We 1 (2-03) Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released February 19, 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. 7 February 9 - 15, 2003 For additional information, call (202) 720-2397. HIGHLIGHTS: The most significant Southwestern storm of the winter boosted soil moisture reserves and high-elevation snow packs, but provided only limited relief from the region's historic drought. Only light precipitation fell elsewhere in the West, leaving most areas west of the Rockies facing significant water-supply concerns for the remainder of the year. Meanwhile, mild weather favored overwintering wheat on the Plains, although the crop continued to lose winter hardiness across southern portions of the region. Beneficial showers fell on the eastern Plains, especially across the eastern half of Kansas. Farther east, late-week rain and snow boosted soil moisture reserves in the southern Corn Belt, but unfavorably dry conditions persisted across much of the Great Lakes region. Bitterly cold weather (temperatures as much as 20 degrees F below normal) continued to stress livestock in the northern Corn Belt. Elsewhere, a late-week storm system produced torrential rainfall (4 inches or more) from the northern Delta to southwestern Virginia. Previously dry weather prevented major flooding, but the rain halted fieldwork and caused widespread, minor flooding. The storm system encountered very cold air east of the Appalachians, providing the ingredients for a major snow storm from February 15-18. National Agricultural Summary February 10 - 16, 2003 A large area of low pressure that developed in the eastern Pacific delivered much-needed rain to the Southwest early in the week. In California, the rain halted work in fields and orchards, and some crops experienced lodging, but the moisture was mostly beneficial, especially for dryland grains and forage crops. In addition, mild temperatures promoted vigorous growth of vegetables and other winter crops in California's valleys. The interior Southwest also received abundant rainfall. As the flow of sub-tropical moisture moved east, it met cold arctic air and produced a mixture of wintery precipitation along a boundary that extended from the western Corn Belt near midweek to the Atlantic Coast by the end of the week. Most of the precipitation in the Corn Belt fell as snow and boosted low soil moisture reserves west of the Mississippi River. In the interior Mississippi Delta, eastern Corn Belt, and Ohio and Tennessee Valleys, the precipitation was a mixture of rain, freezing rain, and snow. Where most of the precipitation was rain, soils became saturated and low-lying areas along rivers and streams were flooded. In the interior Southeast, many areas received freezing rain that knocked down power lines and tree limbs and disrupted travel. Along the Atlantic Coastal Plain, especially in the southern Piedmont, the precipitation reduced soil moisture deficits. Rain also reduced moisture shortages in the Florida Panhandle and northern areas of the Peninsula. In southern Florida, warm, dry weather supported fieldwork and promoted development of vegetable crops. The next "Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin" report will be released at 12 p.m. ET on February 25, 2003. 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