We 1 (2-01) Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released February 21, 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. 8 February 11 - 17, 2001 For additional information, call (202) 720-7917. Highlights: Torrential rain (2 to 8 inches) fell in areas from the southeastern Plains to the Tennessee Valley, causing lowland flooding and leaving standing water in some winter grain fields. In the southern Appalachians, however, the moisture eased long-term drought. Just south of the area of heavy rain, a third consecutive week of warm weather promoted pasture and winter wheat development. Weekly temperatures averaged 4 to 12 degrees F above normal from the Ohio Valley southward to the Gulf Coast region. Meanwhile in Florida's citrus and sugarcane areas, exceptionally dry conditions and record warmth further reduced water reserves, increased the threat of wildfires, and maintained heavy irrigation requirements. Farther north, very cold weather continued to stress livestock across the northern Plains and northwestern Corn Belt, where weekly temperatures ranged from 8 to 20 degrees F below normal. Temperatures remained below 20 degrees F for the entire week in North Dakota, where minimum wind chill readings fell to -45 degrees F or below. Although temperatures below 0 degrees F were noted as far south as Nebraska, an extensive snow cover protected most of the northern Plains' winter wheat from extreme conditions. In California, cool, showery weather slowed spring fieldwork and winter wheat development, but improved high-elevation snow packs. Unfavorably dry weather persisted, however, in the Northwest, increasing concerns about spring runoff prospects and summer water supplies. In areas from the Cascades and Sierra Nevada eastward to the northern Rockies, the mid-February water content of the high-elevation snow packs ranged from 50 to 75 percent of normal. Record warmth in Florida briefly expanded to encompass much of the Southeast after midweek. On Monday, Ft. Myers, FL notched their third consecutive daily-record high (88, 87, and 88 degrees F). Through February 17, Ft. Myers' year-to-date remained at 0.08 inch (3.00 inches below normal. Florida's combination of long-term drought, December and January freezes that browned surface vegetation, and recent record warmth resulted in a significant increase in wildfire activity. During the first 48 days of the year, 1,230 Florida wildfires burned more than 83,000 acres. On Friday, daily-record warmth reached locations such as Birmingham, AL (80 degrees F) and New Bern, NC (81 degrees F) in advance of an approaching storm system. The storm produced heavy rainfall across parts of the South, primarily from northeastern Texas and southeastern Oklahoma into Tennessee. Month-to-date rainfall topped 6 inches in several locations, including Nashville, TN (6.71 inches) and Little Rock, AR (6.29 inches). Little Rock's total on Tuesday, 2.96 inches, represented their greatest 1-day total since 3.06 inches fell on February 10, 1998. In Texas, Dallas-Ft. Worth's 2-day (February 15-16) total reached 3.09 inches, easily surpassing their normal February precipitation of 2.18 inches. Before reaching the South, the storm dumped heavy precipitation on parts of southern California and the Southwest. On 5,710-foot Mt. Wilson, near Los Angeles, the 48-hour (February 11-13) precipitation total of 7.49 inches increased the snow depth to 40 inches. As much as 5 feet of snow was reported in the San Bernardino Mountains at Wrightwood and in the San Gabriel Mountains on Mt. Baldy. Even more impressive were the snowfall totals in the Mojave Desert and the southern Great Basin. Darwin, CA, west of Death Valley National Monument, reported 36 inches, while Lone Pine, CA, in the Owens Valley and shadowed by Mt. Whitney and the southern Sierra Nevada, received 10 inches. In southern Nevada, as much as 2 feet of snow blanketed areas near Mount Charleston, northwest of Las Vegas. Farther north, cool weather lowered snow levels in the Pacific Northwest. On Monday, Wenatchee, WA noted a daily-record low of 15 degrees F. Three days later, snow developed across western Washington, including the Seattle area, where Bremerton noted at least 10 inches and Tacoma reported 5 inches. Significant snow was reported as far east as western Montana, where Missoula (5.7 inches on February 15) posted a daily-record total. Meanwhile, an extensive snow cover persisted across the northwestern half of the Corn Belt, while flooding gradually subsided in the northern portion of the Ohio Valley. Des Moines, IA marked a 70th consecutive day with at least 1 inch of snow cover on February 17, approaching their all-time record of 90 days set from December 1977 - March 1978. Farther east, the Wabash River at Montezuma, IN remained more than 5 feet above flood stage through midweek, the highest level on that stretch of the river since the spring of 1999. Heavy rainfall continued across much of Hawaii early in the week, further easing long-term drought but causing localized flooding. Rain taped to windward showers thereafter. On the Big Island, weekly rainfall totals included 18.33 inches in Glenwood and 15.99 inches in Mountain View, while the 24-hour amount in Pahala reached 6.63 inches on February 12-13. Meanwhile, exceptionally mild weather continued in Alaska, where weekly temperatures ranged from 10 to 26 degrees F above normal in most mainland locations. On February 17, Nome, AK posted a daily record-tying high of 36 degrees F. One of the season's heaviest snowfalls accompanied the mild weather across parts of interior and southern Alaska. February 11-12 snowfall in Anchorage totaled 11.2 inches. National Agricultural Summary February 12 - 18, 2001 Heavy precipitation saturated soils and flooded streams in a wide band that extended from the southern Great Plains to the southern Appalachians. Brief showers provided beneficial moisture along most of the Gulf Coast and Atlantic Coastal Plains, but Florida remained unfavorably dry. A mixture of wintery precipitation boosted moisture reserves across most of the Corn Belt. In the northern Great Plains, winter wheat fields were exposed to temperatures that averaged far below normal, although light snowfall provided marginal protection for some fields. Cold, wet weather prevailed along the Pacific Coast, delaying fieldwork and hindering growth of winter crops in California. In Texas, fieldwork progressed in the drier locations of the Plains and Trans-Pecos region, but remained mostly stalled across central and eastern areas of the State. Fieldwork and planting continued with brief rain delays in the Coastal Bend and South Texas. Warmer-than-normal weather slightly accelerated growth of small grains, but colder weather returned late in the week and halted growth across northern portions of the State. In Florida, ample warmth accelerated growth of irrigated crops, but dryland forages produced no growth due to extreme moisture shortages. In spite of the drought, well-cared-for citrus groves remained in good condition, with new growth and bloom buds developing. Fieldwork, including vegetable production, citrus and sugarcane harvest, and tillage chores continued without interruption. In California, wet weather delayed fieldwork, including field tillage, orchard and vineyard activities, and fertilizer and pesticide applications. The precipitation provided beneficial moisture for development of dryland crops, but growth of small grains was hindered by cold weather. The next "Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin" report will be released at 12:00 p.m. ET on February 27, 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.) 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