We 1 (12-01) Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released December 18, 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. 51 December 9 - 15, 2001 For additional information, call (202) 720-7917. Highlights: Heavy rainfall returned to the South during the mid- to late-week passage of two storm systems, bringing renewed lowland flooding to areas from eastern Texas to the lower Ohio Valley and submerging some winter wheat fields. Among the hardest hit areas was the Delta, where generally 4 to 6 inches of rain fell on top of 6- to 15-inch totals in late November. Meanwhile, drought-easing precipitation overspread the East, but largely bypassed the southern Atlantic Coastal Plain, where unfavorably dry conditions maintained the threat of wildfire activity and continued to stress winter grains. In contrast, more than 2 inches of rain soaked the previously dry southern Appalachians. Farther west, unusually mild weather (6 to 14 degrees F above normal) prevailed across the Corn Belt. However, showery conditions prevailed in soft red and white winter wheat areas from the Ohio Valley to the lower Great Lakes region, leaving some lowlands flooded and some fields with standing water. Mild weather also prevailed on the northern and central Plains, although winter wheat remained dormant. However, occasional high winds on the drought-affected northern Plains maintained an inadequate snow cover for protection against potential cold weather and caused localized soil erosion. Across the southern half of the Plains, meanwhile, significant precipitation was confined to easternmost wheat areas, leaving pockets of dryness in Kansas and Oklahoma. In the West, colder air edged into California by week's end, bringing a minor freeze to San Joaquin Valley citrus areas. San Joaquin Valley low temperatures generally ranged from 28 to 32 degrees F on December 16. Cold weather also prevailed in the Southwest, where weekly temperatures averaged as much as 10 degrees F below normal. Farther north, wet weather continued to ease long-term drought and boost high-elevation snow packs in northern California, the Great Basin, the Pacific Northwest, and the northern Rockies. Record warmth was most persistent in the Southeast, where Tampa, FL, posted a daily-record high of 85 degrees F on December 12. In fact, Tampa broke their December record of 12 consecutive high at or above 80 degrees F (set in 1971 and 1972), attaining at least 80 degrees F on each of the first 15 days of the month. Meanwhile, streaks of above-normal average temperatures reached 49 days (October 28 - December 15) in Minneapolis, MN, and 46 days (October 31 - December 15) in Marquette, MI. Temperatures in Des Moines, IA, averaged 40.3 degrees F during the first 15 days of the month, on a pace to break their December 1889 record of 39.6 degrees F. In Chicago, IL, high temperatures reached 40 degrees F on every autumn day through December 13 (the high only reached 38 degrees F on December 14), breaking their record set in 1963, when the high first failed to reach 40 degrees F on December 2. Several Midwestern locations, including Madison, WI, set or extended records for their latest first measurable snowfall. Madison's previous record was set on December 15, 1999, when a 0.9-inch snowfall marked their first accumulation of the season. In contrast, heavy snow continued to accumulate across the West. Early- to midweek snowfall totaled 16 inches at the north rim of the Grand Canyon, AZ. Farther north, 48-hour snowfall totals from December 12-14 were estimated as high as 45.0 inches at Elk Butte in Clearwater County, ID, and 28.5 inches at Twin Lakes in Ravalli County, MT. According to the California Department of Water Resources, the water equivalent of the Sierra Nevada snow pack climbed to 12 inches (nearly 140 percent of normal) by December 15, up from about 5 inches at the end of November. Meanwhile in Seattle, WA, the October 1 - December 15 precipitation total, 16.51 inches (138 percent of normal), exceeded their October 2000 - March 2001 sum of 16.28 inches (58 percent). High winds continued to accompany the Western storminess, resulting in peak gusts to 79 mph in Florence, OR, on December 13, and 54 mph in Red Bluff, CA, on December 14. Farther east, 24-day (November 24 - December 17) rainfall in western Tennessee reached 20.03 inches in Memphis and 17.93 inches in Dyersburg. In Arkansas, Little Rock netted 3.68 inches on December 16, their highest 1-day total since August 18, 1997. The rain also boosted Little Rock's yearly total above their annual normal of 49.25 inches for the first time since 1997. Elsewhere in Arkansas, Texarkana noted consecutive daily-record rainfalls on December 15 and 16, totaling 4.96 inches. Late in the week, a storm system departed the Great Lakes and Northeastern States, leaving a band of generally light snow and gusty winds. Storm-total (December 14-15) snowfall reached 3.0 inches in Springfield, IL, and 4.5 inches in Burlington, VT. Peak wind gusts in the storm's wake reached 58 mph in Columbus, OH. Before cooler air arrived in the East, Friday's highs of 78 degrees F in Charleston, SC, and 75 degrees F in Norfolk, VA, were among more than a dozen daily records. Meanwhile, cold air settled into the West at week's end, resulting in a daily-record low (-10 degrees F on December 15) in Eureka, NV. A day later, a minor freeze struck California's San Joaquin Valley, where low temperatures included 28 degrees F in Delano and 31 degrees F in Bakersfield. Cold weather (as much as 15 degrees F below normal) intensified across southern and western Alaska, but near-normal temperatures returned elsewhere. Heavy snow preceded the arrival of bitterly cold conditions in southwestern Alaska, where King Salmon received 9.1 inches of snow from December 8-12, followed by a daily-record low of -35 degrees F on December 15. In Anchorage, AK, temperatures fell below 0 degrees F on 10 of the first 15 days in December, including a low of -13 degrees F on December 14, following a record-setting 682-day spell (January 18, 2000 - November 30, 2001) without sub-zero cold. Meanwhile, a disturbance drifted westward across the Hawaiian islands, triggering locally heavy showers. Some of the heaviest precipitation fell on December 12-13, when 24-hour totals on the Big Island reached 3.45 inches in Glenwood and 2.75 inches in Piihonua. Elsewhere, rainfall during the same period included 2.36 inches in Pukalani, Maui, and 1.67 inches at Wheeler Air Force Base on Oahu. National Agricultural Summary December 10 - 16, 2001 Above-normal temperatures continued to support development of winter crops and forages across most of the Nation. In the southern Great Plains and the Southwest, below-normal temperatures prevailed, but growth of winter crops was only slightly hindered. Many winter wheat fields in the lower Mississippi Valley and adjacent areas of the southern Great Plains, Southeast, and Ohio Valley were stressed by heavy rains that produced saturated soils, standing water, and flooding along rivers and streams. Moisture supplies were mostly adequate for winter wheat development in the eastern Corn Belt, although some areas were unfavorably wet. In the Great Plains, moisture reserves remained low in many areas, especially on the northern High Plains. In the central Great Plains and southern High Plains, light showers maintained topsoil moisture supplies, and provided short term crop requirements. Light showers also provided much-needed moisture for winter crops on the Atlantic Coastal Plain. Heavy precipitation continued in the Pacific Northwest, while mostly dry weather aided field and orchard work in California's valleys. Dry weather also supported fieldwork in Florida. 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