We 1 (1-02) Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released January 29, 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. 5 January 20 - 26, 2002 For additional information, call (202) 720-7917. Highlights: In California's San Joaquin Valley citrus areas, the coldest mornings of a 10-day cool snap were January 23-24, when lows generally ranged from 24 to 30 degrees F. The valley's persistent chill (weekly temperatures averaged as much as 7 degrees F below normal) accelerated orange harvesting in local cold spots, necessitated freeze-protection measures in some groves, and slowed winter grain development, but provided beneficial "chill hours" for fruit and nut trees. Meanwhile, drought-easing precipitation returned to the Northwest, following an early- to mid-January lull. In contrast, the Plains' wheat areas continued to suffer from a lack of snow cover and dry, breezy conditions, further threatening the crop's winter hardiness. The most extreme drought conditions continued to grip the northern High Plains, which endured another round of high winds and experienced sharply colder weather at week's end. Significant dryness also persisted in most other wheat areas on the Plains, especially across southern Kansas and the northwestern half of Oklahoma. Meanwhile, warm, dry weather prevailed in the Corn Belt, minimizing livestock stress and permitting an unusual amount of mid-winter fieldwork. Midwestern temperatures ranged from 9 to 23 degrees F above normal, peaking near 70 degrees F as far north as Iowa. Elsewhere, heavy showers fell from the Ohio Valley southward, topping 4 inches from northern Mississippi to the southern Appalachians. Although the moisture aided winter wheat and further eased long-term precipitation deficits from the southern Appalachians to the southern Atlantic Coast, downpours brought renewed lowland flooding and submerged some winter grain fields in the lower Mississippi Valley and adjacent areas. Record warmth spread across the Plains and Midwest in two waves, primarily on January 22 and again starting on January 25. Very warm weather also prevailed across the South. Overall, more than 100 daily-record highs were set or tied during the week, nearly half of them from the central Plains into the Midwest on Saturday. In addition, at least a half dozen locations noted monthly record warmth on January 26, including McCook, NE (77 degrees F), and Sioux City, IA (71 degrees F). Farther south, daily-record highs on January 24 included 86 degrees F in Brownsville, TX, and 84 degrees F in Melbourne, FL. In contrast, temperatures in Fresno, CA, fell to 32 degrees F or below on 8 of 10 days from January 16-25, including a low of 28 degrees F on the 23rd. Similarly, Bakersfield, CA, reported seven freezes during the same period, with a minimum temperature of 26 degrees F on January 24. Meanwhile in southern California, Lancaster posted consecutive daily-record lows of 18 degrees F on January 24 and 25. Showers dampened the South early in the week, followed by very heavy rain from the Delta to the southern Appalachians from January 23-25. For the 8-day period ending January 25, selected rainfall totals included 7.68 inches in Knoxville, TN, 7.35 inches in Stoneville, MS, 6.89 inches in Muscle Shoals, AL, and 4.29 inches in Atlanta, GA. Just to the north and south, however, little or no precipitation fell north of the Ohio River or along the Gulf Coast. Meanwhile in the Midwest, January 1-26 precipitation remained less than one-tenth of an inch in locations such as Waterloo, IA (0.02 inch), and Omaha, NE (0.05 inch). Month-to-date precipitation stood at a trace in Dodge City, KS, leaving their October 1 - January 26 total at 0.18 inch (5 percent of normal). Farther west, monthly rainfall topped 10 inches in Olympia, WA, for the third consecutive month, their first such observance since December 1998 - February 1999. Olympia's October 1 - January 26 precipitation total of 40.12 inches (151 percent of normal) easily surpassed their 31.28-inch total during the previous water year (October 2000 - September 2001). In Hawaii, locally heavy showers early in the week were followed by several days of tranquil weather. Heavy rain returned, however, at week's end. On southeastern Oahu, weekly rainfall totaled 9.96 inches at the Wilson Tunnel, 10.70 inches at the Manoa Lyon Arboretum, and 13.47 inches at a gauge in the upper Nuuanu River watershed. Most of the rain fell in a 24-hour period on January 26-27, when totals reached 10.77 inches at the Nuuanu River site, 7.24 inches at the Wilson Tunnel, and 6.41 inches at the Manoa Lyon gauge. Elsewhere, weekly rainfall on Kauai included 5.65 inches in Hanalei and 4.90 inches in Wainiha, while Kahakuloa, Maui, netted a weekly total of 6.20 inches, including 24-hour totals of 3.63 inches on January 21-22 and 2.07 inches on January 26-27. Farther north, bitterly cold weather abruptly returned to Alaska, holding weekly temperatures nearly 20 degrees F below normal across the northwestern portion of the State. Just 10 days after a high of 38 degrees F (on January 15), McGrath, AK, reported a low of -43 degrees F. National Agricultural Summary January 21 - 27, 2001 Above-normal temperatures persisted across most of the Nation, establishing many new record highs in the Corn Belt and Great Plains. The abnormally warm weather stimulated growth of winter grains and forages in parts of the southern Great Plains, lower Mississippi Valley, and Southeast. Heavy rain provided ample moisture to support development along the Mississippi Delta and interior areas of the Southeast, but moisture shortages limited growth on the southern Great Plains and southern Atlantic Coastal Plain. In North Carolina, the Coastal Plain received beneficial rainfall, but long-term moisture reserves remained very short. Field and orchard work continued without delay in the Florida Peninsula. In the Southwest, below-normal temperatures slowed growth of winter grains and forages and limited development of unharvested fruits and vegetables. In California's valleys, moisture supplies were adequate to support crop development, and rain only briefly interrupted field and orchard work. In the Pacific Northwest, storms continued to build snow accumulations in the coastal and interior mountain ranges. The next "Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin" report will be released after 12 p.m. ET on February 5, 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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