We 1 (12-00) Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released December 27, 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. 52 December 17 - 23, 2000 For additional information, call (202) 720-7917. Highlights: Extremely cold weather persisted across the eastern half of the Nation, holding weekly temperatures 12 to 22 degrees F below normal in the Corn Belt and as much as 13 degrees F below normal in northern Florida. On December 20, a freeze struck Florida's northern citrus areas, where minimum temperatures ranged from 24 to 28 degrees F. Citrus fruit damage is expected to be minimal due to the short duration of temperatures below the critical 28 degrees F threshold, but the full extent of damage will not be known for several weeks. In contrast, mild weather (temperatures 1 to 7 degrees F above normal) prevailed in California and the Southwest. Despite occasional showers, a drier-than-normal wet season continued in key watershed areas of California and the Pacific Northwest, leaving season-to-date precipitation generally 40 to 70 percent of normal in the Cascades and Sierra Nevada. Farther east, cold weather and snow showers maintained an extensive snow pack in the Midwest. Snow depths ranged from 1 to 2 feet in northern and western Corn Belt, stressing livestock and disrupting rural travel. Wind chill temperatures below -40 degrees F were reported as far south as Missouri, and chill readings between -70 and -50 degrees F were noted in the Dakotas. Meanwhile, light precipitation preceded the arrival of very cold air across the South. In southern Florida, however, light showers provided little relief from long-term drought. At week's end, precipitation developed in the western Gulf Coast region, signaling the approach of a major winter storm the Deep South's second such system in 2 weeks. Early in the week, an intensifying storm system dumped heavy rain (2 inches or more) across the Northeast. On December 17, daily-record precipitation totals included 2.79 inches in Albany, NY and 1.26 inches in Burlington, VT. Storm-total rainfall topped 4 inches in a few locations, with some of the highest totals in New York's Catskill Mountains at East Jewett (4.49 inches) and on Slide Mountain (5.40 inches). Prior to the storm's departure, high temperatures soared to daily-record levels on Sunday in Bangor, ME (60 degrees F) and Burlington (56 degrees F). High winds accompanied and trailed the system, reaching 78 mph in Milton (Blue Hill Observatory), MA and 67 mph in Presque Isle, ME. Meanwhile, very warm weather prevailed across southern California, where Sunday's daily-record highs included 88 degrees F in Pismo Beach and 87 degrees F in Simi Valley. Paso Robles, CA noted three consecutive record highs (73, 73, and 74 degrees F) from December 18-20. After midweek, warmth spread into the Great Basin and Southwest. Reno, NV (63 degrees F) posted a daily-record high of Thursday, followed the next day by a record high of 67 degrees F in Winslow, AZ. On Monday, the latest in a series of storm systems brought widespread snowfall to the Midwest. Daily-record snowfalls were established on December 18 in locations such as Milwaukee, WI (8.1 inches) and Rochester, MN (7.2 inches). By December 25, month-to-date snowfall reached 33.0 inches in Flint, MI, their greatest total for any month (previously 28.5 inches in January 1976). December snowfall records were broken in several cities, including Milwaukee, WI (38.6 inches) and Springfield, MO (16.9 inches). Milwaukee's record, 30.7 inches, had been set in 1951; Springfield's standard, 16.7 inches, had stood since 1916. December snowfall records were also established in Moline, IL (23.2 inches), Green Bay, WI (28.0 inches), Lansing, MI (30.1 inches), and Grand Rapids, MI (54.1 inches). Season-to-date snowfall reached 77.2 inches in Grand Rapids, surpassing their total for the 1999-2000 season (54.5 inches) and normal annual amount (72.1 inches). In addition, Grand Rapids reported snowfall of a trace or more on 22 consecutive days from December 4-25. On Michigan's Upper Peninsula, Marquette's December 1-25 snowfall reached 77.0 inches, boosting their season-to-date total to 127.1 inches. Farther south, the December 20 Florida freeze resulted in daily-record lows in locations such as Daytona Beach (25 degrees F), Lakeland (28 degrees F), and Orlando (28 degrees F). In most areas across Peninsular Florida, however, the freeze was close in magnitude to, but slightly less severe than, a similarly timed freeze in 1981. As cold air continued to pour southeastward, Springfield, MO registered a low of -10 degrees F on December 22, their first sub-zero reading since January 12, 1997. In addition, Springfield's minimum represented their fourth-lowest December reading during the 113-year period of record. In Kansas, Wichita's temperatures fell below 10 degrees F on 8 days from December 1-23, their greatest total in December since 10 such days in 1990. Conditions remained warm and unusually dry in Hawaii, where weekly temperatures averaged up to 3 degrees F above normal on the western islands. Meanwhile, Alaska's mild December weather continued, especially across interior and western areas. Weekly temperatures averaged more than 20 degrees F above normal along parts of the Bering Sea Coast, peaking above the freezing mark as far north as Kotzebue (north of the Arctic Circle). In southeastern Alaska, Juneau's season-to-date snowfall stood at 5.3 inches, their lowest on record through December 25. National Agricultural Summary December 18 - 24, 2000 Small grain seeding and fertilizing continued, as dry weather aided progress in California. Warm weather stimulated growth of early-planted wheat fields, but emergence of recently planted fields was slow. Dryland wheat seeding was delayed due to soil moisture shortages. Land preparation and planting of winter forage crops continued. Growers applied herbicides on emerged winter forage crops, and some fields were irrigated. California cotton producers were nearly finished harvesting their crop. Shredding and discing of harvested cotton fields were also nearly complete. New alfalfa fields were being prepared, seeded, and irrigated. Pruning and dormant spraying continued in orchards and vineyards. Some orchards were irrigated due to moisture shortages. Grapefruit harvest was active in the San Joaquin Valley. Navel orange, tangerine, and satsuma harvests continued. Lemon picking was active in southern California. In Tulare County, avocados were harvested. Vegetable growers prepared fields for planting sweet corn and tomatoes for processing. Recently planted vegetable fields were irrigated. Warm weather aided development of winter vegetables. Dry weather aided the sugarcane harvest in Florida, but topsoil moisture throughout the Peninsula was very short. In the Florida Panhandle, moisture supplies were adequate to sustain development of small grains and cool season forages. Freezing temperatures in the northern citrus producing counties produced slush ice in fruit that remained to be picked. Some new leaves may be lost due to the freezing temperatures and frost in areas hit by the lowest temperatures. Growers irrigated orchards where water supplies were available to maintain good tree condition. Packing houses worked long hours to meet the Christmas demand. Vegetable producers ran irrigation equipment to prevent damage to crops due to cold weather. Strong winds damaged strawberry plants, but recovery was expected. Snow cover protected winter wheat in the northern Great Plains and Corn Belt from sub-zero temperatures. In Texas, cold weather limited growth of winter forage crops. The next "Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin" report will be released at 12:00 p.m. on January 3, 2001. 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