We 1 (4-01) Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released April 10, 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. 15 April 1 - 7, 2001 For additional information, call (202) 720-7917. Highlights: Warmer air swept into areas from the central and southern Plains eastward, part of a major weather pattern change that also brought cool, showery conditions to the West, flooding rains to the upper Midwest, and drier weather to the South. Locally heavy showers lingered until midweek in the Southeast, particularly across Alabama. Nevertheless, late-week temperatures surged above 80 degrees F throughout the South, favoring the development of pastures, winter grains, and emerging summer crops. In drought-affected Peninsular Florida, however, the return of warm, dry weather increased irrigation demands. Farther north, late-week temperatures rose to 80 degrees F or above into the southern Corn Belt, spurring winter grain development. Despite sporadic showers, topsoil moisture remained limited in the Ohio Valley due to persistent dryness since last October. In sharp contrast, late-week rainfall exceeded 2 inches in parts of the northwestern Corn Belt, causing severe lowland flooding in areas already saturated by melting snow. On the central and southern Plains, warm (weekly temperatures 5 to 13 degrees F above normal), mostly dry weather promoted spring planting preparations and rapid winter wheat development. Meanwhile, beneficial precipitation spread onto the drought-affected northern High Plains, where winter wheat began to break dormancy. In the West, sharply cooler air held weekly temperatures as much as 7 degrees F below normal in Washington and Oregon. Cool, showery weather hampered fieldwork and crop development in many areas, including California and Arizona, but boosted meager high-elevation snowpacks in the northern Rockies, Pacific Northwest, and Sierra Nevada. Cool weather lingered in the East early in the week, resulting in daily-record lows in Jackson, TN (30 degrees F on April 1), and downtown Charleston, SC (46 degrees F on April 2). By Tuesday, however, record warmth shifted into the South, where New Orleans' Audubon Park notched their first of two consecutive daily-record highs (85 degrees F both days). Record warmth expanded into the Midwest by April 7, producing record highs in locations such as Bowling Green, KY (88 degrees F), Lincoln, IL (85 degrees F), and Dayton, OH (85 degrees F). In Wisconsin, Green Bay (52 degrees F on April 4) noted their first high temperature at or above 50 degrees F this year, their latest such observance since April 15, 1975. Similarly, Rochester, MN (50 degrees F on April 4), tallied their first 50 degrees F reading of the year on the latest date since April 12, 1979. LaCrosse, WI, went 147 consecutive days (November 8 to April 3) without a high of 50 degrees F or higher, their longest such streak on record (previously 135 days in 1992-93 and 1975-76). In Missouri, St. Louis registered 80 degrees F on April 5, ending their longest streak with high temperatures below 70 degrees F (153 days from November 3 to April 4) since a 154-day spell in 1992-93. The week's most significant rainfall in Southeast fell during a brief period on April 3-4, helping to boost month-to-date totals to 5.26 inches in Birmingham, AL, and 4.22 inches in Tupelo, MS. On April 3 alone, daily-record totals included 4.13 inches in Birmingham and 4.16 inches in Tupelo. Only scattered showers were reported elsewhere across the eastern half of the Nation, allowing precipitation deficits to mount in the Ohio Valley. Indianapolis, IN, netted only 0.07 inch during the first week of April, leaving their year-to-date total at 3.41 inches (36 percent of normal). Meanwhile in the West, more than 20 daily-record lows were established from April 3-7. On Tuesday, Butte, MT, registered -1 degree F, while Sacramento, CA (33 degrees F), came within 2 degrees F of their April record low. A day later, record lows in the Northwest included 28 degrees F at both Pendleton, OR, and Lewiston, ID. On Friday, the high temperature of 46 degrees F in Seaside, OR, tied their lowest on record for April. A major spring storm system