We 1 (2-01) Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released February 27, 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. 9 February 18 - 24, 2001 For additional information, call (202) 720-7917. Highlights: Cool, wet weather continued across much of California, easing concerns about spring runoff prospects and summer water supplies but further slowing spring fieldwork and winter grain development in the Central Valley. Farther north, however, only light precipitation fell from the Cascades eastward to the northern Rockies, where October to late-February precipitation ranged from 45 to 70 percent of normal. Meanwhile, cold weather persisted across the northern Plains and western Corn Belt, holding weekly temperatures as much as 15 degrees F below normal. In addition, a late-week storm brought additional snow and blowing snow to eastern South Dakota and adjacent areas, maintaining stress on livestock and hampering rural transportation. According to National Weather Service forecasts, some deeply snow-covered western Corn Belt river basins, including the James River in eastern South Dakota and the Cedar River in eastern Iowa, face major spring snow-melt flooding. Farther south, heavy rain persisted on the southeastern Plains and returned to the middle Mississippi Valley, maintaining very wet conditions in fields and feedlots. Weekly rainfall totaled 2 inches or more from eastern Oklahoma and southeastern Kansas to central Illinois. Meanwhile, beneficial showers further eased long-term drought across the interior South. In contrast, very warm (up to 8 degrees F above normal), mostly dry conditions persisted in Florida, where drought concerns included dwindling freshwater supplies, heavy citrus irrigation requirements, and the threat of wildfires. Warm weather also prevailed across the remainder of the South for a fourth consecutive week, promoting pastures and winter grain development. At week's end, however, a severe weather outbreak--the South's second such event in 9 days--resulted in more than 100 reports of wind damage from the southeastern Plains eastward to the Tennessee, Tombigbee, and lower Mississippi Valleys. Early in the week, warm air briefly overspread the southern Plains, where Amarillo, TX notched a daily-record high of 78 degrees F on Monday. Cooler air soon returned to the South-Central States, while warmth moved into the Southeast. By Thursday, daily-record highs included 80 degrees F in Pensacola, FL and 78 degrees F in Mobile, AL. Two days later, daily records in Florida soared to 88 degrees F in Ft. Myers and 85 degrees F in Tampa. Year-to-date (January 1 - February 24) Florida rainfall totals remained as low as 0.08 inch (2 percent of normal) in Ft. Myers and 1.33 inches (26 percent) in West Palm Beach. As a result of continuing dryness, the average level of southern Florida's Lake Okeechobee fell to 10.75 feet on February 20, a record low for the date and down 1.75 feet from early October 2000. By week's end, warmth crept back into southern Texas, where readings on Saturday topped 90 degrees F in locations such as McAllen (92 degrees F) and Cotulla (91 degrees F). In contrast, bitterly cold weather edged into the northern Plains and upper Midwest. The cold conditions peaked on February 21, when daily-record lows in South Dakota included -20 degrees F in Huron, exactly 1 year after a high of 70 degrees F, and -19 degrees F in Sisseton. A signficant snow storm followed the cold outbreak, adding to already impressive snow depths. Huron's snow depth, which broke a 38-year-old record by reaching 30 inches on February 9, climbed to 36 inches on February 25. Furthermore, Huron netted 8.3 inches of snow on February 24-25, lifting their season-to-date snowfall (80.7 inches) above the 1961-62 record of 77.7 inches. Storm-total snowfalls reached 6.9 inches in Aberdeen, SD and 15.8 inches in Duluth, MN, boosting their respective February 1-25 totals to 21.0 and 31.5 inches. The snowiest February on record in Aberdeen, in 1969, featured 25.1 inches; Duluth's February record of 34.4 inches was set in 1922. Farther east, the storm added 5 inches of depth to the 2-inch snow cover in Des Moines, IA. As a result, Des Moines marked a 77th consecutive day (December 11 to February 25) with at least 1 inch of snow on the ground, approaching their December 1977 - March 1978 record of 90 days. Farther south and east, ice accumulations preceded the arrival of heavy rainfall. As much as one-half inch of ice glazed the Ozarks on Wednesday. Three days later, on the 24th, Springfield, MO received 2.20 inches of rain, their sixth-greatest 1-day total on record during February. In addition, Springfield's month-to-date total, 5.74 inches, eclipsed their former February record. On February 24 in Illinois, totals of 1.67 inches in Peoria and 1.93 inches in Springfield easily exceeded the normal February precipitation totals of 1.42 and 1.77 inches, respectively. Farther south, a destructive tornado--one of a dozen reported--struck in Pontotoc County, MS on the 24th, resulting in eight fatalities. Wet weather prevailed in California and adjacent areas for most of the week, adding several more inches of liquid to the Sierra Nevada snow pack. The snow pack approximately doubled during January to about 9 inches by month's end, then doubled again to 18 inches (75 percent of normal) during the first 26 days of February. In northern California, Redding netted a daily-record rainfall of 3.17 inches on Thursday. Cool weather accompanied the unsettled conditions, resulting in a high temperature of 50 degrees F on Saturday in Stockton, CA, their lowest on record for February 24. Generally quiet weather returned to Hawaii, following significant, drought-easing rainfall during the first half of February. Showers lingered across Kauai, where 3.00 inches dampened Kapahi. Farther north, Alaska's 'year without a winter' continued. Weekly temperature departures ranged from +3 to +9 degrees F across most of mainland Alaska, but topped +20 degrees F in western parts of the State. National Agricultural Summary February 19 - 25, 2001 Below-normal temperatures continued in the northern Great Plains and spread south and eastward into the central Great Plains, northern Corn Belt, and Great Lakes region. Meanwhile, above-normal temperatures stimulated growth of small grains in the southern Great Plains and Southeast. Light snowfall provided some protection for winter wheat in the northern Plains, while rain melted the protective snow cover in the eastern Corn Belt. Heavy rain produced muddy conditions in the southern Corn Belt and adjacent parts of the Great Plains. A band of freezing rain damaged trees and downed power lines across the central and northern Corn Belt. Interior areas of the Southeast received beneficial precipitation, but the drought continued in Florida. Heavy rain delayed fieldwork and orchard activities in California. In Texas, fieldwork gradually accelerated, but conditions remained unfavorably wet in many areas. Some corn and sorghum fields were planted along the Coastal Bend, and a few cotton fields were planted in the Lower Valley. Above-normal temperatures and adequate moisture promoted germination and emergence of early-planted corn fields. In Florida, rain boosted topsoil moisture in the western Panhandle region, but moisture supplies remained very short across the remainder of the State. The sugarcane harvest and field preparations for spring crops continued without delays. Citrus growers continued irrigating groves to maintain tree conditions. New growth and bloom buds of various sizes were present in well-maintained groves. In California, wet weather hampered fieldwork and orchard activities, but provided ample moisture for development of small grains, sugar beets, and forage crops. Cool, wet weather also hampered vegetable production. Some early varieties of peaches, nectarines, and plums were blooming, but cool weather limited development. 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