We 1 (10-01) Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released October 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. 44 October 21 - 27, 2001 For additional information, call (202) 720-7917. Highlights: A strong cold front crossed the Midwest on October 24, preceded by widespread showers and accompanied by high winds (40 to 60 mph, with locally higher gusts). The rain brought renewed fieldwork delays to the eastern Corn Belt, while high winds and large hail knocked over some unharvested corn and locally battered mature soybeans. Winter wheat planting and corn and soybean harvesting remained especially sluggish from Michigan southward to the Ohio Valley, where cool conditions after mid-week slowed evaporation rates and provided little relief from wet field conditions. In contrast, soybean harvesting approached completion across the western Corn Belt, while corn harvesting progressed. Meanwhile, an early-season snow storm halted fieldwork, hampered transportation, and stressed livestock in the Red River Valley and adjacent areas in eastern North Dakota and northern Minnesota. Elsewhere on the Plains, mostly dry weather favored fieldwork. Soil moisture shortages and cool weather continued to limit winter wheat development on the northern High Plains, while warm, breezy, dry conditions stressed wheat on the southern High Plains. Unfavorable dryness also hampered winter wheat establishment in the middle and southern Atlantic States. In contrast, locally heavy showers soaked southern Florida. Elsewhere in the South, warm, dry weather promoted fieldwork and winter grain development until week's end, when the arrival of much cooler air slowed crop and pasture growth. In the California and the Southwest, dry weather and near-record to record warmth favored fieldwork, including cotton harvesting and winter wheat planting. Farther north, beneficial precipitation overspread the drought-stricken Northwest, aiding recently planted winter wheat and providing some high-elevation snowfall in key watershed areas from the Cascades to the northern Rockies. During the early- to midweek period, record warmth expanded across the South and East in advance of a cold front. In Texas, temperatures soared to daily-record levels on October 23 in locations such as Wichita Falls (91 degrees F) and Del Rio (93 degrees F). The following day, Del Rio (98 degrees F) had their latest autumn observance of a high at or above 98 degrees F (previously 99 degrees F on October 17, 1993). Farther east, consecutive daily-record highs were noted on October 24-25 at several locations in the Atlantic Coast States, including Charleston, SC (87 and 88 degrees F), and Georgetown, DE (83 and 81 degrees F). Farther west, a brief period of warmth abruptly ended on October 24 with the cold front's passage. Showers and thunderstorms reached the Midwest well in advance of the cold air's arrival, resulting in daily-record rainfall totals on October 22 in locations such as Dubuque, IA (2.38 inches), and Madison, WI (1.86 inches). More rain fell on October 24, when daily-record totals included 2.24 inches in Grand Rapids, MI, and 1.52 inches in Indianapolis, IN. Month-to-date (October 1-27) precipitation reached 6.46 inches (340 percent of normal) in Flint, MI, surpassing their October 1941 record of 5.52 inches; and 7.02 inches (309 percent) in Indianapolis, less than 2 inches below their October 1919 record of 8.98 inches. High winds accompanied squall line associated with the cold front's passage on Wednesday, then persisted through the following day as a low-pressure system intensified north of Lake Superior. Squall line wind gusts reached 60 mph in Cincinnati, OH, and 90 mph in South Bend, IN, and were estimated as high as 120 mph in parts of Clinton County, MI, near Lansing. According to preliminary accounts from the Storm Prediction Center, there were at least 500 reports of severe weather on October 24, mostly from Michigan southward to the Tennessee Valley, including about 20 tornadoes, 100 reports of hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, and