We 1 (5-02) Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released May 7, 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. 19 April 28 - May 4, 2002 For additional information, call (202) 720-7917. Highlights: For the second consecutive week, the nation's temperature pattern featured a sharp gradient from cool conditions in the North to hot weather across the Deep South. Significant precipitation, including locally severe thunderstorms, continued along and near the boundary between cool and hot air, especially from the interior South to the Mid-Atlantic region. Cool weather also expanded across much of the West, slowing crop development but easing irrigation demands. Western precipitation was confined to a narrow band from northern California and southern Oregon to Wyoming. On the northern Plains, cool weather (weekly temperatures 4 to 10 degrees F below normal) hampered small grain growth. Light rain and snow showers provided limited drought relief from southern Montana to Nebraska, but the remainder of the Plains experienced mostly dry weather. Dry, frequently hot conditions increased stress on winter wheat and emerging summer crops in a broad area centered on eastern Colorado, western Kansas, and the northwestern half of Oklahoma, but soil moisture remained generally favorable across eastern portions of the central and southern Plains. In the western Corn Belt, periods of dry weather interspersed with scattered showers allowed corn and early soybean planting to progress with only minor delays. In the Ohio Valley, however, heavier rain (locally 1 inch or more) continued to slow fieldwork. In addition, cool weather (2 to 10 degrees F below normal) hampered Midwestern summer crop emergence, with freezes noted throughout the northern Corn Belt as far south as northern Iowa. Conditions varied across the South, ranging from heavy rain across the interior (4 inches or more from northern Mississippi to the southern Appalachians) to heat and dryness from southern Texas to Florida and southern Georgia. Soil moisture remained adequate to locally excessive for pasture growth, winter grain maturation, and summer crop development across the interior South, while irrigation demands and stress on dryland crops increased across the Deep South, where temperatures averaged up to 12 degrees F above normal. During the week, more than 50 daily-record highs across the South contrasted with more than 20 daily-record lows in the North and West. Several record lows were established in California at locations such as Santa Barbara (40 degrees F on April 28) and San Jose (41 degrees F on April 30). Unusually cold weather gripped the northern Plains, where Havre, MT (17 degrees F on May 1), noted their lowest reading in May since a minimum of 14 degrees F on May 2, 1954. A reinforcement of cold air at week's end produced record lows for May 4 in Williston, ND (17 degrees F), and Glasgow, MT (20 degrees F). Farther east, the late-week chill again hampered summer crop emergence in the Corn Belt and threatened orchard crops (blooming grapes and fruit trees) in the Great Lakes States. On May 3, Dubuque, IA, posted a daily-record low of 30 degrees F. A day later, records included 27 degrees F in Youngstown, OH, and 30 degrees F in Williamsport, PA. Farther south, some of the week's most impressive heat struck Texas on May 1, resulting in daily-record highs of 104 degrees F in Del Rio and San Angelo. The following day, Del Rio topped that reading with a high of 105 degrees F. The week ended with consecutive daily-record highs in locations such as Alma, GA (95 and 95 degrees F), and Lakeland, FL (97 and 96 degrees F). Several rounds of strong to severe thunderstorms erupted along the oscillating boundary between hot and cool air. On April 28, the strongest recorded tornado in Maryland's history struck La Plata, causing four deaths. The La Plata storm, was