We 1 (2-05) Weekly Weather And Crop Bulletin National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released February 8, 2005, 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 92, No. 6 January 30 - February 5, 2005 For additional information, call (202) 720-2397. Highlights: Cold weather returned to the northern Plains and upper Midwest toward week's end, following a spell of record warmth that boosted weekly temperatures 16 to 26 degrees F above normal. On the northern High Plains, where winter wheat's protective snow cover disappeared in mid- to late January, the crop was subjected to a sharp, late-week temperature decline and remained exposed to other potential weather extremes. Elsewhere on the Plains, light rain and snow maintained generally favorable conditions for overwintering wheat across the southern half of the region. Farther east, heavy rain soaked the central Gulf Coast region, while widespread showers aided pastures and winter grains across much of the remainder of the South. However, dry conditions in southern Florida increased irrigation demands for citrus and winter vegetables. Meanwhile, the Northeast continued to recover from the previous week's winter storm, although some additional snow fell late in the week from the Mid-Atlantic States into coastal New England. Tranquil weather also prevailed for much of the week in the Corn Belt, although temperatures ranged from near normal in the snow-covered lower Great Lakes region to more than 20 degrees F above normal in the upper Midwest. Despite the favorably dry weather, excessive soil moisture remained a concern in soft red winter wheat areas of the Ohio and middle Mississippi Valleys. In the West, scattered rain and snow showers were mostly confined to the central and southern Rockies and the Pacific Northwest. Despite a few light snow showers in the northern Rockies, high-elevation snowpacks remained at, or near, record-low levels for this time of year. The interior Northwestern drought situation, which remained a threat to regional water supplies due to already low reservoir levels and poor spring and summer runoff prospects, was compounded by a continuation of abnormal warmth (temperatures as much as 10 degrees F above normal). Early in the week, snow fell across the southern half of the Plains, while locally heavy rain developed in the Gulf Coast region. On January 30, at least 6 inches of snow blanketed locations such as Dalhart, TX, and Beaver, OK. Snowfall topped 1 foot in a small area south of Dodge City, KS, primarily across northern portions of Meade and Clark Counties. A day later, record rainfall totals in Louisiana for January 31 included 2.55 inches in Lake Charles and 1.87 inches in Lafayette. Additional snow on the Texas High Plains on February 1 broke daily snowfall records in Lubbock and Midland (1.6 inches in both locations). Yet another round of precipitation (mostly rain) overspread the South-Central United States at week's end. El Paso, TX, netted a daily-record total of 0.97 inch on February 5, accounting for more than 10 percent of its normal annual precipitation. Record warmth arrived along the West Coast in early February and quickly spread across the northern Plains and upper Midwest. In California, daily records for February 1 included 78 degrees F in Santa Rosa and 73 degrees F at the San Francisco Airport. A day later, Northwestern daily-record highs climbed to 67 degrees F in Heppner, OR, and 63 degrees F in Walla Walla, WA. Consecutive record highs were set on February 2-3 in Oregon locations such as Bend (65 and 67 degrees F) and Mitchell (62 and 67 degrees F). Record highs were also set on 2 consecutive days (February 3-4) in several other locations, including Butte, MT (56 and 57 degrees F), and Huron, SD (56 and 63 degrees F). On February 4, temperatures soared to 70 degrees F or higher and reached daily-record levels in South Dakota locations such as Rapid City (73 degrees F) and Yankton (70 degrees F). At week's end, warmth spread across the remainder of the Midwest and into the Northeast. Consecutive daily-record highs were observed in Sioux City, IA (66 and 61 degrees F on February 4-5), and Portland, ME (51 and 45 degrees F on February 5-6). Green Bay, WI, reported a daily-record high on February 5, reaching 50 degrees F for the first time since November 20. Farther west, however, a streak of daily temperatures averaging at least 10 degrees F above normal ended at 19 days (January 17 - February 4) in Cut Bank, MT. Cut Bank's temperature fell from a daily-record high of 58 degrees F on February 4 to 0 degrees F on the morning of February 6. Cold, dry weather prevailed across the Alaskan mainland, where weekly temperatures averaged as much as 24 degrees F below normal. Meanwhile, near-normal temperatures were observed across southern Alaska, although the first few days of February featured heavy snow in some areas. February 1-3 snowfall totaled 11.5 inches in Juneau, AK, where precipitation totaled 1.22 inches. Farther south, several rounds of torrential rainfall pounded parts of Hawaii. On the Big Island, Hilo netted 9.92 inches from February 2-4, following a January total of just 3.89 inches (40 percent of normal). Similarly, Lihue, Kauai, received 7.21 inches of rain in a 4-day span from January 31 - February 3, including a daily-record total of 3.69 inches on Wednesday. On February 1-2, impressive 24-hour totals on Kauai included 6.36 inches in Hanalei and 6.28 inches in Wailua. On February 3-4, the Big Island location of Mountain View collected 12.57 inches in a 24-hour period. Nearly three-quarters (9.25 inches) of Mountain View's rain fell in a 6-hour period on the evening of February 3. National Agricultural Summary January 31 - February 6, 2005 Highlights: Warm, dry conditions prevailed across the northern two-thirds of the Nation. Temperatures averaged 18 degrees Fahrenheit above normal in the northern Great Plains, where winter wheat acreage is lacking protective snow cover. Snow cover levels also declined in the Corn Belt, where temperatures were as much as 24 degrees Fahrenheit above normal. Though only light precipitation fell in the Ohio Valley, excessive moisture, combined with the freeze-thaw cycle, has caused soil heaving in some winter wheat areas. Below-normal temperatures prevailed across the Gulf Coast States, where moderate to heavy showers hampered fieldwork. Temperatures were also below normal along the middle and southern Atlantic Coast, with light precipitation. In California, warm weather and dry conditions were favorable for small grain growth. Harvest of citrus crops was active, with good yields, but some navel oranges suffered quality reductions from frost damage. Small grain planting neared completion in Arizona, while a variety of citrus and vegetable crops were harvested. Showers in Texas nearly halted fieldwork, including land preparation, final cotton harvest, and harvest of some vegetables. In Georgia, below-normal temperatures and rainy conditions limited growth and caused some minor crop damage. 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