evolved across the West toward week's end, bringing unusually heavy precipitation to the southern half of the region. In Arizona, April 5-6 rainfall reached 0.88 inch in Phoenix, four times their April normal, and 0.72 inch in Tucson. Storm-total snowfall reached 7.2 inches in Flagstaff, AZ, and 12.0 inches at Utah's Bryce Canyon National Park. Nearly 5 feet fell in the Wasatch Range near Alta, UT, while more than 3 feet blanketed parts of the central Sierra Nevada near Lake Tahoe. California's lower elevations received heavy rain, including daily-record totals on Saturday in Redding (1.47 inches) and Pasadena (1.37 inches). The storm swept across the upper Midwest on April 7, generating the lowest April barometric pressure on record (28.84 inches) in Sioux Falls, SD. Their previous April record, 28.91 inches, was established on April 12, 1982. Peak wind gusts on Saturday included 75 mph in Spencer, IA, 74 mph at the NWS Office in LaCrosse, WI, and 68 mph in Fairmont, MN. The storm lifted month-to-date precipitation totals to 2.53 inches in Huron, SD, 2.11 inches in Minneapolis, MN, and 1.43 inches in Fargo, ND, adding significant runoff to already swollen creeks and rivers. By midday Sunday, April 8, the Red River near Wahpeton, ND, climbed to 6 feet above flood stage, less than 4 feet below the April 1997 record high. In eastern South Dakota, the James River at Huron also rose to 6 feet above flood stage, just 4.3 feet below the record crest established on April 5, 1997. Generally light showers dampened Hawaii, accompanied by temperatures that averaged up to 3 degrees F above normal across the western islands. Locally heavy showers soaked Kauai, where the 12-hour rainfall reached 4.43 inches in Wainiha on April 2. Meanwhile, mild weather returned to Alaska, following a 2-week period of cold weather. Heavy precipitation accompanied temperatures that averaged as much as 9 degrees F above normal in western Alaska, where Nome received 15.1 inches of snow (1.27 inches of liquid equivalent) during the first 7 days of April. National Agricultural Summary April 2 - 8, 2001 Highlights: Temperatures averaged well above normal across most of the Great Plains, Corn Belt, lower Mississippi Valley, and part of the Southeast. In the southern Great Plains, warm weather stimulated growth of winter grains and forage crops and aided germination of spring row crops. Warm weather also aided evaporation of excess moisture and permitted fieldwork and planting to gradually accelerate. In interior parts of the Southeast, heavy rain halted fieldwork and produced isolated flooding along streams. Heavy rain also flooded parts of the Red River Valley in the northern Great Plains. Cold air hindered vegetative growth and limited evaporation of excess moisture along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts and around a pocket in the northern Great Plains. Light rain provided beneficial moisture in the California Valleys, but fieldwork was barely disrupted. Mountain snowpack moisture reserves increased in the Cascade and Sierra Nevada ranges. Winter Wheat: Two percent of the Nation's winter wheat was heading, behind last year and the average of 6 and 3 percent, respectively. Above-normal temperatures stimulated growth in the central and southern Great Plains and Corn Belt. Development remained slightly ahead of the 5-year average in Texas but well behind normal in Arkansas, Kansas, and Oklahoma. Moisture supplies were adequate to support development in most areas, although parts of the Great Plains and lower Mississippi Valley were saturated. In the northern Great Plains, warm, afternoon temperatures coaxed fields out of dormancy, but growth remained slow due to sub-freezing, overnight temperatures. A pocket of below-normal temperatures, combined with excessive moisture, hindered growth in South Dakota. Cooler-than-normal temperatures also limited development along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. California's winter wheat crop was 25 percent headed, more than double the previous week, but behind the normal pace of 38 percent. Corn: Planting advanced to 2 percent, half of last year's 4-percent progress and slightly behind the 