the Nation's first F5 tornado (winds estimated in excess of 260 mph) since the Moore, OK, twister of May 3, 1999, and the second-strongest tornado on record in the Eastern United States. Elsewhere, nearly four dozen tornadoes were spotted during the week from the Plains into the East, according to preliminary reports from the Storm Prediction Center. In New Jersey, the Atlantic City marina netted 3.46 inches of rain on April 28, setting a record for the date. On the same date, the total of 1.64 inches at New York's Central Park was the highest 1-day rainfall there since 1.90 inches fell on September 14, 2001. Meanwhile in Marquette, MI, the 8.5-inch snowfall on April 28 lifted their record-setting seasonal snowfall to 318.7 inches. In the West, locally heavy showers spread inland on April 29, contributing to daily-record totals in locations such as Reno, NV (0.52 inch), and San Francisco, CA (0.21 inch). Two days later, the first day of May featured a daily-record snowfall (8.0 inches) in Lander, WY. Heavy rain returned to the East on May 2, resulting in a daily-record total (2.08 inches) in Blacksburg, VA, and major flooding along the Tug Fork of the Big Sandy River in McDowell County, WV, and vicinity. Flooding damaged the river gauges at Welch and Beartown, WV, while the Tug Fork crest on May 4 in Kermit, WV, exceeded the flood stage by approximately 5 feet but remained about 10 feet below the April 1977 high-water mark. The rain also soaked the interior South, where Tupelo, MS, netted 4.95 inches from May 2-4, including a 4.10-inch total on Friday. In contrast, El Paso, TX, noted their 88th consecutive day without a drop of rain on May 4, tying a record set from October 5 - December 31, 1950. However, El Paso's longest stretch without measurable rainfall remained 126 days, set from February 22 - June 22, 1910. Farther west, Tucson, AZ, completed their third-driest May-April period on record, behind only 3.63 inches in 1924-25 and 4.82 inches in 1973-74. Tucson netted 5.07 inches (42 percent of normal) from May 2001 - April 2002. Meanwhile, downtown Los Angeles, CA, headed toward their driest July 1 - June 30 period on record, unless a half-inch of rain falls in May and June (the normal is 0.37 inch). Los Angeles' 308-day total (through May 4) was 4.36 inches, threatening the 1960-61 record of 4.85 inches. Farther north, Glasgow, MT, set an August-April record for dryness, receiving just 2.44 inches (44 percent of normal) during the 9-month period. Glasgow's previous record was 2.87 inches from August 1987 - April 1988. Following a quiet weather pattern during much of April, heavy showers returned to parts of Hawaii toward month's end and in early May. Some of the highest totals were noted on the Big Island, where weekly rainfall reached 9.49 inches in Mountain View, 7.94 inches in Waiakea Uka, and 7.34 inches in Pahala. Much of that rain fell from April 28-30, when 48-hour totals reached 5.02 inches in Pahala and 4.97 inches in Mountain View. Another round of heavy rain swept across the Big Island on May 3-4, producing 24-hour totals of 3.63 inches in Mountain View and 3.18 inches in Glenwood. Meanwhile, heavy precipitation lingered through the end of April across interior Alaska, capping the wettest April on record in Fairbanks. The monthly total in Fairbanks (3.06 inches, or 1457 percent of normal), which included an April-record snowfall of 15.4 inches, contrasted sharply with Juneau's record-low April precipitation of 0.47 inch (16 percent). Extremely dry conditions persisted elsewhere in southern Alaska, where monthly precipitation totaled just 0.29 inch (7 percent of normal) in Kodiak and 2.02 inches (19 percent) in Yakutat. National Agricultural Summary April 29 - May 5, 2002 Highlights: Fieldwork and planting progressed with few interruptions in the Great Plains and adjacent parts of the western Corn Belt and upper