We 1 (2-01) Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released February 13, 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. 7 February 4 - 10, 2001 For additional information, call (202) 720-7917. Highlights: Beneficial precipitation overspread California, but only light amounts fell in the Northwest. Despite increased storminess in the Sierra Nevada, the water equivalent of the region's high-elevation snow pack stood near 10 inches (about 50 percent of normal) by week's end. As a result, concerns about spring runoff prospects and summer water supplies continued to mount from the Cascades and Sierra Nevada eastward to the northern Rockies. Farther east, bitterly cold weather, preceded by snow and freezing rain, returned to the northern and central Plains and western Corn Belt. Although an extensive snow cover continued to protect most winter grains from weather extremes, livestock experienced an increase in stress. Late-week wind chill temperatures fell to as low as -40 to -60 degrees F in the eastern Dakotas, western Minnesota, and northwestern Iowa. Temperatures plummeted to -30 degrees F or below in parts of Wyoming, where weekly temperatures averaged as much as 12 degrees F below normal. Elsewhere in the Corn Belt, heavy precipitation (rain, freezing rain, and snow) resulted in lowland flooding and left fields and feedlots muddy, especially in the Ohio Valley. More than 2 inches of precipitation fell in many locations from eastern Kansas to southern Michigan. Farther east, an early-week storm produced heavy snowfall in the northern Mid-Atlantic States and New England. Warm weather prevailed across the South until late in the week, promoting spring fieldwork and winter grain development. Temperatures reached 70 degrees F as far north as the Ohio Valley, where weekly temperatures averaged 8 to 14 degrees F above normal, and exceeded 80 degrees F in southern Texas and Peninsular Florida. Exceptionally dry conditions persisted across Florida's peninsula, further reducing water supplies and increasing citrus and sugarcane irrigation requirements. Early in the week, abnormally warm weather continued in the West Coast States, resulting in more than 40 daily-record highs. Several southern California stations, including Santa Maria (84, 84, and 80 degrees F) and El Cajon (88, 90, and 90 degrees F) posted three consecutive daily-record highs from February 3-5. Santa Ana, CA recorded a high of 93 degrees F on Sunday. By midweek, sharply cooler air arrived in the West, where Simi Valley, CA (37 degrees F on February 7) tallied a daily-record low just 2 days after a record high of 85 degrees F. Other rapid southern California changes from record highs to lows included Beaumont (81 degrees F on February 4 to 26 degrees F on February 8) and Riverside (90 degrees F on February 4 to 34 degrees F on February 8). In the Northeast, February 5 snowfall totals included 18.5 inches in Worcester, MA, their tenth-greatest single-day total during the 110-year period of record, and 16.3 inches in Windsor Locks, CT, their seventh-greatest single-day total in 97 years. Storm-total snowfall in New Hampshire reached 34 inches in Alexandria and 30 inches in Jaffrey and Gorham. Coastal wind gusts during the storm reached 61 mph on Matinicus Rock, ME and 57 mph on Isles of Shoals, NH. At midweek, warmer weather overspread the South, Midwest, and East in advance of a storm system, contributing to more than 50 daily-record highs. On Wednesday, London, KY (64, 69, and 70 degrees F) notched their first of three consecutive daily records. Two days later, on February 9, highs soared to 76 degrees F in Chattanooga, TN, 75 degrees F in Elkins, WV, and 70 degrees F in Washington, DC. Although showers preceded the late-week arrival of colder air across much of the South and East, very warm, dry conditions persisted across Florida. Ft. Myers, FL posted consecutive daily-record highs (88 and 87 degrees F) on February 10-11, aggravating the effects of a dry weather pattern that resulted in just 0.08 inch of rain (3 percent of normal) during the first 41 days of the year. Similar dryness concerns existed in the Northwest, where season-to-date (October 1 - February 10) precipitation totaled 10.95 inches (36 percent of normal) in Eugene, OR, 11.31 inches (48 percent) in Salem, OR, and 16.66 inches (54 percent) in Olympia, WA. High-elevation season-to-date totals generally ranged from 45 to 75 