We 1 (1-06) Weekly Weather And Crop Bulletin National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released January 24, 2006, 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 93, No. 4 January 15 - 21, 2006 For additional information, call (202) 720-2397. Highlights: Similar to the previous week, above-normal temperatures prevailed nearly nationwide. In fact, some locations from the Northwest to the Midwest reported above-normal daily average temperatures on more than 30 consecutive days. Weekly temperatures generally ranged from 8 to 18 degrees F above normal across the Plains and the Midwest, while near- to below-normal readings were confined to southern Florida, California, and the Southwest. Extremely dry conditions persisted in the Southwest, where gradually expanding drought continued to adversely affect pastures and rangeland. In contrast, wet weather lingered elsewhere in the West as far south as the Sierra Nevada and the Wasatch Range. Northwestern wetness maintained abundant moisture reserves for winter grains and further eased the effects of a multi-year drought. Meanwhile, mild, mostly dry weather prevailed on the Plains. Although wheat continued to lose winter hardiness and soil moisture shortages became more apparent as far north as Nebraska and South Dakota, severe drought stress on pastures and winter wheat was mostly confined to the southern Plains. Very mild weather also continued in the Midwest, but additional precipitation maintained muddy conditions for some livestock in the Ohio Valley and lower Great Lakes region. During the mid- to late-week period, some wet snow blanketed parts of the central and eastern Corn Belt. Elsewhere, showers continued to provide limited drought relief from eastern Texas to the Delta, while heavy rain (2 to 4 inches) soaked areas from the central Gulf Coast region to the southern Appalachians. Southeastern soil moisture remained adequate to abundant for winter agricultural interests, except in southern Florida, where persistently dry weather increased irrigation demands. January warmth resulted in more than six dozen daily-record highs. On January 15, highs soared to 70 degrees F as far north as Norfolk and Grand Island, NE. Farther south, daily records for January 16 included 83 degrees F in Corpus Christi, TX, and 71 degrees F in McAlester, OK. At midweek, Northeastern daily-record highs for January 18 climbed to 64 degrees F in Philadelphia, PA, and 55 degrees F in Bangor, ME. Elsewhere, South Bend, IN, posted consecutive daily-record highs (53 and 52 degrees F on January 19 and 20, respectively). At week's end, a second surge of warmth into the East produced another daily-record high in Bangor (51 degrees F on January 21). Consecutive record highs were set on January 20-21 in locations such as New York's LaGuardia Airport (61 and 64 degrees F) and Montpelier, VT (52 and 55 degrees F). In contrast, a late-week chill in southern California resulted in daily-record lows for January 21 in Campo (18 degrees F) and Ramona (22 degrees F). Chilly weather also briefly overspread Florida, where Key West (daily-record low of 48 degrees F on January 16) noted its first reading below 50 degrees F since January 24, 2003. Periods of heavy precipitation accompanied the general warmth across the East. Early in the week, however, enough cold air lingered in the Northeast to generate some significant snow. Islip, NY (4.7 inches on January 15), collected a daily-record snowfall, while Mt. Holly, NJ, measured a January 14-15 total of 5.5 inches and a peak wind gust to 53 m.p.h. Snowfall locally topped 10 inches across the interior Northeast. By January 16, heavy rain developed in the central Gulf Coast States, where daily rainfall records included 2.20 inches in Greenville, MS, and 1.26 inches in Monroe, LA. A day later, records for January 17 reached 2.33 inches in Muscle Shoals, AL, and 2.06 inches in Tupelo, MS. It was Muscle Shoals' highest 1-day total since September 25, 2005, when the remnants of Hurricane Rita dropped 3.10 inches. Elsewhere, Huntsville, AL, netted a daily-record snowfall (0.2 inch on January 17), while Indianapolis, IN (2.7 inches on January 17-18), recorded its first measurable snowfall since Christmas Day. Heavy rain and high winds swept into the Northeast on January 18, smashing daily precipitation records in Mt. Pocono, PA (2.43 inches), Montpelier, VT (1.69 inches), and more than a dozen other locations. Albany, NY (1.72 inches on January 18), narrowly missed its single-day January rainfall record (1.78 inches on January 26, 1986), while the Blue Hill Observatory