We 1 (2-04) Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released February 24, 2004, 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 91, No. 8 February 15 - 21, 2004 For additional information, call (202) 720-2397. Highlights: Mild, mostly dry weather melted most of the winter wheat crop's protective snow cover on the northern and central Plains, where weekly temperatures generally ranged from 4 to 10 degrees F above normal. Midweek temperatures climbed to near 80 degrees F on the southern Plains and topped 70 degrees F as far north as western Nebraska. On February 19, a storm system crossing the central Plains produced some light rain and wet snow in eastern Colorado but provided little precipitation elsewhere. South of the storm's track, high winds raked the Texas and New Mexico High Plains, reducing visibilities in some locations to less than one-half mile in blowing dust. Farther west, heavy rain and high-elevation snow pounded northern California, maintaining favorable water-supply prospects but causing local flooding. Wet weather also prevailed across the northern Rockies and the Northwest, but unfavorably dry conditions persisted through week's end in drought-stricken areas of the Great Basin, central and southern Rockies, and the Southwest. Storminess increased across southern California and the Four Corners region on Sunday, February 22, boosting high-elevation snow packs but causing local concerns with respect to flooding and mudslides, especially on hillsides burned during last year's wildfires. Meanwhile, bitterly cold weather lingered early in the week from the upper Midwest to northern New England, where temperatures as low as -30 degrees F were reported. Tranquil weather prevailed across the Midwest thereafter, although some rain and snow showers crossed the Great Lakes and Northeastern States toward week's end. Elsewhere, Southern pastures and winter grains benefited from a week of mostly dry weather, following early- to mid-February downpours that left some fields saturated, particularly from the western Gulf Coast States into the Tennessee Valley. However, some additional light snow fell early in the week across the southern Mid-Atlantic region. Although a return to mild weather snapped a 3-week cold snap across the majority of the Nation, a lingering chill in the Southeast held temperatures as much as 8 degrees F below normal. Early in the week, lingering cold weather across the Nation's northern tier resulted in daily-record lows for February 15 in locations such as International Falls, MN (-32 degrees F), and Houlton, ME (-20 degrees F). More bitterly cold air swept into northern New England on February 17, breaking another daily-record low (-26 degrees F) in Houlton. Chilly weather also persisted in parts of the Intermountain West, where Alamosa, CO (-17 degrees F on February 16), notched its third daily-record low in 8 days. Meanwhile, precipitation overspread the Northwest in advance of a series of Pacific storm systems. On February 16, Redmond, OR (0.43 inch), netted a daily-record total, followed the next day by a daily record (0.29 inch) in Missoula, MT. Much heavier rain fell in northern California, where 24-hour totals on February 16-17 reached 6.10 inches in Venado (Sonoma County) and 3.90 inches near Calistoga (Napa County). Meanwhile along the Atlantic Seaboard, a developing winter storm remained east of the major East Coast cities. Along the immediate coastline, however, February 17-18 snowfall totaled 8.0 inches in Nantucket, MA, and 2.4 inches in Atlantic City, NJ. By midweek, warm weather overspread the western half of the Nation in advance of Pacific storminess, ending a long spell of colder-than-normal weather across the central Plains and western Corn Belt. For example, streaks of below-normal daily average temperatures ended at 24 consecutive days (January 25 - February 17) in locations such as Kansas City, MO, and Hastings, NE. Pre-storm warmth also produced consecutive daily-record highs in Tucson, AZ (83 and 85 degrees F on February 17-18). On February 18, daily-record warmth reached the High Plains, where highs included 80 degrees F in Amarillo, 66 degrees F in Colorado Springs, and 62 degrees F in Billings. Scattered showers immediately followed the High Plains' warmth, resulting in daily-record totals in locations such as Billings (0.28 inch on February 18) and Pueblo, CO (0.43 inch on February 19). Farther south, however, the afternoon of February 19 featured blowing dust and visibilities of one-half mile or less in locations such as Lubbock, TX, and Las Cruces, NM. Lubbock also clocked a peak wind gust to 58 m.p.h. Meanwhile, a final flurry of daily-record highs on February 19 in Missouri included 73 degrees F in Joplin and 71 degrees F in Springfield. At week's end, warm weather reached much of the East except New England, where snow developed. February 21-22 snowfall in Maine totaled 8.6 inches in Portland and 9.0 inches in Bangor. Meanwhile, heavy precipitation began to overspread the Southwest, including southern California, where San Diego netted 1.39 inches from February 21-23. During the 7-month period from July 2003 - January 2004, only 1.55 inches (29 percent of normal) fell in San Diego, followed by 0.67 inch during the first 20 days of February. Cold, dry weather prevailed on the Alaskan mainland, where weekly temperatures averaged as much as 8 degrees F below normal. In contrast, mild, showery conditions affected much of southern Alaska, boosting month-to-date (February 1-21) precipitation to 19.49 inches in Yakutat and 5.59 inches in Juneau. Yakutat typically nets 10.99 inches in February, while Juneau normally receives 4.02 inches. Meanwhile in Hawaii, warm weather (weekly temperatures up to 4 degrees F) accompanied widely scattered, locally heavy showers in windward locations. On February 15-16, 24-hour rainfall included 2.42 inches in Honokaa, on the Big Island, and 2.37 inches in Wainiha, Kauai. Hawaiian daily-record highs included 85 degrees F (on February 15) in Lihue, Kauai, and 87 degrees F (on February 19) in Honolulu, Oahu. Those daily records fell 1 degree F shy of the stations' respective monthly record highs (86 degrees F in Lihue, most recently set on February 20, 1986, and 88 degrees F in Honolulu, established on February 11, 1984). National Agricultural Summary February 16 - 22, 2004 Highlights: Temperatures were mild across most of the Nation, averaging over 6 degrees Fahrenheit above normal in parts of the northern and central Great Plains and adjacent areas of the Rocky Mountains. The only areas that experienced below-average temperatures were the Great Basin, the Gulf Coast, the Southeast, and the Atlantic Coast States. Much snow cover across the northern and central Great Plains and southern Corn Belt melted in response to the above-normal temperatures, but significant snowfall across the northern Corn Belt kept snow cover intact. Elsewhere, a Pacific storm produced moderate to heavy rainfall along coastal areas of the Pacific Northwest and light to moderate precipitation extended farther inland to the western Rocky Mountains. The Great Plains remained dry, causing continued moisture stress for winter wheat. After 2 weeks of heavy rainfall, the Mississippi Delta and Southeast began to dry out, with only light rainfall. The southern Corn Belt was mostly dry, with only light, widely scattered precipitation. In Florida, peanut growers were actively preparing for planting, while sugarcane and citrus harvest continued. Recent rains in Georgia benefited small grains but made fieldwork difficult. Heading of small grains had begun in Arizona, while citrus and vegetable growers continued to harvest a variety of crops. In southern areas of Texas, corn and sorghum planting was active, while small grains in the Plains were coming out of dormancy but showing moisture stress. In California, warm weather and adequate soil moisture produced good growth in small grains and sugarbeets. Warm, sunny weather in Hawaii, with only light, passing showers, was beneficial for new plantings of bananas and papayas. The next "Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin" report will be released after 12 p.m. ET on March 2, 2004. 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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