We 1 (1-01) Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released January 30, 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. 5 January 21 - 27, 2001 For additional information, call (202) 720-7917. Highlights: Mild, mostly dry weather prevailed until midweek, when a strong winter storm reached California and western Oregon. Although the average water equivalent of the Sierra Nevada snow pack approximately doubled to 9 inches during the first 26 days of January, according to the California Department of Water Resources, it remained only one-half of the late-January normal. Unfavorably dry conditions also persisted from the Cascades to the northern Rockies, where cold-season precipitation (since October 1, 2000) ranged from 40 to 70 percent of normal. Late in the week, the storm system produced a variety of precipitation (rain, freezing rain, and snow) from the Southwest to the central and southern Plains. Locally as much as 1 foot of snow was reported in areas from the Texas panhandle to central Kansas. Elsewhere on the Plains, a variable snow cover continued to insulate some of the winter wheat crop. In addition, the northern and central Plains' wheat areas continued to avoid significant weather extremes, as weekly temperatures averaged up to 6 degrees F above normal. In contrast, cool weather lingered across the Southeast, including Florida, where temperatures averaged as much as 10 degrees F below normal. Exceptionally dry conditions persisted across most of Florida's peninsula, further reducing water supplies and maintaining heavy citrus irrigation demands. Across the remainder of the South, the return of favorably dry weather, following the previous week's heavy rainfall, permitted a gradual return to fieldwork. Farther north, generally light precipitation overspread the Corn Belt toward week's end, ending a period of dry, mild weather. Until then, January's more favorable weather pattern (mostly dry and milder than December) eased rural travel disruptions and livestock stress, despite the retention of an extensive snow cover across the northern Corn Belt. Early in the week, bitterly cold air was briefly entrenched across the Northeast, where Massena, NY (-20 degrees F on January 21) posted a daily-record low. Farther south, daily-record snowfall totals on Sunday included 4.2 inches in Newark, NJ and 6.0 inches in New York's Central Park. Meanwhile, mild weather overspread the West in advance of a Pacific storm system. On Monday in California, Sacramento's high of 66 degrees F tied their daily record. Cool weather prevailed for the entire week in the Southeast, resulting in scattered daily-record lows. Weekly low temperatures in Tampa, FL averaged 39.3 degrees F, more than 10 degrees F below normal. In California and the Southwest, meanwhile, much cooler air trailed the mid- to late-week storm system. For example, downtown Los Angeles, CA noted a high of 51 degrees F on January 26, their lowest maximum since an identical reading on January 7, 1992. The Northwest, largely dry again, saw mounting seasonal precipitation deficits. In Washington, October 1 - January 27 precipitation stood at 14.34 inches (52 percent of normal) in Olympia, 11.21 inches (57 percent) in Seattle, 3.31 inches (45 percent) in Spokane, and 1.91 inches (47 percent) in Wenatchee. Similarly, western Oregon totals for the same period included 18.32 inches (52 percent of normal) in Astoria, 10.59 inches (56 percent) in Portland, 10.45 inches (49 percent) in Salem, and 9.96 inches (36 percent) in Eugene. Meanwhile, January 1-27 rainfall reached 1.77 inches (300 percent of normal) in Phoenix, AZ. Elsewhere in Arizona, Flagstaff's month-to-date snowfall totaled 36.7 inches, more than twice the normal. The wet conditions in the Southwest stood in contrast to the quiet conditions in the previously snow-bound Midwestern and Great Lakes States. Following Milwaukee's snowiest December on record (49.5 inches), the Wisconsin city's January 1-27 snowfall totaled just 1.0 inch. Due to settling and melting, Milwaukee's snow depth dropped from 30 inches on New Year's Day to 4 inches by January 27. At week's end, heavy precipitation reached the central and southern Plains, resulting in consecutive daily-record precipitation totals on January 27-28 in Oklahoma City, OK (a 2-day total of 1.37 inches) and Wichita Falls, TX (0.86 inch). In Amarillo, TX, 9.6 inches of snow fell on January 27-28, boosting their season-to-date total to 43.1 inches. Amarillo's seasonal snowfall record, 48.7 inches, was established in 1918-19. Elsewhere on the central and southern Plains, January 28 snow depths reached 13 inches in Great Bend, KS and 12 inches in Dalhart, TX. Bitterly cold weather remained conspicuously absent from Alaska, where weekly temperatures on the mainland ranged from 15 to 30 degrees F above normal. The mild weather, which began after a brief cold snap in late November and early December, produced an eighth consecutive week of well-above-normal temperatures nearly statewide. Meanwhile, Hawaii's unusually dry rainy season continued. Only slightly more than 1 inch of rain fell in Hilo, where 9.88 inches typically falls during January. On Oahu, Honolulu's January 1-27 rainfall stood at 0.11 inch, well below their monthly normal of 3.55 inches. Across the western islands, unusually warm weather (up to 5 degrees F above normal) aggravated the effects of very dry conditions. National Agricultural Summary January 22 - 28, 2001 Rain boosted soil moisture supplies in the California valleys, while snow increased moisture reserves in the higher elevations of the Sierra Nevada. Despite the improvement in moisture supplies, growth of California's winter grains was limited by persistently cool weather. The wet weather slowed fieldwork and orchard activities, although some alfalfa fields were seeded and tree pruning continued in a few orchards. In the Southeast, dry weather prevailed and moisture shortages increased, especially in Florida and adjacent areas of the southern Atlantic Coastal Plain. A combination of severe moisture shortages and temperatures that averaged well below normal halted growth of most winter grains and forage crops. Sub-freezing temperatures remained north of Florida's citrus groves, sparing trees from additional frost damage. The cold overnight temperatures refrigerated the fruit and prevented additional juice losses. Growers and caretakers continued irrigating groves to maintain good tree condition and improve juice levels. Early and mid-season orange harvesting remained very active, with virtually no rain delays. Above-normal temperatures prevailed in most areas of the Great Plains and Corn Belt. With little additional snowfall and daily temperatures well above freezing, snow cover diminished over most of the winter wheat fields in the central and northern Great Plains. In the Corn Belt, snow cover was marginally maintained by light snowfall and temperatures that remained mostly below freezing. Most winter wheat fields and other small grains remained dormant on the Texas High Plains due to continued cool, damp weather. However, warm weather aided crop development in southern Texas, where a few oat fields entered the heading stage. The next "Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin" report will be released at 12:00 p.m. ET on February 6, 2001. 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.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact the USDA's TARGET Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TDD). 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