We 1 (12-01) Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released December 4, 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. 49 November 25 - December 1, 2001 For additional information, call (202) 720-7917. Highlights: Heavy rainfall, totaling 4 to 15 inches, halted fieldwork and caused flooding from the western Gulf Coast region to the lower Ohio Valley, including the Delta. In contrast, dryness intensified across the Southeast, hampering the development of drought-stressed winter grains and bringing a renewed threat of wildfire activity. In addition, Southeastern temperatures averaged 10 to nearly 20 degrees F above normal. Meanwhile in the Corn Belt, conditions ranged from mild and wet in eastern portions of the region to cold and snowy across northwestern areas. Widespread Midwestern precipitation halted autumn fieldwork, including final summer crop harvesting, but recharged soil moisture reserves across the previously dry northwestern Corn Belt. On the Plains, significant snow fell across much of South Dakota and Nebraska on November 26-27 and the southern Plains on November 27-28. The snow boosted soil moisture and insulated winter wheat against sharply colder weather (weekly temperatures ranged from 4 to 14 degrees F below normal), but largely bypassed the drought-stricken northern High Plains. In addition, unfavorably dry pockets persisted in parts of Oklahoma and southern Kansas. Farther west, heavy precipitation continued to ease long-term drought and boost high-elevation snow packs across northern California, the Great Basin, and the Northwest. Despite the promising start to the Western wet season, reservoirs in most drought-affected areas will need several more months of heavy rain and snow to ensure full recovery from the 20-month precipitation deficit. Record warmth prevailed throughout the week in the East, resulting in at least six dozen daily-record highs. On November 27, Augusta, GA, posted a record high of 83 degrees F. A day later Raleigh-Durham, NC, notched their first of two daily records (81 and 77 degrees F). At week's end, December opened with record warmth in more than 20 locations, including Richmond, VA (74 degrees F), Philadelphia, PA (72 degrees F), and Portland, ME (66 degrees F). Maine's warm spell followed a period of wintry weather across the northern part of the State that produced 8.2 inches of snow in Caribou from November 27-30. Farther west, cold weather briefly visited the Plains. On November 28, lows in Nebraska included -2 degrees F in North Platte and -4 degrees F in Scottsbluff. Lows in Wyoming fell to -13 degrees F in Rawlins and -15 degrees F in Laramie. A day later, Midland, TX, noted 11 degrees F, a record for November 29. Late-month snow storms blanketed the northern Plains and upper Midwest on November 26-27 and the southern Plains on November 27-28. The first storm left 30.4 inches of snow in Willmar, MN, just shy of the station's storm-total snowfall record of 30.7 inches, set from November 29 - December 2, 1985. Elsewhere in the upper Midwest, late-November snowfall included 15.0 inches in Mitchell, SD, and 11.8 inches in St. Cloud, MN. Heavy snow also fell in the upper Great Lakes region, where Marquette, MI, netted 33.1 inches. Marquette's total included 19.2 inches on November 27, their highest calendar-day snowfall on record during November. Despite the late-month snow, temperatures remained above normal in most upper Midwestern and Great Lakes locations. For example, December 1 marked the 35th consecutive day (starting October 28) with above-normal temperatures in Minneapolis, MN. Farther to the south and east, November ended as it began, mild and snowless. In southeastern Minnesota, Rochester concluded their first autumn (September-November) on record without a measurable snowfall. Previously, Rochester's latest first measurable snowfall was observed on November 29, 1960. Meanwhile, Buffalo, NY, ended November without even a trace of snow, breaking their record of a trace set in 1899, 1918, and 1946. Just last year, a record 45.6 inches of snow buried Buffalo during November. A second storm developed across the southern Plains on November 27-28, producing local snowfall totals in excess of 10 inches in Texas from near Midland to just southwest of Wichita Falls. Midland's snowfall reached 8.0 inches, their second-highest 24-hour amount on record, behind a 9.8-inch total on December 11, 1998. Elsewhere, storm-total snowfall reached 6.3 inches in Wichita Falls and 5.2 inches in Oklahoma City, OK. Farther east, both