We 1 (12-02) Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released December 17, 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. 51 December 8 - 14, 2002 For additional information, call (202) 720-2397. Highlights: Storminess returned to the West for the first time in more than a month, providing much-needed rain and snow from the Pacific Northwest and northern Rockies southward into central California and the Sierra Nevada. The previous episode of Western storminess lasted only a few days (November 7-9), and was followed by a quick return to the same general weather pattern that has dominated the country since early October. The mid-December moisture boosted high-elevation snow packs and aided pastures and winter grains. However, mild, dry weather persisted in the central and southern Rockies and the Southwest, where the effects of long-term precipitation deficits included drought-stressed rangelands and reduced irrigation reserves. Mild, dry weather also continued on the Plains, although soil moisture remained adequate in most areas from Texas to south-central Kansas. However, the northern and central High Plains remained in the grip of a significant drought, leaving much of the winter wheat poorly established a exposed to potential weather extremes. Weekly temperatures averaged 3 to 17 degrees F above normal on the northern and central High Plains, eroding an already patchy snow cover. Above-normal temperatures were also observed in the upper Midwest, but cool weather lingered across the Ohio Valley and lower Great Lakes region. A drier-than-normal autumn and the lack of a significant Midwestern snow cover aided livestock and favored off-season fieldwork. Cool (as much as 7 degrees F below normal), wet weather again slowed or halted fieldwork across the South, hampering winter wheat planting and final summer crop harvesting. Rain also caused some lowland flooding, particularly in the saturated western Gulf Coast region. Across Florida's peninsula, heavy rain (2 to 8 inches or more) eliminated citrus irrigation requirements but caused flash flooding. Farther north, more early-season snow and ice affected areas from the northern Mid-Atlantic States into New England. Precipitation associated with the Pacific storminess was heaviest across northern California, where 72-hour totals (ending at 10 a.m. PST on December 16) reached 13.58 inches in St. Helena (Napa County) and 12.28 inches on Anderson Peak (Monterey County). On December 13-14, consecutive daily-record rainfall totals were reported at several northern California locations, including Redding (3.07 and 2.55 inches) and San Francisco (2.47 and 0.88 inches). San Rafael, CA, received a daily-record total of 6.24 inches on Friday. Heavy rain caused flooding in several basins, including the Napa Valley. On December 16, the Napa River crested more than 1 foot above flood stage in St. Helena and Napa, but remained more than 4 feet below the locations' March 1995 high-water marks. In addition, high winds raked the West Coast States. Peak wind gusts in northern California for December 15 included 71 mph in Redding and 61 mph in San Francisco and Red Bluff. Farther north, gusts on the Oregon coast were clocked to 95 mph in Gold Beach and 93 mph on Cape Blanco. High winds also swept into the Great Basin, where Reno, NV, reported a peak gust to 82 mph on December 14. Gusts topped 130 mph at a few locations in the Sierra Nevada. According to preliminary information from the California Department of Water Resources, the storminess added an average of 3 inches to liquid to the Sierra Nevada snow pack, leaving the cumulative total of 7 inches near the mid-December normal. In contrast, the week ended with a 30th consecutive day (November 15 - December 14) without measurable precipitation in Kansas City, MO, their fourth-longest dry spell on record. Kansas City's longest such streak was 36 days, from May 24 - June 28, 1988. Farther south and east, however, at least 2 inches of precipitation fell in many locations from southern and eastern Texas to the East Coast (Florida to coastal New England). Florida noted two episodes of heavy rain, resulting in daily-record totals in St. Petersburg on December 9 (4.16 inches) and 12 (1.98 inches). Elsewhere in Florida, Melbourne netted 5.06 inches on December 9, nearly twice their former December daily record (2.64 inches on December 28, 1978). Farther north, back-to-back storm systems shattered several daily-rainfall records, including 1.63 inches (on December 11) in Harrisburg, PA, 1.63 inches (on December 13) in Augusta, GA, and 1.99 inches (on December 14) in Boston, MA. Bitterly cold weather lingered across the Northeast, allowing some of the mid- to late-week precipitation to fall as freezing rain and snow. On Monday, daily-record lows included -7 degrees F in Montrose, PA, and -10 degrees F in Boonville, NY. Elsewhere in New York, lows dipped to -17 degrees F in Lake Placid and -23 degrees F in Saranac Lake. Midweek snowfall totaled 15 inches in East Jewett, NY; a late-week storm dropped 13 inches on Portage, ME. Meanwhile, mild air began to overspread the northern Plains and upper Midwest. International Falls, MN, set or tied daily-record highs on December 10, 11, and 13 (41, 43, and 39 degrees F). More than four dozen daily-record highs were established across the northwestern half of the Nation toward week's end. On Saturday, records included 61 degrees F in Havre, MT, 64 degrees F in Pendleton, OR, 65 degrees F in Lewiston, ID, and 66 degrees F in Walla Walla, WA. Most of Alaska experienced warmer-than-normal weather for the twelfth consecutive week, with temperatures averaging at least 20 degrees F above normal some interior and western parts of the State. However, temperatures fell closer to normal levels as the week progressed, accompanied by snowfall in parts of southern Alaska. McGrath noted a daily-record snowfall of 4.6 inches on December 10, followed the next day by a record total (5.0 inches) in Anchorage. Although Anchorage netted 11.2 inches of snow (149 percent of normal) during the first 15 days of December, their season-to-date total of 13.3 inches remained less than half of normal. Meanwhile in Juneau, where daily-record highs (46 and 48 degrees F) were noted on December 8 and 9, the season-to-date snowfall through December 15 stood at 0.7 inch (3 percent of normal). Farther south, most of Hawaii experienced another week with only light showers. The notable exception was the Big Island, where heavy rain fell on December 10-11. Twenty-four hour rainfall topped 5 inches in several locations, including Pahoa (6.00 inches), Piihonua (5.40 inches), and Mountain View (5.09 inches). Meanwhile on Maui, Kahului posted a low of 56 degrees F on December 13, followed the next day by a daily-record low of 57 degrees F. National Agricultural Summary December 9 - 15, 2002 Above-normal temperatures supported winter wheat development across most of the Great Plains and Pacific Northwest, while below-normal temperatures virtually halted development in the eastern Corn Belt. Vegetative growth was minimal on the central and northern High Plains, but root development remained active in many fields. In the southern Great Plains, below-normal temperatures limited winter wheat growth early in the week, but favorably warm weather stimulated growth after midweek. Light precipitation provided beneficial moisture in parts of the southern and central Great Plains, but heavy rain produced flooding and excessive soil moisture along the western Gulf Coast and adjacent interior parts of eastern Texas. In the Pacific Northwest, a large, slow-moving, low-pressure system produced heavy coastal rain and mountain snowfall that boosted next summers' irrigation water reserves. The storm also produced much-needed precipitation for winter grains in the interior Pacific Northwest, although subsoils remained very dry. In the lower Mississippi Valley and Southeast, wet weather continued to hamper harvest and fall tillage. In Florida, heavy rain interrupted vegetable planting and harvesting and reduced the quality of some crops. Also, citrus producers with bedded trees pumped excessive water from their groves. In California, dry weather supported field and orchard work in the southern half of the State. Meanwhile, forages and emerged small grains produced vigorous growth, and recently planted crops quickly emerged. The next "Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin" report will be released after 12 p.m. ET on December 24, 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). To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C., 20250-9410, or call 202-720-5964 (voice or TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. 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