3-percent average for this date. Soils remained too cold and wet across most of the Corn Belt to begin planting. However, planting gradually gained momentum along the Mississippi and Ohio River Valleys in the southern Corn Belt, as above-normal temperatures heated soils and dry weather supported seedbed preparation and planting. In Tennessee, planting quickly accelerated, but progress remained slightly behind the normal pace. Planting was active in Texas and North Carolina, even though excessive moisture limited progress in parts of both States. Cotton: Planting progressed to 7 percent complete, equal to last year's pace, but slightly ahead of the 5-year average. Planting remained active in the Southwest, advancing to approximately one-fourth complete in Arizona and California, despite occasional rain delays. Planting resumed in South Texas and along the Coastal Bend, as winds and above-normal temperatures gradually evaporated excess moisture from soggy soils. Heavy rainfall prevented planting in interior areas of the Southeast. A few fields were planted along the Atlantic Coastal Plains, but progress was limited due to cool weather and excessive moisture. Small grains: Three percent of the spring wheat acreage was seeded, well behind last year's rapid progress of 11 percent, but only 2 percentage points behind the 5-year average. Acreage seeded more than doubled in Idaho and Washington. Cool, wet weather halted progress in South Dakota. The barley acreage was 6 percent seeded, 4 percentage points behind last year's pace, and 1 percentage point behind the 5-year average. Seeding remained active in the Pacific Northwest and gained momentum in Montana. Oat seeding was 3 percent complete, far behind last year's 27-percent pace, and well behind the 12-percent average for this date. Warm, dry weather aided progress in the eastern Corn Belt, while soggy fields prevented planting across most of the western Corn Belt and northern Great Plains. Planting advanced to 10 percent complete in Nebraska. Other crops: Sixteen percent of the rice crop was planted, slightly ahead of last year's crop and the average of 15 and 13 percent, respectively. Planting remained active along the western Gulf Coast and quickly accelerated in parts of the interior Mississippi Delta, as warm, dry weather provided excellent seeding conditions. Nearly half of the acreage was planted in Louisiana and Texas. Progress was ahead of normal in Arkansas and Mississippi. Eleven percent of the sorghum acreage was planted, compared with 14 percent last year and 13 percent normally planted by this date. Planting steadily advanced in Texas, but at 33 percent complete, progress was slower than normal. Planting accelerated in Arkansas, while lingering wetness delayed progress in Louisiana. Seven percent of the sugarbeet acreage was planted in the four major sugarbeet producing States, behind last year's 13-percent progress, but equal to the 5-year average. Planting accelerated in Idaho, to 24 percent complete, but progress lagged behind the normal pace of 33 percent. Planting began in Michigan, where growers planted 15 percent of their acreage during the week. Corn: Percent Planted, Selected States 1/ -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 1996- State:Apr 8, :Apr 1, :Apr 8, : 2000 : 2001 : 2001 : 2000 : Avg. -------------------------------------- : Percent : CO : 0 0 0 0 IL : 1 0 3 2 IN : 1 0 1 0 IA : 0 0 0 0 KS : 2 0 3 2 KY : 5 1 11 5 MI : 0 0 0 0 MN : 0 0 0 0 MO : 5 1 23 10 NE : 0 0 0 0 NC : 10 0 14 17 ND : 0 0 0 0 OH : 1 0 1 1 PA : 0 0 0 0 SD : 0 0 0 0 TN : 15 4 23 16 TX : 37 30 55 49 WI : 0 0 0 0 : 18 Sts: 2 1 4 3 -------------------------------------- 1/ These 18 States planted 92% of last year's corn acreage. Winter Wheat: Percent Headed, Selected States 1/ -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 1996- State:Apr 8, :Apr 1, :Apr 8, : 2000 : 2001 : 2001 : 2000 : Avg. -------------------------------------- : Percent : AR : 1 0 21 12 CA : 25 10 44 38 CO : 0 0 0 0 ID : 0 0 0 0 IL : 0 0 0 0 IN : 0 0 0 0 KS : 0 0 0 0 MI : 0 0 0 0 MO : 0 0 0 0 MT : 0 0 0 0 NE : 0 0 0 0 NC : 3 0 19 10 OH : 0 0 0 0 OK : 0 0 10 4 OR : 0 0 0 0 SD : 0 0 0 0 TX : 13 8 19 