We 1 (1-01) Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released January 17, 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. 3 January 7 - 13, 2001 For additional information, call (202) 720-7917. Highlights: The most significant precipitation of the season-to-date reached California, improving high-elevation snow packs and aiding rain-fed pastures and winter grains, but causing flash flooding. In addition, high winds accompanied California's heavy precipitation. Meanwhile, two rounds of precipitation overspread the South, further easing long-term drought but leaving fields muddy. However, showers largely bypassed drought-affected Peninsular Florida, maintaining heavy citrus and winter vegetable irrigation demands. Scattered frost was noted on Florida's peninsula through midweek, although temperatures remained well above those observed during the freezes on January 1 and 5. Farther north, mild weather returned to areas from the northern and central Plains to the western Corn Belt, boosting weekly temperatures 6 to 16 degrees F above normal. Nevertheless, a late-week storm produced rain and wet snow across the central Plains and western Corn Belt. Prior to the storm, temperatures rose above 60 degrees F as far north as the central High Plains. Early in the week, record cold lingered across Florida, while warm weather continued in the West. On Sunday, daily-record lows in Florida included 29 degrees F in Daytona Beach and 31 degrees F in Orlando. In contrast, highs reached daily-record levels in Eureka, CA (70 degrees F) and Blanding, UT (55 degrees F). A day later, however, heavy precipitation overspread California, where Sacramento received a daily-record rainfall (1.51 inches) for January 8. Heavy precipitation continued for most of the week across California, especially in central and southern coastal areas. For the 72-hour period ending at 4 p.m. PST on Friday afternoon (January 12), rainfall in Santa Barbara County totaled 5.34 inches in Santa Ynez and 6.03 inches in Goleta (Santa Barbara Airport). In the Los Angeles basin, especially heavy rain fell on January 10-11, when 24-hour totals reached 5.12 inches at UCLA and 4.70 inches in Chatsworth. Downtown Los Angeles netted a storm-total rainfall of 4.31 inches, boosting their season-to-date precipitation (since July 1, 2000) to 5.78 inches. Farther south, snowfall accumulated to a depth of 12 inches on Mt. Palomar and 14 inches on Mt. Laguna. Very heavy snow also fell on January 10-11 in the southern Sierra Nevada, where 39 inches of snow was measured in 24 hours at 9,450-foot Agnew Pass in Mariposa County. High winds accompanied the storm system on Wednesday across California's Central Valley, where gusts reached 53 mph in Sacramento and 46 mph in Marysville. Meanwhile, heavy rain also developed across southern and eastern Texas. On January 10, daily-record totals included 2.02 inches in Galveston and 1.43 inches in Houston. Late in the week, heavy snow reached the Southwest. In Arizona, January 12-13 snowfall totaled 19.7 inches in Flagstaff. Precipitation (rain and wet snow) overspread the central Plains and western Corn Belt at week's end. On Saturday in Nebraska, Omaha collected a daily-record precipitation total of 0.45 inch, including 2.0 inches of snow. Farther west, cooler, drier air arrived in California, resulting in a daily-record low (39 degrees F) on January 13 in Simi Valley. Hawaii's tranquil wet season continued, bringing a gradual increase in the magnitude of dryness and long-term drought across the islands. Meanwhile, mild weather continued across interior and southeastern Alaska, while near-normal temperatures were observed across western areas. On Sunday, both Juneau (51 degrees F) and Yakutat (50 degrees F) posted daily-record highs. Three days later in the Aleutians, Cold Bay (3 degrees F) posted a record low for January 10. National Agricultural Summary January 8 - 14, 2001 Snow cover was mostly melted on the Texas High Plains, leaving wheat fields extremely muddy and exposed to sub-freezing. In most areas, small grains remained dormant. Many wheat and oat fields planted for forage were too muddy for grazing. The cotton ginning pace slowed, as only isolated fields of standing cotton remained. Field preparations for the 2001 crops remained on hold due to wet soils. Vegetable and citrus harvests remained active in the Rio Grande Valley. In central and eastern Texas, development of vegetable crops and harvest progress were slowed by cool, wet weather. Some unharvested pecans remained in the Trans Pecos area, but harvest activities were mostly complete elsewhere. In California, recently planted wheat, oat, and barley fields were emerging. Growth accelerated as warmer-than-normal temperatures continued. Late-week precipitation relieved moisture shortages in dryland wheat and barley fields. A few grain fields remained to be planted. Pruning and spraying continued in orchards and vineyards until late-week rains halted work. Caretakers halted irrigation after rain boosted soil moisture supplies. Grapefruit picking was active in the desert areas. The navel orange harvest continued with few delays. Wet weather slowed vegetable fieldwork. Daily harvest activities were delayed by morning frost. Vegetable beds were prepared for late winter and early spring planting. Topsoil moisture remains very short in Florida, with isolated areas of adequate moisture. Low temperatures limited growth of all cool season forages. Winter pastures produced little growth due to drought. Freezing temperatures and drought increased wild fire hazards throughout the State. Sugarcane harvest progressed well. Florida's citrus groves slowly recovered from earlier freeze damage. A few light scattered showers provided much-needed moisture in the citrus-producing areas, but growers continued running irrigation equipment to maintain tree and fruit conditions. Orange picking remained active and kept juice plants running around the clock. The next "Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin" report will be released at 12:00 p.m. on January 23, 2001. 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