Mississippi Valley. Fields in the central, southern, and eastern Corn Belt slowly dried, following earlier heavy rains, preventing planting across most of the area until late in the week. Planting was very active in the lower Mississippi Valley and Southeast during the week, especially along the Gulf Coast and Atlantic Coastal Plain. Late-week thunderstorms shortened an otherwise productive week in interior areas of the Southeast and Mississippi Delta. Emergence and growth of spring small grains and development of winter wheat were hampered by continued cold weather in the upper Mississippi Valley, northern Great Plains, and Pacific Northwest. Corn: Planting advanced to 42 percent complete, but progress during the week did not match last years rapid pace or the 5-year average. Fifty-four percent was planted by this date last year and 51 percent would normally be planted by this date. Twelve percent has emerged, compared with 18 percent a year ago. Planting was very active in the northern and western Corn Belt and central and northern Great Plains, especially in Colorado and Minnesota. In the central and eastern Corn Belt, planting barely resumed as rainfall from earlier thunderstorms kept fields muddy for much of the week. At the end of the week, progress was far behind normal in Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio. Planting was also slow in Kentucky and Tennessee. Cold, wet soils hindered emergence across most of the Corn Belt, while favorably warm weather aided emergence in Kansas, Missouri, North Carolina, and Tennessee Soybeans: Six percent of the crop has been planted, much less than the 17 percent planted by this date last year and less than one-half of the normal 13-percent rate. Planting lagged across most of the Corn Belt, while growers focused on planting corn. Meanwhile, planting accelerated in the lower Mississippi Valley, especially in Mississippi, where producers seeded one-fifth of their acreage during the week. Planting also gained momentum in the central Great Plains and western Corn Belt. Winter Wheat: Thirty-seven percent of the winter wheat acreage has headed, 4 percentage points ahead of last year and the average for this date. Development accelerated in the southern Corn Belt and central Great Plains even though temperatures were not favorably warm. At the end of the week, heading remained behind normal in Illinois and Indiana but progressed ahead of normal in Missouri and Kansas. A few fields headed in Colorado, but none had entered the heading stage in Michigan, Nebraska, or Ohio. In the northern Great Plains, cold weather continued to hamper growth. Heading was complete in California and neared completion in Arkansas, North Carolina, and Oklahoma. Cotton: Planting progressed to 41 percent complete, slightly less than last year's progress on this date but about 5 days ahead of the 5-year average. Nearly ideal conditions supported planting in the lower Mississippi Valley and Southeast, although heavy rain halted progress in interior parts of the Southeast near the end of the week. Mississippi and Missouri growers planted about one-third of their acreage during the week. Progress was only slightly slower in Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina, and Virginia. Planting was slow in Texas due to dry soils. Small grains: Spring wheat was 38 percent planted and 10 percent emerged. Planting exceeded last year's slow 33-percent pace, but emergence was 2 percentage points behind last year's pace. Planting and emergence were about 6 days behind the 5-year averages of 49 and 21 percent, respectively. Planting continued more than 1 week ahead of normal in South Dakota and rapidly accelerated in other areas of the northern Great Plains. Despite the rapid progress, planting remained far behind normal in Minnesota and Montana, and well behind normal in North Dakota. Many fields emerged in