We 1 (2-03) Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released February 4, 2003, 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 90, No. 5 January 26 - February 1, 2003 For additional information, call (202) 720-2397. Highlights: Wet weather intensified across the Northwest, benefiting winter grains and further boosting high-elevation snow packs. However, little or no precipitation fell south of a line from northern California to the central Rockies, leaving the majority of the West with a variety of drought-related concerns. Among the most serious effects of long-term Western precipitation deficits are below-normal reservoir levels and drought-damaged rangelands. Record warmth (weekly temperatures as much as 20 degrees F above normal) aggravated the effects of drought and caused some premature melting of the Western snow pack. Temperatures averaged generally 4 to 16 degrees F above normal on the Plains, favoring overwintering wheat but melting much of the crop's protective snow cover across northern portions of the region. Farther east, rain and snow showers boosted topsoil moisture in the Corn Belt, although the upper Midwest remained unusually dry. The development of cold-season drought has had little effect on Midwestern agriculture, but has lowered the levels of navigable rivers and hampered outdoor recreation. Meanwhile, widespread showers returned to the South for the first time in 1 month, accompanied by a warming trend. The mostly dry January weather allowed for an acceleration of fieldwork, following an exceptionally wet period during the last quarter of 2002. Farther north, cold weather (as much as 8 degrees F below normal) lingered in the Northeast, accompanied by blizzard conditions at week's end across eastern New England. Late-month showers across the South failed to prevent several records for January dryness. Little Rock, AR, received only 0.31 inch (9 percent of normal), breaking their January 1986 record of 0.55 inch. Similarly, only 0.52 inch (8 percent of normal) dampened Baton Rouge, LA, edging their January 1928 standard of 0.60 inch. In Tampa, FL, where monthly temperatures averaged 54.8 degrees F (6.5 degrees F below normal), the January rainfall of 0.11 inch (5 percent of normal) was the lowest since only a trace fell in 1950. Meanwhile on the Plains, Kansas City, MO, completed their third-driest 3-month period on record. Kansas City collected just 0.82 inch (16 percent of normal) from November to January, behind 0.58 inch from December 1919 - February 1920 and 0.74 inch from December 1922 - February 1923. In contrast, heavy rainfall caused some flooding across southwestern Washington and northwestern Oregon, where 72-hour (January 29 - February 1) rainfall approached 10 inches. On January 31, the Nehalem River at Foss, OR, crested 2.6 feet above flood stage, while the Cowlitz River at Kelso, WA, crested 1.4 feet above flood stage. At week's end, a developing storm system brought light snow to the Northeast. The storm will be covered in more detail in next week's summary, since most of the heavy snow and high winds developed across northern Maine and eastern New England on February 2. Bitterly cold weather prevailed across the Midwest and Northeast early in the week, resulting in nearly two dozen daily-record lows. Records for January 27 included -14 degrees F in Lincoln, IL, and -11 degrees F in Cincinnati, OH. In Indiana, Indianapolis' low of -9 degrees F on January 27 was their lowest reading since January 17, 1997, when it was -10 degrees F. With a minimum of -4 degrees F on January 27, Pittsburgh, PA, experienced their lowest temperature since February 4, 1996, when the low was -6 degrees F. On January 28 in Vermont, Montpelier's daily-record low of -22 degrees F stood in stark contrast to their record high of 51 degrees F set on the same date last year. Massena, NY, set record lows of -29 degrees F on January 27 and 28. Pittsburgh finally saw temperatures climb above the freezing mark (33 degrees F on January 30) after midweek, ending their longest spell of sub-freezing readings (19 days from January 11-29) since December 7-28, 1989. In contrast, rapid warming commenced on the High Plains. On January 26, Great Falls, MT, noted a low of 0 degrees F and a high of 56 degrees F, their largest daily range since December 16, 2000, when the temperature climbed to 40 degrees F from a low of -21 degrees F. Elsewhere in Montana, Blackfeet (near Cut Bank) recorded a 32-degree rise in 30 minutes on Sunday morning, from 10 to 42 degrees F. In Nebraska, North Platte notched a daily-record high of 67 degrees F on January 27 (just days after their lowest reading of the month, -3 degrees F on January 23), followed by another daily record (75 degrees F) on February 1. Elsewhere on the High Plains, daily-record highs on February 1 included 80 degrees F in McCook, NE, and 79 degrees F in Hill City, KS. After midweek, some of the hottest January conditions on record overspread the Southwest. In southern California, Mt. Wilson notched a monthly record high of 75 degrees F on January 30, followed by another record (77 degrees F) on January 31. More than 20 other locations across the West set or tied January record highs on the last day of the month. All-time January records included 71 degrees F in Reno, NV; 63 degrees F in Salt Lake City, UT; and 60 degrees F in Pocatello, ID. Several southern California locations, including Chula Vista (90 degrees F), Los