more than 400 reports of winds gusts of 58 mph or greater. The following afternoon, the National Weather Service office in LaCrosse, WI, clocked a wind gust to 64 mph. Meanwhile, an early-season blizzard engulfed the Red River Valley. On October 24 in North Dakota, Grand Forks received an October-record, 10.8-inch snowfall and clocked a peak wind gust to 44 mph, while Fargo netted 4.9 inches. Snow squalls developed in the Great Lakes region, including Michigan's Upper Peninsula, where Marquette's month-to-date snowfall reached 13.7 inches. Farther south, locally heavy showers persisted across Peninsular Florida, where 24-hour rainfall totals on October 21-22 reached 4.93 inches in Tavernier. Melbourne, FL, posted consecutive daily-rainfall records on October 24-25, totaling 2.27 inches. In sharp contrast to wet weather in the Midwest and across southern Florida, mostly dry weather persisted east of the Appalachians and in most areas from the Plains westward. In Texas, Brownsville closed in on their driest October since 1961, netting only 0.36 inch through the 27th. Similarly, month-to-date totals elsewhere in Texas stood at 0.03 in Midland and 0.02 inch in Lubbock, the stations' lowest October amounts since 1992. Meanwhile, beneficial precipitation intensified across the drought-affected Northwest, boosting October 1-27 totals to 1.21 inches (153 percent of normal) in Spokane, WA, and 1.20 inches (171 percent) in Pendleton, OR. Toward week's end, record heat enveloped the Southwest, while sharply colder weather overspread areas from the Plains eastward. In Arizona, Tucson recorded 96 degrees F on Friday, while Phoenix notched consecutive daily-record highs of 98 degrees F on October 26-27. The previous latest autumn observance of 98 degrees F heat in Phoenix was October 23, 1993; Tucson's previous latest temperature above 95 degrees F was October 24, 1959. Elsewhere in the Southwest, daily-record highs on October 26 included 100 degrees F in Coolidge, AZ, and 90 degrees F in Cuyama, CA. In contrast, daily-record lows on Friday included 14 degrees F in Sioux Falls, SD, and 15 degrees F in Casper, WY. The following day, lows fell to 11 degrees F in Spencer, IA, and 19 degrees F in St. Joseph, MO. In Hawaii, locally heavy showers developed across the Big Island by midweek, expanding across the remainder of the State thereafter. In just 12 hours on October 24, Hawaii County rainfall totals reached 14.31 inches in Piihonua, 5.30 inches in Waiakea Uka, and 2.52 inches in Mountain View. Weekly totals at the three Big Island locations reached 17.03, 7.15, and 5.61 inches, respectively. Heavy showers (locally 1 to 3 inches per day) were more widely distributed across the islands thereafter, boosting weekly totals to 4.04 inches at the Manoa Lyon Arboretum on Oahu and 3.60 inches in Wailua, Kauai. Meanwhile, a very cold weather pattern gripped Alaska for the third consecutive week, holding weekly temperatures as much as 11 degrees F below normal. Snow continued to blanket much of the southern half of Alaska, while mostly dry weather prevailed across northern parts of the State. October 1-27 snowfall totaled 20.6 inches (361 percent of normal) in Anchorage and 19.7 inches (249 percent) in McGrath. Most of Anchorage's snow, 20.4 inches, fell in just 7 days, from October 17-23. In southeastern Alaska, Juneau's first measurable snow of the season (3.1 inches) fell on October 26-27. On Saturday, the coldest air of the season overspread many areas, lowering temperatures to 2 degrees F in Anchorage, -4 degrees F in McGrath, and -13 degrees F in Fairbanks. National Agricultural Summary October 22 - 28, 2001 Highlights: Dry weather aided fall harvest activities and winter crop seeding across most of the Nation. However, storms with large hail, strong winds, and heavy rain erupted in the middle Mississippi Valley near midweek, effectively halting harvest progress in the central and eastern Corn Belt. In addition, many unharvested fields sustained hail damage and most others experienced varying degrees of