Idaho, South Dakota, and Washington, but progress was limited by cold soils. The barley crop was 39 percent planted and 14 percent emerged, compared with 43 and 19 percent, respectively, on this date last year. Normally, 51 percent would be planted and 24 percent would be emerged by this date. Dry weather supported planting in the northern Great Plains and Pacific Northwest most of the week. However, progress remained well behind normal in Minnesota, Montana, and North Dakota. Twenty percent of the Idaho and Washington acreage emerged during the week in spite of below-normal temperatures. Fifty-eight percent of the oat crop has been seeded and 30 percent has emerged. Planting and emergence were well ahead of last year's slow pace of 48 percent seeded and 19 percent emerged by this date. However, progress trailed the 5-year average of 63 percent planted and 33 percent emerged. Planting accelerated in the upper Mississippi Valley and northern Great Plains, where dry weather supported progress most of the week. Planting also gained momentum in Ohio and Wisconsin, but progress remained far behind normal due to persistent wetness. Emergence remained well ahead of normal in Iowa and Nebraska, despite cooler-than-normal temperatures. Rice: Seventy-three percent of the crop has been planted, and 54 percent has emerged. Planting trailed last year's 80-percent pace, but exceeded the 67-percent average for this date. Emergence was equal to progress on this date last year and well ahead of the 39-percent average for this date. Planting was nearly complete in Texas and approached completion in Louisiana. In interior areas of the lower Mississippi Valley, planting remained active until late-week thunderstorms halted progress. Mississippi growers were especially busy, planting 30 percent of their acreage during the week. Planting was also active in California. Above-normal temperatures promoted rapid emergence and growth throughout the Mississippi Delta and Gulf Coast. Sorghum: Planting was 25 percent complete, compared with 26 percent on this date last year and the average of 24 percent. Planting was active in the lower Mississippi Valley and southern Corn Belt, despite muddy conditions early in the week and scattered showers during the week. The planting pace slowly gained momentum in Kansas and Oklahoma, and planting began in Colorado and Nebraska. Planting steadily progressed in Texas, but moisture shortages prevented additional progress. Other crops: The peanut crop was 17 percent planted. Progress trailed last year and the average of 21 and 18 percent, respectively. Planting progressed with few rain delays in the Southeast and mid-Atlantic Coastal Plain. Planting gained momentum in the southern Great Plains, but progress was limited by blowing soil and moisture shortages. The sugarbeet crop advanced to 71 percent planted, nearly double last year's 37-percent pace but just equal to the average for this date. Dry weather aided rapid progress in the Red River Valley, where Minnesota and North Dakota growers seeded about 40 percent of their acreage during the week. Planting slowed in Idaho and Michigan as progress neared completion. Corn: Percent Planted, Selected States 1/ -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 1997- State:May 5, :Apr 28,:May 5, : 2001 : 2002 : 2002 : 2001 : Avg. -------------------------------------- : Percent : CO : 44 15 32 41 IL : 30 25 85 61 IN : 10 4 83 49 IA : 53 33 50 56 KS : 70 49 75 65 KY : 47 43 86 62 MI : 17 6 43 31 MN : 56 22 6 59 MO : 74 62 77 60 NE : 55 32 46 45 NC : 92 80 92 83 ND : 27 8 9 26 OH : 11 5 64 45 PA : 30 13 34 26 SD : 33 11 12 23 TN : 86 79 94 81 TX : 86 75 79 80 WI : 19 8 26 32 : 18 Sts: 42 26 54 51 -------------------------------------- 1/ These 18 States planted 93% of last year's corn acreage. Winter Wheat: Percent Headed, Selected States 1/ -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 