We 1 (12-04) Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released December 7, 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 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET. National Weather Summary Volume 91, No. 49 November 28 - December 4, 2004 For additional information, call (202) 720-2397. Highlights: Cold weather gripped areas from the Pacific Coast eastward to the central and southern High Plains. In southern California's winter agricultural regions, including the San Joaquin and Imperial Valleys, cold weather helped to acclimate citrus trees to wintry conditions but necessitated protective measures, including the activation of sprinkler systems, to protect some winter crops from freeze damage. Farther east, weekly temperatures generally ranged from 10 to 20 degrees F below normal from the Great Basin to the central Rockies. Meanwhile, favorably dry weather prevailed on the southern Plains, although low temperatures slowed evaporation rates and helped to maintain wet field conditions. Adverse effects from the southern High Plains' wetness included stress on livestock and additional delays in cotton, sorghum, and peanut harvesting. Farther north, early-week snow blanketed the central Plains. In contrast, mild, dry weather continued to reduce soil moisture reserves on the northern Plains, where weekly temperatures averaged as much as 10 degrees F above normal. Mild, dry weather also prevailed in the upper Midwest, promoting late-season corn harvesting. Elsewhere in the Midwest, light rain and snow showers across the southern and eastern Corn Belt slowed final summer crop harvesting and other fieldwork. Farther south, another wet week maintained soggy conditions and hampered late-autumn fieldwork from the southeastern Plains to the Tennessee Valley, including the Delta. Elsewhere, cool, dry weather in the southern Atlantic States contrasted with mild, wet conditions in the Northeast. Early in the week, heavy snow fell across the central Plains and parts of the Intermountain West. On November 28, daily-record totals in Utah included 25.0 inches at Brian Head, 12.0 inches in Nephi, and 11.0 inches in Fillmore. Farther east, daily totals reached 13.0 inches in Lander, WY; 9.9 inches in North Platte, NE; and 9.7 inches in Cheyenne, WY. North Platte's total represented its snowiest day since March 28, 1980, when 11.6 inches fell. On the central High Plains, snow lingered into November 29, when Dodge City, KS (5.5 inches), received a daily-record total. From the Plains westward, very cold air trailed the storminess, resulting in more than 200 daily-record lows. In addition, several monthly record lows were set or tied on November 30 in several locations, including Imperial, CA (32 degrees F, equaling the record set on November 17, 1958); Santa Barbara, CA (30 degrees F, equaling the record set on November 19, 2000, and on several earlier dates); and Grand Junction, CO (-4 degrees F, breaking the record of -2 degrees F established on November 28, 1976). Grand Junction also achieved daily-record lows (2, -4, -2, 0, 0, and 2 degrees F) on 6 consecutive days from November 29 - December 4, its second-longest such streak behind a 10-day cold snap in February 1903. The last day of November featured the week's coldest weather in locations such as Alamosa, CO (-20 degrees F), and Alliance, NE (-18 degrees F). Farther west, Bakersfield, CA, reported freezes (30, 29, 27, 28, 28, and 28 degrees F) on 6 consecutive mornings from November 29 - December 4, setting or tying records each day. Another California location noting 6 consecutive freezes and daily-record lows was Salinas (27, 30, 30, 30, 31, and 29 degrees F). In addition to the spate of record lows, Cedar City, UT (22 degrees F on November 29), was among the locations noting its lowest maximum temperature on record for November (previously 23 degrees F on November 14, 1964, and November 19, 1956). In contrast, record warmth was confined to the western Gulf Coast region, where McAllen, TX, notched a daily-record high of 92 degrees F on November 29. Meanwhile, heavy rain fell sporadically across the South and East during the first half of the week. Daily-record totals for November 28 included 3.74 inches in Mt. Pocono, PA, and 2.01 inches in Cape Hatteras, NC. Two days later, London, KY (2.08 inches), collected a daily-record total for November 30. The first day of December featured additional daily rainfall records in the Northeast, including 1.37 inches in Providence, RI, and 1.15 inches in Bangor, ME. Significant snow was confined to northern New England, where Caribou, ME, measured 6.0 inches on December 1. High winds also swept across the Northeast on December 1, gusting to 68 m.p.h. in Nantucket, MA, and 61 m.p.h. in Dubois, PA. Elsewhere in the East, year-to-date precipitation through December 5 reached 51.48 inches (138 percent of normal) in Bluefield, WV, eclipsing its 1972 annual record of 51.29 inches. In western Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh's year-to-date total climbed to 55.31 inches (156 percent of normal), further exceeding its former 1990 standard of 52.24 inches. For the third consecutive week, unusually mild weather prevailed across much of Alaska, where weekly temperatures averaged as much as 24 degrees F above normal. Cold Bay (50 degrees F on November 28) was among the Alaskan locations to establish a daily-record high. Stormy weather affected much of southern Alaska, boosting December 1-5 precipitation to 2.10 inches (269 percent of normal) in Cold Bay and 0.72 inch (480 percent) in Anchorage, including 9.0 inches of snow. Pelican, in southeastern Alaska, netted weekly rainfall totaling 10.90 inches, more than half (5.79 inches) of which fell on December 3. Farther south, widespread, generally light showers accompanied warm weather (as much as 3 degrees F above normal) in Hawaii. Weekly rainfall reached 3.95 inches in Hilo, on the Big Island. However, showers continued to bypass some areas, including Kahului, Maui. Kahului completed its third consecutive month with record-low rainfall, measuring just a trace (2.17 inches below normal) during November. National Agricultural Summary November 29 - December 5, 2004 Highlights: Warm, dry conditions prevailed across the northern Great Plains and northern Corn Belt, favoring final harvest of corn and soybeans. Elsewhere in the Corn Belt, temperatures were above normal, with light to moderate rainfall. In the central and southern Great Plains, temperatures averaged below normal and conditions were mostly dry, though lingering wetness from earlier rains continued to hamper harvest of summer crops in Texas. Temperatures were below normal in the Delta and neighboring areas of the Southeast, with moderate rainfall. In the southern Atlantic Coast States, conditions were cool and dry, while moderate precipitation and above-normal temperatures prevailed along the middle and northern Atlantic Coast. Light but widespread precipitation fell in the Rocky Mountains, where temperatures were well below normal. Further west, dry conditions and below-normal temperatures dominated the Pacific Northwest, Southwest, and Great Basin. Georgia cotton growers took advantage of favorable conditions but still had some fields left to harvest at week's end. Soybean harvest in Virginia was deterred by a lack of available storage. In Arkansas, cotton and soybean harvesting continued to be hampered by wet conditions, which also slowed fieldwork in Louisiana, particularly sugarcane harvest. In Texas, corn, cotton, and peanut harvest resumed in some areas as fields began to dry out from recent heavy rain, but many areas were in need of further drying. Arizona's cotton harvest continued to trail the normal pace. Cotton harvest was complete or nearly complete across most of California, while colder weather improved the condition of navel oranges. 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: 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 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. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 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. 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.