lodging. The hail damage was scattered throughout the Corn Belt, while the greatest wind damage and rain delays were mostly east of the Mississippi River. Meanwhile, moisture shortages hindered winter wheat emergence across the northern and southern Great Plains. In the Pacific Northwest, low-lying coastal areas received much-needed rainfall, while higher elevations of the Cascades received beneficial accumulations of snow. Corn: Sixty-four percent of the acreage was harvested, compared with 85 percent on this date last year. Harvest progress was about 2 weeks behind last year, but only a few days behind the 5-year average of 73 percent. Dry weather aided rapid progress in the western Corn Belt and Great Plains, while heavy rain halted harvest in many areas of the central and eastern Corn Belt after midweek. Nearly one-third of the acreage was harvested during the week in Minnesota, and about one-fourth of the crop was harvested in Colorado, Iowa, Nebraska, and North Dakota. Meanwhile, only 8 percent of the crop was harvested during the week in Illinois and Indiana, and just 11 percent was harvested in Michigan and Ohio. Soybeans: Harvest advanced to 81 percent, more than 1 week behind last year's 90-percent pace but less than 1 week behind the 87-percent average for this date. Harvest neared completion across most of the western Corn Belt, where dry weather permitted steady progress throughout the week. In Wisconsin, harvest remained well behind normal, even though producers harvested 25 percent of their crop during the week. Rain hindered harvest east of the Mississippi River, limiting progress to about 10 percent in Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio. Harvest fell well behind normal in Indiana and remained well behind normal in Michigan. Harvest gained momentum on the Atlantic Coastal Plain and remained active in the lower Mississippi Valley. Winter wheat: Ninety percent of the crop has been planted, and 74 percent has emerged. Planting and emergence remained well ahead of last year's slow pace of 80 percent planted and 56 percent emerged. Normally by this time, 87 percent would be planted and 69 percent would be emerged. Planting was virtually complete in the central and northern Great Plains and approached completion in southern Great Plains and Pacific Northwest. Planting was active in the eastern Corn Belt early in the week, but wet weather halted progress after midweek. Planting was also active in the lower Mississippi Valley and along the Atlantic Coastal Plain. Emergence was hindered by dry soils in many areas of the Great Plains. In Montana, 14 percent of the acreage emerged, but seeds in most fields planted during the past month remained ungerminated. Fields rapidly emerged in the eastern Corn Belt, as rain provided ample moisture to germinate recently planted seeds. Almost one-fourth of the Indiana fields emerged during the week. Cotton: Fifty-nine percent of the crop was picked, compared with 67 percent on this date last year. Progress was 1 week behind last year, but only 1 percentage point behind the 5-year average. Harvest was aided by favorably dry weather in most cotton-producing States', however, slow defoliation limited progress in some areas. Harvest remained far behind normal in Alabama and Mississippi, despite rapid progress during the week. Harvest progressed ahead of normal in the Southwest, where warm, dry weather supported picking. In California, growers picked one-fourth of their fields during the week. Harvest also progressed ahead of normal on the mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain, especially in Virginia. Sorghum: Eighty-five percent of the crop was harvested, behind last year's 92-percent progress but ahead of the average of 78 percent. Dry weather aided harvest on the Great Plains, while rain limited progress in the central and southern Corn Belt. In Nebraska, harvest was slightly behind normal, even though more than one-fifth of the acreage was harvested during the week. Harvest remained far ahead of normal in Colorado and Oklahoma. Harvest