1997- State:May 5, :Apr 28,:May 5, : 2001 : 2002 : 2002 : 2001 : Avg. -------------------------------------- : Percent : AR : 94 80 93 94 CA : 100 99 99 98 CO : 1 0 0 3 ID : 0 0 0 0 IL : 11 1 29 21 IN : 13 1 25 16 KS : 28 8 18 20 MI : 0 0 0 0 MO : 47 17 44 36 MT : 0 0 0 0 NE : 0 0 0 0 NC : 90 65 82 86 OH : 0 0 0 1 OK : 90 57 70 72 OR : 8 0 0 1 SD : 0 0 0 0 TX : 57 36 64 63 WA : 3 0 3 2 : 18 Sts: 37 22 33 33 -------------------------------------- 1/ These 18 States planted 90% of last year's winter wheat acreage. Corn: Percent Emerged, Selected States 1/ -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 1997- State:May 5, :Apr 28,:May 5, : 2001 : 2002 : 2002 : 2001 : Avg. -------------------------------------- : Percent : CO : 2 0 2 4 IL : 12 5 39 NA IN : 1 0 27 NA IA : 6 1 6 7 KS : 32 15 36 NA KY : 39 32 63 37 MI : 1 0 2 2 MN : 1 0 0 10 MO : 49 37 43 NA NE : 9 3 9 6 NC : 75 50 66 NA ND : 0 0 0 2 OH : 2 1 8 5 PA : 9 3 3 NA SD : 1 0 0 NA TN : 68 50 72 NA TX : 72 65 63 62 WI : 4 1 3 1 : 18 Sts: 12 7 18 NA -------------------------------------- 1/ These 18 States planted 93% of last year's corn acreage. Soybeans: Percent Planted, Selected States 1/ -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 1997- State:May 5, :Apr 28,:May 5, : 2001 : 2002 : 2002 : 2001 : Avg. -------------------------------------- : Percent : AR : 20 12 30 16 IL : 1 1 30 16 IN : 2 0 46 21 IA : 7 2 4 13 KS : 11 2 17 11 KY : 2 2 27 9 LA : 28 19 49 31 MI : 7 1 15 7 MN : 1 1 0 16 MS : 55 35 72 41 MO : 11 4 13 10 NE : 10 3 5 6 NC : 8 4 5 6 ND : 1 0 0 3 OH : 5 2 37 22 SD : 0 0 0 0 TN : 7 4 11 4 WI : 8 0 0 5 : 18 Sts: 6 3 17 13 -------------------------------------- 1/ These 18 States planted 95% of last year's soybean acreage. Rice: Percent Planted, Selected States 1/ -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 1997- State:May 5, :Apr 28,:May 5, : 2001 : 2002 : 2002 : 2001 : Avg. -------------------------------------- : Percent : AR : 81 70 90 69 CA : 30 15 26 29 LA : 89 86 92 89 MS : 75 *45 81 76 MO : 43 *24 79 49 TX : 98 95 96 86 : 6 Sts : 73 62 80 67 -------------------------------------- * Revised. 1/ These 6 States planted 100% of last year's rice acreage. Cotton: Percent Planted, Selected States 1/ -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 1997- State:May 5, :Apr 28,:May 5, : 2001 : 2002 : 2002 : 2001 : Avg. -------------------------------------- : Percent : AL : 64 47 58 49 AZ : 85 65 74 77 AR : 47 24 61 26 CA : 90 85 93 83 GA : 43 21 27 27 LA : 66 40 83 49 MS : 56 19 66 36 MO : 58 26 74 37 NC : 35 14 31 25 OK : 19 4 12 7 SC : 30 19 19 24 TN : 30 16 55 23 TX : 22 18 21 21 VA : 50 30 64 42 : 14 Sts: 41 26 42 31 -------------------------------------- 1/ These 14 States planted 98% of last year's cotton acreage. Sugarbeets: Percent Planted, Selected States 1/ -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 1997- State:May 5, :Apr 28,:May 5, : 2001 : 2002 : 2002 : 2001 : Avg. -------------------------------------- : Percent : ID : 92 82 93 95 MI : 88 76 85 88 MN : 66 24 10 61 ND : 54 18 10 57 : 4 Sts : 71 41 37 71 -------------------------------------- 1/ These 4 States planted 81% of last year's sugarbeet acreage. Rice: Percent Emerged, Selected States 1/ -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 1997- State:May 5, :Apr 28,:May 5, : 2001 : 2002 : 2002 : 2001 : Avg. -------------------------------------- : Percent : AR : 60 37 61 35 CA : 5 0 0 5 LA : 79 71 81 77 MS : 45 13 57 43 MO : 24 6 18 11 TX : 90 84 85 70 : 6 Sts : 54 37 54 39 -------------------------------------- 1/ These 6 States planted 100% of last year's rice acreage. Sorghum: Percent Planted, Selected States 1/ -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 1997- State:May 5, :Apr 28,:May 5, : 2001 : 2002 : 2002 : 2001 : Avg. -------------------------------------- : Percent : AR : 84 66 82 65 CO : 1 1 2 2 IL : 3 2 25 8 KS : 8 2 12 7 