percent of normal from the Cascades eastward to the northern Rockies, according to data from USDA's SNOTEL network. Meanwhile in the North-Central States, a bitterly cold outbreak trailed the second major snow storm in less than 2 weeks. Pierre, SD received daily-record snowfalls on consecutive days (February 7 and 8), totaling15.5 inches. On the 7th, Rapid City, SD netted 11.0 inches, breaking their 24-hour snowfall record for February (previously 10.0 inches on February 14, 1889). Season-to-date snowfall reached 71.9 inches in Huron, SD, just shy of their all-time record of 77.7 inches, set in 1961-62. In addition, Huron noted a snow depth record with 30 inches on February 9, bettering their 28-inch standard set on February 21, 1962. As a result of the extensive snow cover, moderate to major snow-melt flooding is forecast by the National Weather Service next spring in the James River Basin, from Beadle County downstream to the Missouri River. Bitterly cold air trailed the storm system, resulting in daily-record lows on Friday in locations such as Laramie, WY (-30 degrees F), Saratoga, WY (-29 degrees F), and Denver, CO (-15 degrees F). Shirley Basin, WY, south of Casper, recorded a low of -42 degrees F, while Rochford, SD, near Rapid City, fell to -37 degrees F. A day later, sub-zero cold shifted as far south and east as Kansas, where Hill City (-8 degrees F) notched a daily record. Farther east, rivers rose following heavy precipitation in the Ohio and middle Mississippi Valleys. In western Indiana, the Wabash River climbed to its highest level in 2 years from Covington to Terre Haute. On Sunday, February 11, the Wabash crested a little more than 6 feet above flood stage in Lafayette, IN, the highest level there since January 1999. Meanwhile in Michigan, Detroit's snow cover finally fell to a trace on February 9, ending a 64-day streak (December 7 - February 8) with at least 1 inch on the ground (their eighth-longest such streak and longest since a 73-day streak from January 1 - March 14, 1978). Significant rainfall returned to Hawaii for the first time in nearly 3 months, providing relief from an unusually dry rainy season but causing some flash flooding. On Kauai, 72-hour totals reached 13.64 inches in Wainiha and 11.60 inches in Hanalei. Meanwhile, an unusually mild winter continued across Alaska, where weekly temperatures ranged from 13 to 21 degrees F above normal in mainland and western areas, accompanied by widespread precipitation in the latter region. Anchorage, AK set a record for the most consecutive days with low temperatures at or above 0 degrees F. Their streak reached 389 days (starting January 18, 2000) by February 10. National Agricultural Summary February 5 - 11, 2001 A storm that produced a mixture of wintery precipitation increased moisture supplies in the Corn Belt. Another storm delivered heavy precipitation in northern California, including much-needed accumulations to the snow pack in the Sierra Nevada range. Dry conditions persisted in the Southeast, especially in Florida, where precipitation was very light and mostly confined to northern areas of the State. Cold weather prevailed along the Pacific Coast and in the northern and central Great Plains. Some winter wheat fields had little or no snow cover, leaving plants exposed to the frigid temperatures and strong winds. In California, sugar beets, small grains, and alfalfa fields developed well, despite below-normal temperatures. The cold, windy weather hindered vegetable harvest, but citrus harvest remained active. Orchard and vineyard caretakers continued with winter chores. In Florida, citrus growers continued irrigating groves to maintain tree conditions for the upcoming bloom period. Warm weather accelerated development, as most trees produced new growth and had bloom buds of various sizes. Rain temporarily eased moisture shortages in parts of the State, but winter forages produced little new growth. Fieldwork resumed in the driest areas of the southern Great Plains early in the week. However, progress remained stalled in many areas of north and central Texas due to persistent wetness and additional late-week showers. A few corn and cotton fields were planted in the Coastal Bend and Lower Valley regions. The next "Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin" report will be released at 12:00 p.m. ET on February 21, 2001. 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