also remained ahead of normal in Illinois, despite slow progress during the week. Peanuts: Harvest progressed to 84 percent complete, 5 percentage points ahead of last year and the average. Harvest continued without delay in the southern Great Plains, Southeast, and mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain. By the end of the week, harvest was complete in Virginia and neared completion in Florida and Georgia. Other Crops: The sugarbeet harvest, at 87 percent complete, was slightly ahead of last year's 86 percent. Harvest was nearly complete in the Red River Valley, but was very active in Idaho, where nearly one-third of the crop was dug during the week. Rain limited progress in Michigan. The sunflower crop was 75 percent harvested. By this time last year, 80 percent of the crop was harvested. Harvest continued in the central and northern Great Plains with virtually no rain delays. North Dakota growers reaped about one-fourth of their acreage during the week, while South Dakota producers harvested one-fifth of their crop. Corn: Percent Harvested, Selected States 1/ -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 1996- State:Oct 28,:Oct 21,:Oct 28,: 2000 : 2001 : 2001 : 2000 : Avg. -------------------------------------- : Percent : CO : 76 48 77 67 IL : 74 66 93 79 IN : 50 42 76 65 IA : 53 29 95 76 KS : 95 89 100 91 KY : 95 91 93 90 MI : 39 28 35 41 MN : 64 33 92 80 MO : 85 79 96 84 NE : 67 43 93 73 NC : 98 96 95 94 ND : 73 45 74 72 OH : 33 22 50 48 PA : 60 58 42 43 SD : 64 43 76 60 TN : 99 96 100 99 TX : 98 97 99 98 WI : 36 18 61 52 : 18 Sts: 64 48 85 73 -------------------------------------- 1/ These 18 States harvested 94% of last year's corn acreage. Winter Wheat: Percent Planted, Selected States 1/ -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 1996- State:Oct 28,:Oct 21,:Oct 28,: 2000 : 2001 : 2001 : 2000 : Avg. -------------------------------------- : Percent : AR : 43 25 54 49 CA : 20 12 29 15 CO : 100 99 99 100 ID : 97 87 97 95 IL : 80 69 87 88 IN : 70 56 89 87 KS : 97 96 86 94 MI : 86 76 96 95 MO : 64 51 78 70 MT : 98 97 91 97 NE : 100 100 100 100 NC : 45 30 33 32 OH : 86 77 91 92 OK : 94 91 61 84 OR : 86 67 94 85 SD : 100 96 93 98 TX : 87 83 69 80 WA : 99 98 100 98 : 18 Sts: 90 85 80 87 -------------------------------------- 1/ These 18 States planted 90% of last year's winter wheat acreage. Soybeans: Percent Harvested, Selected States 1/ -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 1996- State:Oct 28,:Oct 21,:Oct 28,: 2000 : 2001 : 2001 : 2000 : Avg. -------------------------------------- : Percent : AR : 70 58 71 63 IL : 82 71 94 90 IN : 69 60 91 88 IA : 88 78 99 97 KS : 88 76 95 83 KY : 65 47 74 65 LA : 93 84 98 94 MI : 56 40 69 78 MN : 97 89 100 98 MS : 89 79 93 86 MO : 63 47 87 76 NE : 94 84 96 95 NC : 30 23 19 18 ND : 98 96 100 96 OH : 80 71 84 85 SD : 95 86 97 94 TN : 47 31 69 54 WI : 73 48 93 90 : 18 Sts: 81 70 90 87 -------------------------------------- 1/ These 18 States harvested 96% of last year's soybean acreage. Winter Wheat: Percent Emerged, Selected States 1/ -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 1996- State:Oct 28,:Oct 21,:Oct 28,: 2000 : 2001 : 2001 : 2000 : Avg. -------------------------------------- : Percent : AR : 23 11 25 25 CA : 5 3 19 6 CO : 94 89 90 92 ID : 64 46 75 67 IL : 62 48 49 59 IN : 53 30 62 62 KS : 88 85 60 79 MI : 62 50 68 74 MO : 40 33 54 45 MT : 74 60 54 73 NE : 98 94 95 97 NC : 24 17 19 15 OH : 69 54 65 68 OK : 75 69 43 63 OR : 52 41 69 57 SD : 88 81 60 86 TX : 66 57 32 59 WA : 91 87 97 92 : 18 Sts: 74 67 56 69 -------------------------------------- 1/ These 18 States planted 90% of last year's winter wheat acreage. Cotton: Percent Harvested, Selected States 1/ -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 1996- State:Oct 28,:Oct 21,:Oct 28,: 2000 : 2001 : 2001 : 2000 : Avg. -------------------------------------- : Percent : AL : 49 36 79 68 AZ : 55 43 54 48 AR : 78 63 93 83 CA : 65 40 57 47 GA : 50 39 57 52 LA : 88 83 100 97 MS : 76 62 97 91 MO : 75 64 94 77 NC : 45 34 41 43 OK : 41 26 62 46 SC : 48 37 53 54 TN : 79 70 95 83 TX : 48 42 54 46 VA : 53 47 30 38 : 14 Sts: 59 48 67 60 -------------------------------------- 1/ These 14 States harvested 98% of last year's cotton acreage. Sorghum: Percent Harvested, Selected States 1/ -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 1996- State:Oct 28,:Oct 21,:Oct 28,: 2000 : 2001 : 2001 : 2000 : Avg. -------------------------------------- : Percent : AR : 100 100 99 99 CO : 65 54 59 45 IL : 81 76 90 72 KS : 88 79 97 79 LA : 100 100 100 100 MO : 84 72 94 81 NE : 72 50 95 73 NM : 39 24 46 29 OK : 72 69 74 54 SD : 88 77 88 75 TX : 87 85 92 83 : 11 Sts: 85 78 92 78 -------------------------------------- 1/ These 11 States harvested 97% of last year's sorghum acreage. Peanuts: Percent Harvested, Selected States 1/ -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 1996- State:Oct 28,:Oct 21,:Oct 28,: 2000 : 2001 : 2001 : 2000 : Avg. -------------------------------------- : Percent : AL : 85 75 81 86 FL : 95 85 93 94 GA : 93 83 86 89 NC : 90 75 87 69 OK : 72 61 81 70 TX : 55 44 48 51 VA : 100 90 99 94 : 7 Sts : 84 73 79 79 -------------------------------------- 1/ These 7 States harvested 97% of last year's peanut acreage. Sugarbeets: Percent Harvested, Selected States 1/ -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 1996- State:Oct 28,:Oct 21,:Oct 28,: 2000 : 2001 : 2001 : 2000 : Avg. -------------------------------------- : Percent : ID : 77 45 64 68 MI : 48 38 53 NA MN : 99 98 100 98 ND : 100 100 100 99 : 4 Sts : 87 79 86 NA -------------------------------------- 1/ These 4 States harvested 74% of last year's sugarbeets acreage. Sunflowers: Percent Harvested, Selected States 1/ -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 1996- State:Oct 28,:Oct 21,:Oct 28,: 2000 : 2001 : 2001 : 2000 : Avg. -------------------------------------- : Percent : CO : 55 38 58 NA KS : 85 75 88 NA ND : 75 49 76 75 SD : 75 54 90 80 : 4 Sts : 75 52 80 NA -------------------------------------- 1/ These 4 States harvested 90% of last year's sunflowers acreage. Pasture and Range: Crop Condition by Percent, Selected States ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- State : VP : P : F : G : EX :: State : VP : P : F : G : EX ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent :: : Percent : :: : AL : 2 7 27 51 13 :: NJ : 12 1 49 38 0 AZ : 2 8 43 39 8 :: NM : 16 45 35 4 0 AR : 9 21 41 28 1 :: NY : 6 25 35 33 1 CA : 20 20 35 25 0 :: NC : 4 13 46 36 1 CO : 8 21 45 24 2 :: ND : 9 21 41 27 2 CT : 0 32 34 34 0 :: OH : 4 12 38 39 7 DE : 10 30 30 30 0 :: OK : 14 26 33 24 3 FL : 0 5 30 65 0 :: OR : 18 44 31 7 0 GA : 9 21 45 24 1 :: PA : 45 22 19 14 0 ID : 21 50 26 3 0 :: RI : 0 53 40 7 0 IL : 1 6 35 49 9 :: SC : 7 18 40 34 1 IN : 3 12 30 47 8 :: SD : 8 14 34 39 5 IA : 7 17 35 33 8 :: TN : 1 8 26 56 9 KS : 9 23 38 29 1 :: TX : 16 23 33 23 5 KY : 6 14 33 41 6 :: UT : 17 35 32 16 0 LA : 0 5 42 46 7 :: VT : 6 40 41 13 0 ME : 3 36 46 15 0 :: VA : 22 31 33 13 1 MD : 3 27 39 29 2 :: WA : 15 60 20 5 0 MA : 0 5 52 43 0 :: WV : 7 23 38 32 0 MI : 4 10 41 37 8 :: WI : 2 14 39 39 6 MN : 6 21 40 30 3 :: WY : 31 33 26 10 0 MS : 1 5 35 50 9 :: : MO : 11 13 37 34 5 :: 48 Sts : 12 21 34 29 4 MT : 33 31 29 6 1 :: : NE : 9 16 35 36 4 :: Prev Wk: 11 21 33 31 4 NV : 4 22 35 36 3 :: Prev Yr: 20 27 31 20 2 NH : 7 12 43 38 0 :: : ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Winter Wheat: Crop Condition by Percent, Selected States -------------------------------------- State : VP : P : F : G : EX -------------------------------------- : Percent : AR : 1 4 49 37 9 CA : 0 0 20 60 20 CO : 0 4 22 66 8 ID : 2 5 14 66 13 IL : 1 2 33 57 7 IN : 4 7 36 47 6 KS : 1 3 23 58 15 MI : 1 7 27 55 10 MO : 0 1 43 54 2 MT : 3 26 58 10 3 NE : 0 1 28 66 5 NC : 0 1 32 65 2 OH : 3 7 32 50 8 OK : 9 21 38 27 5 OR : 6 44 32 18 0 SD : 0 4 41 47 8 TX : 10 27 43 19 1 WA : 3 10 60 27 0 : 18 Sts : 4 12 34 43 7 : Prev Wk : NA NA NA NA NA Prev Yr : NA NA NA NA NA -------------------------------------- VP-Very Poor, P-Poor, F-Fair, G-Good, EX-Excellent. 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