LA : 57 52 69 56 MO : 25 12 32 16 NE : 1 0 3 2 NM : 0 0 0 0 OK : 13 7 20 9 SD : 0 0 0 3 TX : 50 46 46 49 : 11 Sts: 25 20 26 24 -------------------------------------- 1/ These 11 States planted 97% of last year's sorghum acreage. Peanuts: Percent Planted, Selected States 1/ -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 1997- State:May 5, :Apr 28,:May 5, : 2001 : 2002 : 2002 : 2001 : Avg. -------------------------------------- : Percent : AL : 18 8 25 25 FL : 30 10 29 24 GA : 17 8 14 19 NC : 19 3 18 13 OK : 12 4 23 15 TX : 10 2 23 14 VA : 39 14 37 23 : 7 Sts : 17 6 21 18 -------------------------------------- 1/ These 7 States planted 98% of last year's peanut acreage. Spring Wheat: Percent Planted, Selected States 1/ -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 1997- State:May 5, :Apr 28,:May 5, : 2001 : 2002 : 2002 : 2001 : Avg. -------------------------------------- : Percent : ID : 82 62 79 82 MN : 26 9 9 46 MT : 38 15 55 58 ND : 23 10 15 34 SD : 84 61 50 66 WA : 90 80 89 91 : 6 Sts : 38 21 33 49 -------------------------------------- 1/ These 6 States planted 98% of last year's spring wheat acreage. Barley: Percent Planted, Selected States 1/ -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 1997- State:May 5, :Apr 28,:May 5, : 2001 : 2002 : 2002 : 2001 : Avg. -------------------------------------- : Percent : ID : 74 51 74 71 MN : 27 12 8 40 MT : 37 17 61 60 ND : 13 4 9 26 WA : 80 65 80 86 : 5 Sts : 39 23 43 51 -------------------------------------- 1/ These 5 States planted 78% of last year's barley acreage. Oats: Percent Planted, Selected States 1/ -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 1997- State:May 5, :Apr 28,:May 5, : 2001 : 2002 : 2002 : 2001 : Avg. -------------------------------------- : Percent : IA : 99 97 91 93 MN : 64 34 23 64 NE : 97 92 81 93 ND : 20 5 22 29 OH : 61 45 96 91 PA : 70 64 69 76 SD : 75 56 44 59 WI : 43 34 52 78 : 8 Sts : 58 44 48 63 -------------------------------------- 1/ These 8 States planted 49% of last year's oat acreage. Spring Wheat: Percent Emerged, Selected States 1/ -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 1997- State:May 5, :Apr 28,:May 5, : 2001 : 2002 : 2002 : 2001 : Avg. -------------------------------------- : Percent : ID : 46 21 48 54 MN : 2 0 0 16 MT : 3 1 20 22 ND : 2 0 2 11 SD : 31 13 19 37 WA : 65 50 65 70 : 6 Sts : 10 4 12 21 -------------------------------------- 1/ These 6 States planted 98% of last year's spring wheat acreage. Barley: Percent Emerged, Selected States 1/ -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 1997- State:May 5, :Apr 28,:May 5, : 2001 : 2002 : 2002 : 2001 : Avg. -------------------------------------- : Percent : ID : 33 13 40 43 MN : 3 1 0 13 MT : 8 4 23 22 ND : 0 0 1 7 WA : 55 35 44 58 : 5 Sts : 14 7 19 24 -------------------------------------- 1/ These 5 States planted 78% of last year's barley acreage. Oats: Percent Emerged, Selected States 1/ -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 1997- State:May 5, :Apr 28,:May 5, : 2001 : 2002 : 2002 : 2001 : Avg. -------------------------------------- : Percent : IA : 82 63 43 61 MN : 18 5 0 27 NE : 83 62 46 66 ND : 1 0 3 7 OH : 29 17 68 66 PA : 55 40 33 46 SD : 32 13 15 31 WI : 16 10 18 31 : 8 Sts: 30 19 19 33 -------------------------------------- 1/ These 8 States planted 49% of last year's oat 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 11 30 50 7 :: NJ : 0 0 0 92 8 AZ : 16 48 36 0 0 :: NM : 28 55 15 2 0 AR : 1 3 17 64 15 :: NY : 0 2 18 68 12 CA : 10 20 60 10 0 :: NC : 4 17 29 40 10 CO : 35 33 29 3 0 :: ND : 5 20 33 40 2 CT : 0 0 32 66 2 :: OH : 0 3 24 59 14 DE : 1 3 19 65 12 :: OK : 9 17 30 35 9 FL : 0 10 60 30 0 :: OR : 14 13 30 38 5 GA : 3 11 40 39 7 :: PA : 0 5 29 53 13 ID : 2 3 41 45 9 :: RI : 0 0 1 93 6 IL : 0 1 16 66 17 :: SC : 1 8 28 49 14 IN : 0 1 21 60 18 :: SD : 4 13 36 42 5 IA : 0 6 31 49 14 :: TN : 0 3 24 57 