Angeles (LAX) Airport (91 degrees F), Escondido (92 degrees F), Thousand Oaks (94 degrees F), Oxnard (94 degrees F), and the Riverside Citrus Experiment Station (97 degrees F) reached or exceeded 90 degrees F in January for the first time on record. Riverside's high came within 1 degree F of the Nation's highest recorded January temperature, 98 degrees F in Laredo, TX. The late-month heat capped the warmest January on record in several locations, including Flagstaff, AZ (37.2 degrees F, or 7.5 degrees F above normal), and Las Vegas, NV (54.2 degrees F, or 7.2 degrees F above normal). Previous monthly records in both locations were established in 1986. Record heat continued into early February, when Las Vegas (80 degrees F on February 1) experienced their earliest high temperature of 80 degrees F or higher (previously, 81 degrees F on February 17, 1996). Unusually dry weather persisted on Hawaii's Big Island, where Hilo recorded their seventh-lowest January rainfall since 1950. Hilo's monthly total, 1.24 inches (13 percent of normal), was their lowest January sum since a record-low amount of 0.13 inch in 1998. Meanwhile, cold fronts continued to generate scattered, locally heavy showers from Kauai to Maui. Most of the heaviest rain fell in a 48-hour period from January 29-31, when totals reached 3.83 inches in Mahinahina, Maui; 3.73 inches in Wainiha, Kauai; and 3.47 inches at Oahu's Wilson Tunnel. Meanwhile, mild weather (up to 10 degrees F above normal) continued in Alaska, accompanied by mostly dry conditions across the interior. In King Salmon, where the normal January maximum temperature is 22.8 degrees F, highs rose above 32 degrees F on every day from January 7-31. Meanwhile, monthly precipitation totaled 0.46 inch (45 percent of normal) in King Salmon and 0.15 inch (14 percent) in McGrath. Season-to-date snowfall in McGrath through January 31 totaled just 39.4 inches (57 percent of normal). Meanwhile in southern Alaska, Kodiak completed their wettest January on record, with precipitation totaling 17.18 inches (210 percent of normal). Kodiak's previous record of 15.77 inches was set in 1977. National Agricultural Summary January 27 - February 2, 2003 Temperatures averaged well above normal in most areas west of the Mississippi River, especially over the Rocky Mountains and northern High Plains. The abnormally warm daytime temperatures melted most of the winter wheat crop's protective snow cover in the Great Plains, but the threat of heaving and winter kill was minimal. In the Pacific Northwest, rain and snow boosted moisture reserves along the coast and significantly reduced long-term moisture deficits in parts of the interior mountains and valleys. In the Southwest, warm, dry weather supported field and orchard work and promoted growth and development of winter crops. In the southern Great Plains, warm days and cool nights promoted growth of winter grains and forages. Soil moisture supplies were adequate to support development across most of Texas, but dry, windy weather was rapidly depleting reserves on the High Plains, while parts of central and southeast Texas remained excessively wet. Meanwhile, cooler-than-normal weather remained entrenched across the Eastern States, where sub-zero temperatures were experienced as far south as the Ohio River Valley and sub-freezing temperatures reached into the Florida Peninsula. The cold nighttime temperatures hindered growth of tender vegetable crops, but citrus trees, aided by warm daytime temperatures, began developing tiny bloom buds at the tips of new leafy growth. Dormant fruit trees in the interior Southeast received additional beneficial chill hours. The next "Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin" report will be released after 12 p.m. ET on February 11, 2003. 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. ACCESS TO REPORTS!! For your convenience, there are several ways to obtain NASS reports, data products, and services: INTERNET ACCESS All NASS reports are available free of charge on the worldwide Internet. For access, connect to the Internet and go to the NASS Home Page at: http:/www.usda.gov/nass/. Select "Today's Reports" or Publications and then Reports Calendar or Publications and then Search, by Title or Subject. E-MAIL SUBSCRIPTION All NASS reports are available by subscription free of charge direct to your e-mail address. Starting with the NASS Home Page at http:/www.usda.gov/nass/, click on Publications, then click on the Subscribe by E-mail button which takes you to the page describing e-mail delivery of reports. Finally, click on Go to the Subscription Page and follow the instructions. AUTOFAX ACCESS NASSFax service is available for some reports from your fax machine. Please call 202-720-2000, using the handset attached to your fax. Respond to the voice prompts. Document 0411 is a list of available reports. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - PRINTED REPORTS OR DATA PRODUCTS CALL OUR TOLL-FREE ORDER DESK: 800-999-6779 (U.S. and Canada) Other areas, please call 703-605-6220 FAX: 703-605-6900 (Visa, MasterCard, check, or money order acceptable for payment.) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ASSISTANCE For assistance with general agricultural statistics or further information about NASS or its products or services, contact the Agricultural Statistics Hotline at 800-727-9540, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET, or e-mail: nass@nass.usda.gov.