storms contributed to torrential rainfall from eastern Texas to southern Indiana. In Mississippi, Stoneville experienced their wettest 3-day (10.14 inches from November 27-29) and 4-day (11.19 inches from November 27-30) periods on record, surpassing the marks of 10.03 and 10.04 inches, established from April 27-29 and 27-30, 1991. In western Tennessee, Memphis received 5.86 inches on November 28, their sixth-highest daily amount on record, and a November 28-29 total of 8.35 inches. In eastern Texas, Houston netted a 24-hour total of 1.83 inches on November 27-28, propelling the city to its wettest year (65.01 inches, or 153 percent of normal, through November) since 70.16 inches fell in 1963. In the West, a series of storm systems produced heavy precipitation and high winds. On November 25, winds in Arizona gusted to 60 mph in St. Johns and Show Low, a day after gusts reached 55 mph at the airport in San Francisco, CA. Another powerful storm reached the Pacific Coast on November 28-29, producing winds gusts in western Oregon to 82 mph in Newport and 78 mph in Florence. Farther south, gusts reached 55 mph in Oroville, CA, and 45 mph in San Francisco. A third storm reached the West Coast at week's end, bringing additional precipitation and gusty winds. In Olympia, WA, November precipitation totaled 13.34 inches (166 percent of normal). While Astoria, OR, netted 14.21 inches (141 percent). According to the California Department of Water Resources, the water equivalent of the high-elevation Sierra Nevada snow pack increased to 5 inches (99 percent of normal) on December 1, up from a trace on November 12. A sprawling storm system produced widespread, drought-easing rainfall across Hawaii in late November. The heavy rain, which also caused some flash flooding, tapered to generally light showers thereafter. But during a 48-hour period from November 26-28, rainfall on the Big Island totaled 22.48 inches at Kapapala Ranch, 18.93 inches in Pahala, and 16.31 inches in Glenwood. Maximum reported 48-hour totals on other islands included 8.83 inches in Kokee, Kauai; 6.05 inches in Maunawili, Oahu; 6.61 inches in Mahinahina, Maui; and 5.33 inches in Lanai City, Lanai. Elsewhere on Oahu, Honolulu netted 3.24 inches on November 27, exceeding every monthly rainfall in Hawaiian capital since 4.90 inches fell during all of March 1997. High winds accompanied Hawaii's storm, including a peak gust to 43 mph in Lihue, Kauai. Meanwhile in Alaska, mostly dry weather accompanied temperatures that ranged from as much as 15 degrees F below normal across the interior to 7 degrees F above normal in northwestern portions of the State. Fairbanks closed the month with a precipitation total of 0.06 inch (8 percent of normal), their lowest November total since a trace was observed in 1953. Farther south, the low temperature in Anchorage fell to -6 degrees F on December 1, ending their record-setting streak with low temperatures at or above 0 degrees F at 682 days (January 18, 2000 - November 30, 2001). National Agricultural Summary November 26 - December 2, 2001 A band of heavy precipitation prevented fieldwork along a line extending from the western Gulf Coast, through the lower Mississippi Valley, and into the Ohio Valley and Northeast. Many low-lying areas along rivers and streams were flooded, and poorly drained fields had standing water for much of the week, especially in the lower Mississippi Valley. Rain also drenched coastal areas of the Pacific Coast States, while snow accumulations increased in the Cascade and Sierra ranges, Great Basin, and Rocky Mountains. Light precipitation boosted moisture supplies for winter wheat development in parts of the Great Plains and scattered areas along the Atlantic Coastal Plain, but soil moisture reserves remained short in most areas. Below-normal temperatures limited winter wheat growth in the Great Plains, but near-record warmth and abundant moisture supplies promoted rapid growth of soft red winter wheat fields in the Corn Belt. Early-week snow storms provided insulation that protected winter wheat fields on the northern High Plains from brief periods of single-digit and sub-zero temperatures. Scattered light showers barely interrupted harvest activities and other fieldwork on the southern High Plains and along the Atlantic Coastal Plain. Dry weather also supported field and orchard work in Florida. The next "Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin" report will be released after 12 p.m. ET on December 11, 2001. 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