, 2000) that temperatures remained above 0 degrees F. Rapid City's previous record of 362 days was set from December 1982 - December 1983. By Sunday, December 10, daily-record lows in Montana included -24 degrees F in both Glasgow and Cut Bank. Mostly dry conditions prevailed in Hawaii, while unusually mild weather (weekly temperatures ranged from 4 to 16 degrees F above normal) continued in Alaska. On Tuesday, Yakutat, AK registered a daily-record high of 46 degrees F. Wet weather persisted across portions of southern Alaska, where Cold Bay attained a monthly record precipitation total for the third consecutive month. Cold Bay's December 1-9 total of 7.45 inches eclipsed their December 1983 standard of 7.31 inches, and boosted their year-to-date sum to 77.70 inches (216 percent of the annual normal). National Agricultural Summary December 3 - 9, 2000 Cotton harvest neared completion in California and producers prepared fields for the 2001 cotton crop. The California sugar beet harvest was virtually complete, and a few alfalfa fields were cut. California producers planted winter forage and small grain crops, but planting was postponed in some areas due to lack of rain. Some growers irrigated seeded fields to aid germination, while others waited for rain. Fruit growers pruned trees and vines. Grapefruit harvest was active in the San Joaquin Valley, and new crop navel orange harvest continued. Lemon picking was active in southern California. Winter vegetables thrived due to excellent weather. Some winter vegetables were harvested. Fall broccoli and cauliflower harvest continued in the San Joaquin Valley. Green speciality vegetables were in various stages of harvests, but the lettuce harvest slowed. In Florida, topsoil moisture is very short across most of the State, with scattered areas of adequate moisture. Producers delayed winter grazing of small grains due to drought. Cotton harvest neared completion, while sugarcane harvest remained active. Orchard caretakers ran irrigation systems to keep trees in good condition. Cold weather early in the week limited new growth on trees. Bright sunny days improved the color and advanced maturity of most early- and mid-season fruit. Fresh fruit packers worked long hours to meet holiday shipping demands. Warm, dry weather aided fieldwork in Texas, where producers on the Plains continued to harvest cotton, sorghum, and peanuts. Land preparation accelerated, and wheat and oat seeding resumed in areas that were previously too wet. The next "Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin" report will be released at 12:00 p.m. on December 19, 2000. 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