in Milton, MA, clocked a wind gust to 85 m.p.h. Toward week's end, Midwestern snowfall records for January 20 included 5.0 inches in Rockford, IL, and 4.4 inches in Alpena, MI. Elsewhere in Michigan, Houghton Lake closed the week with consecutive snowfall records (5.7 and 4.0 inches on January 20 and 21, respectively). Farther west, heavy precipitation lingered early in the week across the Northwest, where Olympia, WA (1.49 inches on January 16), netted a daily-record amount. Olympia's streak of days with measurable rain ended at 35 days (December 18 - January 21) but edged its January-February 1953 standard of 33 days. In contrast, Lubbock, TX, endured an 86th consecutive day without measurable precipitation on January 21, clipping its October 1921 - January 1922 record of 85 days. Similarly, Phoenix, AZ, noted 95 consecutive days (October 19 - January 21) without a drop of rain, approaching its September 1999 - January 2000 all-time record of 101 days. Elsewhere in Arizona, Flagstaff finally received its first measurable snowfall of the season (0.1 inch) on January 15, more than 1 week after breaking its all-time record of January 7, 1930. Meanwhile, streaks with above-normal daily average temperatures climbed to 33 days (December 20 - January 21) in Spokane, WA; 32 days in Glasgow, MT; 31 days in Sioux Falls, SD, and Madison, WI; and 30 days in Indianapolis, IN. Glasgow's daily average temperatures were at least 10 degrees F above normal on 31 consecutive days from December 21 - January 20. Sioux City, IA, recorded highs of 30 degrees F or higher on 32 consecutive days (December 21 - January 21), eclipsing its 1931-32 winter standard. In Minnesota, Rochester's January 1-20 average temperature of 27.8 degrees F broke its 1990 record of 26.8 degrees F. Elsewhere, Springfield, MO, exceeded 60 degrees F for the tenth time this month on the 20th, breaking its January record of 9 days established in 1890, 1911, and 1990. Very warm weather prevailed in Hawaii, accompanied by scattered showers. Weekly temperatures averaged 5 degrees F above normal in Lihue, Kauai, and Kahului, Maui. Kahului also posted daily-record highs on January 15, 18, and 19 (88, 90, and 88 degrees F, respectively) and tied its monthly record previously attained on January 18, 1952, and January 10, 1959. Meanwhile on the Big Island, Glenwood netted 24-hour totals of 2.11 inches on January 18-19 and 2.01 inches on January 20-21 en route to a weekly rainfall of 6.77 inches. In contrast, January 1-21 totals were as low as 0.13 inch (5 percent of normal) in Kahului and 0.32 inch (17 percent) in Honolulu, Oahu. Farther north, bitterly cold weather expanded to encompass most of Alaska. Weekly temperatures ranged from as much as 24 degrees F below normal in western Alaska to 6 degrees F above normal at some locations in the southeastern part of the State. In Fairbanks, minimum temperatures were -20 degrees F or lower on 9 consecutive days (January 13-21) through week's end, with an extreme low of -42 degrees F on January 20. Elsewhere on the 20th, Alaskan lows included -60 degrees F in Chandalar Lake and -53 degrees F in Fort Yukon. Toward week's end, heavy snow overspread parts of southern Alaska, where Valdez measured consecutive daily-record totals (17.0 and 17.2 inches on January 20 and 21, respectively). Prior to the January 20-21 storm, Valdez received just 3.3 inches of snow during the first 19 days of the month. National Agricultural Summary January 16 - 22, 2006 Highlights: Above-normal temperatures dominated the Nation's weather, except in the Southwest. Across most of the Great Plains, average temperatures exceeded the normal by at least 9 degrees Fahrenheit, with some areas averaging over 15 degrees Fahrenheit above normal. Conditions in the region remained dry, causing further stress for winter wheat in the southern parts of the region and further depleting snow cover in more northerly areas. In contrast, moderate to heavy precipitation in the Mississippi Delta, Southeast, and eastern Corn Belt benefited winter wheat and pastures. In the Pacific Northwest, moderate precipitation improved soil moisture for winter wheat and boosted high elevation snowpack. Warm, dry weather in Florida allowed fieldwork to progress on schedule, but the dryness increased the potential for wildfires. In Georgia, cabbage growers began preparing for transplanting, while onions responded well to warm weather. In Texas, conditions of winter wheat and oats remained poor, as unseasonably warm, dry weather persisted in most areas. 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