We 1 (1-02) Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released January 15, 2002, 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 89, No. 3 January 6 - 12, 2002 For additional information, call (202) 720-7917. Highlights: Cold air stubbornly clung across the Southeast, resulting in another minor freeze on January 9 as far south as Florida's northern citrus areas. Weekly temperatures averaged as much as 10 degrees F below normal in Florida. In addition, widespread rain and snow fell across the East early in the week and again at week's end, aiding pastures and winter grains in the southern Atlantic region, and providing some relief from long-term drought. Meanwhile, record warmth overspread the Plains and Midwest, boosting temperatures 6 to 26 degrees F above normal. On January 8, several locations noted monthly record-high temperatures. Although the warm weather permitted off-season fieldwork to continue and maintained low levels of livestock stress, many fields from Montana to Texas remained free of snow cover that would protect winter wheat from wind erosion and potential temperature extremes. Elsewhere, heavy precipitation was confined to the northern Rockies and areas from the Cascades westward, as a 2-month, drought-easing wet spell gradually subsided across the Northwest. Farther south, mostly dry weather persisted into a seventh month in the Four Corners region, where concerns about spring snow-melt runoff and summer water supplies continued to grow. Early in the week, windy, dramatically milder conditions overspread the northern Plains, fueled by chinook (downslope) winds. Six days after New Year's Day, low temperatures in Montana fell to -5 degrees F in Cut Bank, -7 degrees F in Great Falls, and -14 degrees F in Havre, high temperatures on January 7 soared to 58, 60, and 62 degrees F, respectively. From January 6-12, winds averaged 19.8 mph in Great Falls and 24.0 mph in Cut Bank. Peak wind gusts reached 61 mph in Great Falls on January 12, and topped 60 mph on 3 different days (January 7, 8, and 12) in Cut Bank, including a gust to 72 mph on January 8. Meanwhile, record warmth developed across the West early in the week, expanding across the Plains and Midwest on January 8 and 9. For the week, more than 200 daily-record highs were established, nearly half of them on Tuesday. All-time monthly records were established on January 8 in locations such as East Rapid City, SD (73 degrees F), Bismarck, ND (63 degrees F), and Oelwein, IA (57 degrees F). Elsewhere on Tuesday, Wichita, KS (75 degrees F), tied their monthly record, previously attained on January 22, 1967, while Glasgow, MT (61 degrees F), and Des Moines, IA (64 degrees F), missed their respective January-record highs by just 1 degree F. Although the passage of a cold front brought slightly cooler air to the Plains and Midwest after midweek, temperatures remained at near- to above-normal levels. Farther west, very warm conditions also developed across southern California, where daily-record highs included 85 degrees F on January 8 in San Bernardino and 84 degrees F on January 11 in Riverside. In contrast, a strong high-pressure system settled across the central Gulf Coast region on January 8, reaching Florida a day later. Readings remained mostly at or above 30 degrees F across central Florida on January 8, when steady winds at 10 mph or higher helped to maintain a fairly uniform temperature pattern, but generally ranged from 24 to 34 degrees F the following morning, when winds were calm. Selected low temperatures in Florida on January 9 included 24 degrees F in Hastings, 25 degrees F (a daily-record low) in Orlando, 28 degrees F in Daytona Beach, and 32 degrees F at both Belle Glade and Immokalee. Temperatures were not low enough to harm citrus fruits, which are typically damaged by a hard freeze (temperatures at or below 28 degrees F for 4 hours or more), although some winter ground crops required freeze-protection measures. In addition, blowing sand resulted in some possible reductions in quality (scarring) of some vegetables in southern Florida. Not surprisingly, the warm weather on the northern Plains and cold conditions in Florida resulted in some interesting comparisons. On January 8, the high of 61 degrees F in Miami, FL, was lower than the maximum temperatures in Jordan, MT (66 degrees F), and Bismarck, ND (63 degrees F). The week opened and closed with fast-moving storm systems across the East. Both produced beneficial showers in the Southeast and heavy snow in parts of the Northeast. On January 6-7, 17.4 inches of snow blanketed Albany, NY, their fifth-highest January storm-total snowfall. The early-week storm delivered a trace of snow to Philadelphia, PA, and Washington, DC, the latest first snowfall on record in both cities (previously December 27, 1990, in Philadelphia, and December 25, 1894, in Washington). Farther south, showers provided limited relief from previously dry conditions. Athens, GA, recently completed their driest October-December period on record, with 2.55 inches (23 percent of normal), but netted 1.10 inches (59 percent) during the first 13 days of January. Elsewhere in Georgia, Atlanta received 4.02 inches (36 percent of normal) from October to December, their second-driest such period in the last 70 years, but recorded 1.06 inches (54 percent) from January 1-13. Even less relief from dryness was noted on the Plains, where Dodge City, KS, received only a trace of precipitation from January 1-13, following their second-driest June-December period on record (5.85 inches, or 43 percent of normal), behind only 1952. Cold conditions lingered in western Alaska, but unusually mild weather lifted weekly temperatures at least 10 to 20 degrees F above normal across most of the Alaskan interior. Warmth peaked on January 9 in Fairbanks, AK, where the high of 40 degrees F tied their record for the date. Significant precipitation was largely confined to southern Alaska, where Kodiak received 7.98 inches during the first 12 days of January. Meanwhile in Hawaii, an unusually quiet weather pattern prevailed through a fourth consecutive week, bringing renewed drought concerns. Some of the highest 24-hour totals were observed in Kauai on January 9-10, when rainfall included 1.60 inches in Kokee and 0.88 inch in Wainiha. Despite beneficial autumn rainfall nearly statewide, only scattered Hawaiian locations reported above-normal precipitation for 2001. Honolulu, Oahu, measured less than 15 inches of rain for the fourth consecutive year (4.52 inches in 1998, 12.01 inches in 1999, 7.09 inches in 2000, and 9.16 inches in 2001) for the first time since 1959-62, leaving their 50-month precipitation at 34.06 inches (36 percent of normal), or 60.82 inches below normal. National Agricultural Summary January 7 - 13, 2001 Temperatures averaged above normal across most of the Nation during the week, especially from the Great Lakes to the northern High Plains. The warm weather stimulated growth of winter grains and forages in the southern Great Plains and supported development of winter crops in California. Winter wheat remained dormant in the northern Great Plains, despite record warmth across the region. With average daily temperatures hovering above freezing, frost depths diminished in some areas and were completely eliminated in others. Consequently, heaving and winter kill were virtually non-existent, although fields were exposed and vulnerable to an outbreak of bitter cold. An early-week cold front held average temperatures below normal along the eastern Gulf Coast, despite a rapid rebound in temperatures. Florida's citrus belt experienced subfreezing temperatures on the morning of January 9, but the duration was not long enough to damage citrus trees. Some minor icing of fruit was found, but most of the fruit in the affected areas was already harvested or scheduled for harvest very soon. The freezing temperatures caused little damage to tree foliage, although in the coldest locations, some outside leaves were burned and will fall off. The cold weather provided beneficial chill hours for fruit trees throughout the Southeast. The next "Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin" report will be released after 12 p.m. ET on January 23, 2002. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact the USDA's TARGET Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TDD). 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