We 1 (12-03) Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released December 2, 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 Brian T. Young at (202) 720-7621, office hours 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET. National Weather Summary Volume 90, No. 48 November 23 - 29, 2003 For additional information, call (202) 720-2397. Highlights: For the second consecutive week, significant Western precipitation was largely confined to the Northwest, maintaining wet conditions in western Washington but aiding Northwestern winter grains and boosting high-elevation snow packs from the Cascades to the northern Rockies. Cool, mostly dry weather persisted elsewhere in the West, including drought-affected areas of the Great Basin, Southwest, and central and southern Rockies. Unfavorably dry weather also prevailed on the Plains, accompanied by a warming trend that gradually melted winter wheat's protective snow cover across the northern half of the region. On the northern High Plains, temperatures rebounded from early-week readings as low as -20 degrees F to 50 degrees F or higher by week's end. Meanwhile on the southern High Plains, dry weather favored final cotton, peanut, and sorghum harvesting but continued to hinder wheat establishment. Farther east, widespread showers benefited winter grains and cool-season pastures in the lower Mississippi Valley, although frosts and freezes on November 24-25 and 29-30 slowed winter crop growth throughout the South. In the southern Atlantic region, mostly dry weather promoted late-autumn fieldwork. In contrast, rain, snow, and wet field conditions hampered final corn harvesting in the eastern Corn Belt, while soil moisture for winter wheat remained adequate to locally excessive from the Ohio Valley to the lower Great Lakes region. Weekly temperatures up to 8 degrees F above normal in the Northeast contrasted with readings as much as 10 degrees F below normal on the Plains, despite the late-week warming trend in the latter region. Early in the week, chilly conditions prevailed from the Midwest and Plains westward, resulting in more than 50 daily-record lows. In Colorado, records on November 23 included -6 degrees F in Pueblo and 4 degrees F in Grand Junction. Meanwhile in California, daily-record lows dipped to 32 degrees F in Santa Barbara and 33 degrees F in Salinas. Elsewhere in California, Cuyama noted consecutive daily-record lows of 20 degrees F on November 23-24. Farther east, daily-record lows on November 24 included -13 degrees F in Valentine, NE, -10 degrees F in Mobridge, SD, and 11 degrees F in Amarillo, TX. Days later, however, mild weather returned to the Plains, Midwest, and West. On November 28, highs reached daily-record levels in Walla Walla, WA (61 degrees F), and Eugene, OR (60 degrees F). A day later, record highs on the central High Plains reached 75 degrees F in Goodland, KS, 74 degrees F in Pueblo, CO, and 73 degrees F in McCook, NE. Farther east, scattered daily-record highs were confined to the Northeast during the approach of two strong cold fronts. On November 24, Massena, NY, notched a daily-record high of 69 degrees F. Five days later in Maine, highs of 60 degrees F in Houlton and Bangor were records for November 29. Early-week rain and snow lingered across the Midwest in the wake of a cold front's passage. In Wisconsin, Madison's daily-record total of 1.70 inches on November 23 helped to elevate its monthly sum to 7.49 inches (324 percent of normal). Elsewhere, a daily-record snowfall of 2.5 inches in Huron, SD, boosted its November 22-23 total to 8.0 inches. Farther east, two additional rounds of locally heavy rain contributed to the wettest November on record in locations such as Charleston, WV (9.12 inches, or 249 percent of normal), Grand Rapids, MI (7.90 inches, or 236 percent), and Bristol, TN (6.74 inches, or 219 percent). High winds trailed the second cold front across East, resulting in a November 29 gust to 58 m.p.h. in Worcester, MA. Meanwhile in the West, locally heavy snowfall fell from November 25-27 as far south as Utah's Wasatch Range, where Alta netted 29.5 inches. Elsewhere, heavy precipitation accompanied the late-week warmth in the Pacific Northwest. Daily-record rainfall totals in western Washington for November 28 included 6.03 inches in Quillayute, 2.97 inches in Hoquiam, and 2.57 inches at Stampede Pass. In contrast, November precipitation totaled less than one-tenth of an inch on parts of the Plains, including Denver, CO (0.05 inch, or 5 percent of normal), and Dodge City, KS (0.03 inch, or 3 percent). Tranquil weather prevailed in Hawaii until late in the week, when torrential rains erupted on Oahu and in scattered locations elsewhere on the islands. On November 29-30, 24-hour totals on Oahu reached 13.20 inches in Luluku and 12.75 inches at the Wilson Tunnel. Elsewhere, 24-hour amounts included 3.56 inches in Kamalo, Molokai, and 3.84 inches on the Big Island at Mountain View. Farther north, snowy, unsettled weather accompanied highly variable temperatures in Alaska. November snowfall totaled more than twice the normal values at locations such as Anchorage (28.8 inches), Fairbanks (27.6 inches), and Juneau (24.9 inches). In western Alaska, Kotzebue netted 44.0 inches during November, easily its snowiest month during the last half-century (previously, 24.3 inches in November 1993). National Agricultural Summary November 24 - 30, 2003 Highlights: Temperatures were below normal for most of the Nation, falling below zero degrees Fahrenheit across most of the northern Great Plains and northern and central Rocky Mountains. Temperatures in the Gulf Coast States fell below freezing for the first time this season, but not for long enough to damage crops. Meanwhile, the Atlantic Coast and eastern and central Corn Belt had above-normal temperatures. Precipitation was heavy in the Mississippi Delta, causing some fieldwork delays. Moderate precipitation fell across the eastern and central Corn Belt. The southern Atlantic Coast States were mostly dry, but the rest of the Southeast had moderate rainfall. The western Corn Belt, Great Plains, and Southwest remained dry, prompting concern over winter wheat condition. Scattered, light to moderate precipitation fell in the northern and central Rocky Mountains. However, snow cover continued to decrease in the region, leaving the winter wheat crop more exposed to cold temperatures. The next "Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin" report will be released after 12 p.m. ET on December 9, 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). 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