11 WA : 0 0 0 0 : 18 Sts: 2 1 6 3 -------------------------------------- 1/ These 18 States planted 90% of last year's winter wheat acreage. Cotton: Percent Planted, Selected States 1/ -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 1996- State:Apr 8, :Apr 1, :Apr 8, : 2000 : 2001 : 2001 : 2000 : Avg. -------------------------------------- : Percent : AL : 0 0 2 3 AZ : 24 15 14 22 AR : 0 0 0 0 CA : 25 15 31 17 GA : 1 0 2 2 LA : 0 0 0 0 MS : 1 0 0 0 MO : 0 0 0 0 NC : 0 0 0 1 OK : 0 0 0 0 SC : 1 0 4 2 TN : 0 0 0 0 TX : 11 10 11 9 VA : 0 0 0 0 : 14 Sts: 7 5 7 6 -------------------------------------- 1/ These 14 States planted 98% of last year's cotton acreage. Sorghum: Percent Planted, Selected States 1/ -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 1996- State:Apr 8, :Apr 1, :Apr 8, : 2000 : 2001 : 2001 : 2000 : Avg. -------------------------------------- : Percent : AR : 12 2 10 8 CO : 0 0 0 0 IL : 0 0 0 0 KS : 0 0 0 0 LA : 1 0 3 4 MO : 0 0 0 0 NE : 0 0 0 0 NM : 0 0 0 0 OK : 0 0 1 0 SD : 0 0 0 0 TX : 33 30 40 38 : 11 Sts: 11 10 14 13 -------------------------------------- 1/ These 11 States planted 97% of last year's sorghum acreage. Spring Wheat: Percent Planted, Selected States 1/ -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 1996- State:Apr 8, :Apr 1, :Apr 8, : 2000 : 2001 : 2001 : 2000 : Avg. -------------------------------------- : Percent : ID : 18 8 36 28 MN : 0 0 9 2 MT : 2 1 6 3 ND : 0 0 2 0 SD : 1 1 41 14 WA : 39 19 44 38 : 6 Sts : 3 1 11 5 -------------------------------------- 1/ These 6 States planted 98% of last year's spring wheat acreage. Barley: Percent Planted, Selected States 1/ -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 1996- State:Apr 8, :Apr 1, :Apr 8, : 2000 : 2001 : 2001 : 2000 : Avg. -------------------------------------- : Percent : ID : 18 11 21 18 MN : 0 0 9 2 MT : 4 1 10 5 ND : 0 0 1 0 WA : 19 13 29 27 : 5 Sts : 6 3 10 7 -------------------------------------- 1/ These 5 States planted 80% of last year's barley acreage. Rice: Percent Planted, Selected States 1/ -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 1996- State:Apr 8, :Apr 1, :Apr 8, : 2000 : 2001 : 2001 : 2000 : Avg. -------------------------------------- : Percent : AR : 6 1 4 4 CA : 0 0 1 0 LA : 50 31 52 46 MS : 14 1 2 8 TX : 49 24 57 38 : 5 Sts : 16 8 15 13 -------------------------------------- 1/ These 5 States planted 94% of last year's rice acreage. Oats: Percent Planted, Selected States 1/ -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 1996- State:Apr 8, :Apr 1, :Apr 8, : 2000 : 2001 : 2001 : 2000 : Avg. -------------------------------------- : Percent : IA : 1 0 70 36 MN : 0 0 23 5 NE : 10 5 81 41 ND : 0 0 1 0 OH : 37 8 36 27 PA : 4 1 19 19 SD : 0 0 29 11 WI : 0 0 22 8 : 8 Sts : 3 1 27 12 -------------------------------------- 1/ These 8 States planted 37% of last year's oat acreage. Sugarbeets: Percent Planted, Selected States 1/ -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 1996- State:Apr 8, :Apr 1, :Apr 8, : 2000 : 2001 : 2001 : 2000 : Avg. -------------------------------------- : Percent : ID : 24 6 42 33 MI : 15 0 29 6 MN : 0 0 0 0 ND : 0 0 0 0 : 4 Sts : 7 1 13 7 -------------------------------------- 1/ These 4 States planted 73% of last year's sugarbeet acreage. Winter Wheat: Crop Condition by Percent, Selected States -------------------------------------- State : VP : P : F : G : EX -------------------------------------- : Percent : AR : 1 11 43 40 5 CA : 0 0 10 60 30 CO : 5 15 21 54 5 ID : 0 0 10 77 13 IL : 1 4 28 57 10 IN : 1 5 25 56 13 KS : 8 21 38 31 2 MI : 0 5 25 45 25 MO : 1 8 29 54 8 MT : 4 30 48 16 2 NE : 2 10 37 45 6 NC : 1 5 20 54 20 OH : 1 3 24 62 10 OK : 10 24 35 28 3 OR : 0 8 29 56 7 SD : 12 13 32 38 5 TX : 6 16 42 32 4 WA : 0 2 35 58 5 : 18 Sts : 6 16 35 38 5 : Prev Wk : 6 14 36 39 5 Prev Yr : 5 9 25 49 12 -------------------------------------- VP-Very Poor, P-Poor, F-Fair, G-Good, EX-Excellent. National crop conditions for selected States are weighted based on 2000 planted acres. The next "Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin" report will be released at 12 a.m. ET on April 17, 2001. 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