16 KS : 13 24 36 25 2 :: TX : 16 23 34 22 5 KY : 0 2 14 59 25 :: UT : 9 26 37 28 0 LA : 0 13 43 40 4 :: VT : 6 17 26 51 0 ME : 0 20 22 40 18 :: VA : 2 11 34 43 10 MD : 0 5 37 43 15 :: WA : 0 7 59 34 0 MA : 0 7 27 49 17 :: WV : 0 1 24 63 12 MI : 3 8 29 50 10 :: WI : 1 3 27 56 13 MN : 4 13 33 43 7 :: WY : 16 26 42 16 0 MS : 2 9 34 47 8 :: : MO : 1 4 29 58 8 :: 48 Sts : 8 15 33 37 7 MT : 26 28 34 12 0 :: : NE : 7 19 37 35 2 :: Prev Wk: NA NA NA NA NA NV : 6 19 42 32 1 :: Prev Yr: 4 13 38 38 7 NH : 0 4 8 88 0 :: : ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Winter Wheat: Crop Condition by Percent, Selected States -------------------------------------- State : VP : P : F : G : EX -------------------------------------- : Percent : AR : 3 17 37 38 5 CA : 0 0 10 80 10 CO : 21 25 36 17 1 ID : 1 2 29 61 7 IL : 1 6 26 54 13 IN : 0 6 28 52 14 KS : 18 22 32 25 3 MI : 1 4 25 52 18 MO : 0 5 22 61 12 MT : 40 22 29 8 1 NE : 11 23 43 22 1 NC : 1 8 37 51 3 OH : 2 5 25 53 15 OK : 22 14 29 31 4 OR : 22 19 28 25 6 SD : 2 9 30 50 9 TX : 26 23 28 20 3 WA : 1 7 30 54 8 : 18 Sts : 16 17 31 31 5 : Prev Wk : 15 17 32 31 5 Prev Yr : 9 17 33 35 6 -------------------------------------- VP-Very Poor, P-Poor, F-Fair, G-Good, EX-Excellent. National crop conditions for selected States are weighted based on 2001 planted acres. Crop Progress and Condition Survey and Estimating Procedures Survey Procedures: Crop progress and condition estimates are based on survey data that are collected each week from early April to the end of November. The Crop progress and condition surveys are non-probability surveys that include a sample of more than 5,000 reporters whose occupations provide them opportunities to make visual observations and frequently bring them in contact with farmers in their counties. Based on standard definitions, these reporters subjectively estimate progress of farmers' activities and progress of crops through their stages of development. They also provide subjective evaluations of crop conditions. Most reporters complete their questionnaire on Friday or early Monday morning and submit it to the Agricultural Statistics Service's office in their State by mail, telephone, fax, e-mail, or through a secured internet website. A small number of reports are completed on Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. Regardless of the time that the questionnaire is completed, reporters are asked to report for the week ending on Sunday. For reports submitted prior to the Sunday reference date, a degree of uncertainty is introduced into the projections for weekend progress and crop condition changes. By the end of the 2001 season, nearly two-thirds of the data were being submitted through the internet website. As a result, about one-half of all data are submitted on Monday morning, which has significantly reduced this projection uncertainty. Reporters are sent written reporting instructions at the beginning of each season and are contacted periodically to ensure proper reporting. Terms and definitions of crop stages and condition categories that are used as reporting guidelines are available on the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) website at: www.usda.gov/nass/pubs/cwterms.htm. Estimating Procedures: Reported data are reviewed for reasonableness and consistency by comparing with data reported the previous week and data reported in surrounding counties for the current week. Each State Statistical Office summarizes the reported data to district and State levels, weighting each county's reported data by NASS county acreage estimates. Summarized indications are compared with previous week estimates, and progress items are compared with earlier stages of development and historical averages to ensure reasonableness. Weather events and reporter comments are also taken into consideration. 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