We 1 (1-01) Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released January 9, 2001, 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 88, No. 2 December 31, 2000 - January 6, 2001 For additional information, call (202) 720-7917. Highlights: Bitterly cold conditions eased across the Corn Belt, while much warmer weather melted much of winter wheat's protective snow cover on the Plains. Weekly temperatures in the Corn Belt ranged from as much as 9 degrees F below normal in the Ohio Valley to as much as 7 degrees F above normal in southern Minnesota. Temperatures averaged up to 21 degrees F above normal in northern Montana, and Thursday's highs reached 70 degrees F as far north as western Kansas. In contrast, unusually cold weather persisted across the South. Weekly temperatures averaged 12 to 16 degrees F below normal in Florida, where freezes struck citrus and winter vegetable areas on December 31, January 1, and January 5. Durations of temperatures at or below 28 degrees F--the citrus damage threshold--for 4 or more hours were mainly confined to northern citrus areas, but the full extent of fruit damage will not be known for a few weeks. Sub-freezing temperatures were recorded as far south as Florida's southwestern and south-central counties, reaching some winter vegetable and sugarcane areas. Snow spread across the South as the new year opened, blanketing areas as far south as northern Louisiana and central Mississippi. Only light precipitation fell elsewhere, except in the Pacific Northwest, where beneficial rain and snow intensified after mid-week. California and Arizona remained warm (up to 7 degrees F above normal) and dry through week's end, stressing rain-fed pastures and winter grains. The water equivalent of the Sierra Nevada snow pack remained near 5 inches (about 35 percent of normal for early January). Similar Sierra Nevada deficits existed at this time last year, according to the California Department of Water Resources, followed by a 24-inch increase (from 3 to 27 inches) in less than 2 months. The year ended with one snow storm winding down across the Northeast and another affecting the South. On December 31, Burlington, VT received 8.2 inches of snow, boosting their 2-day total to 12.6 inches. Meanwhile, 2.2 inches whitened Shreveport, LA, their highest single-day total since 4.4 inches fell on February 1, 1985. Contrasting temperatures during the week produced more than six dozen daily-record lows in the South and East, but well over 100 daily-record highs across the North and West. In Florida, Melbourne opened the week with consecutive daily-record lows of 28 degrees F. Meanwhile, a final round of bitterly cold weather overspread the Midwest. Sisseton, SD (-24 degrees F) tallied a record low on New Year's Day. The next day in Michigan, Flint's record low of -12 degrees F came exactly 1 year after a maximum of 56 degrees F, their record high for January 2. Farther south, record lows on Tuesday included 3 degrees F in Jackson, TN and 10 degrees F in Tupelo, MS. Melbourne noted another pair of daily-record lows (28 and 29 degrees F) on January 4-5. Ft. Myers, FL registered their second freeze of the week (31 degrees F) on Friday, following a low of 30 degrees F on New Year's Day. On New Year's Eve, Key West, FL recorded a high of 58 degrees F, their first maximum temperature below 60 degrees F since December 21, 1996. Five days later, on January 5, Key West's minimum of 46 degrees F represented their lowest temperature since January 20, 1997 (also 46 degrees F). Farther west, cold air briefly edged into southern Texas' citrus areas on January 4, where the minimum temperature fell to 32 degrees F in Brownsville. In contrast, Simi Valley, CA notched several daily-record highs, including 85 degrees F on December 31 and 87 degrees F on January 4. Record warmth spread northward by January 2, reaching areas such as King City, CA (80 degrees F) and Brookings, OR (70 degrees F). A day later, high temperatures neared the 60 degrees F mark in Montana at Cut Bank (58 degrees F) and Great Falls (57 degrees F). By January 4, highs rose to record levels of 70 degrees F or above on the central High Plains in Hill City, KS (72 degrees F) and Colorado Springs, CO (70 degrees F). Elsewhere on January 4, long streaks of sub-freezing temperatures ended in locations such as Minneapolis, MN (30 days beginning December 5), Sioux Falls, SD (25 days beginning December 10), and Des Moines, IA (24 days beginning December 11). All-time record sub-freezing streaks remain 66 days (in 1977-78) in Minneapolis, 60 days (in 1978-79) in Sioux Falls, and 47 days (in early 1978) in Des Moines. Farther east, however, Louisville, KY noted a record-setting period with temperatures at or below 32 degrees F (18 days from December 17 - January 3), breaking their standard of 14 days, set in January 1978 and December 1989. Precipitation highlights were scarce, although a late-week storm brought generally light snow to the East but as much as 1 foot to easternmost Maine. Snow squalls lingered in the Great Lakes region, boosting season-to-date totals in New York to 104.5 inches in Buffalo and 103.8 inches in Syracuse. Buffalo reached the 100-inch mark on January 4, eclipsing their previous earliest date by 3 days (January 7, 1977). Little rain fell in Hawaii, continuing a regime of unusual dryness that has persisted since an early-November deluge struck the eastern islands. Meanwhile, Alaska's mild weather pattern began to break down across western areas, where temperatures returned to near-normal levels. However, weekly temperatures remained 8 to 14 degrees F above normal across interior and southeastern Alaska. Nome closed out the year with a daily-record high (37 degrees F) on New Year's Eve, followed 3 days later by record highs of 46 degrees F in both Juneau and Yakutat. National Agricultural Summary January 1 - 7, 2001 Cold, wet, and cloudy conditions prevented land preparation and hindered growth of small grains in Texas. In many areas across the north Texas Plains, wheat entered dormancy. However, the slow melting snow provided much-needed moisture. In other areas of the State, growers prepared fields for warm season crops. Late winter wheat planting was mostly stalled by wet soils. Recently emerged fields were damaged by freezing rain. Wheat for forage was nearly depleted. A few isolated fields of standing cotton remained. Citrus harvest remained active. Ice damage was severe in some orchards, especially in east Texas. Extended wet, cloudy weather slowed development and harvest of vegetable crops. In California, the cotton harvest was complete and only a few fields remained to be disced. Dry conditions aided fieldwork, as growers applied pre-plant herbicides and soil fumigants to next season's cotton beds. Cool weather and moisture shortages hindered growth of field crops in many areas. Some growers irrigated dry crops to aid development. Most alfalfa hay fields were dormant, and cutting ceased due to cold weather. Herbicides were applied to recently planted and established alfalfa stands. New alfalfa fields were prepared, irrigated, and seeded. Winter wheat, oat, and barley fields were planted and fertilized. Orchard and vineyard caretakers pruned trees and vines and applied dormant sprays. Producers irrigated orchards to maintain tree conditions. Citrus harvest remained active in most areas. Harvest of fall lettuce neared completion, while recently planted lettuce was thinned and irrigated. Topsoil moisture remained very short across most of Florida, with scattered areas of adequate moisture. Freezing temperatures slowed vegetative growth of small grains in the Panhandle. Winter forages were stressed by drought in the Peninsula. Sugarcane harvest progressed without delays, but freezing temperatures killed leaves and growing points on most of the standing sugarcane crop. New crop sugarcane plantings were killed back to the ground. The cold air covered virtually all of Florida's citrus-producing region, as temperatures remained well below freezing for extended periods on several nights. Varying degrees of slush ice was found in fruit from groves hardest hit by the cold weather. New growth suffered damage, and defoliation was expected in some groves, even though caretakers ran irrigation systems to protect their groves from the cold weather. 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