We 1 (4-06) Weekly Weather And Crop Bulletin National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released April 18, 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. 16 April 9 - 15, 2006 For additional information, call (202) 720-2397. Highlights: For the eighth consecutive week, cooler-than-normal weather prevailed in California, threatening the quality of weather-sensitive crops such as fruits and vegetables and further delaying cotton planting and other spring fieldwork. Cool, wet conditions also persisted in the Northwest, but very warm weather expanded across most of the remainder of the United States. After midweek, temperatures locally climbed to 100 degrees F as far north as southern Kansas, maintaining severe drought stress on the southern Plains' pastures and winter wheat. Weekly temperatures averaged as much as 20 degrees F above normal across the Plains and Midwest, but were up to 5 degrees F below normal in parts of California. Northern and central California also experienced another wet week, resulting in muddy fields and saturated soils. Similar problems were noted across the interior Northwest, where spring grain planting lagged the normal pace. In contrast, dry, windy, and increasingly warm weather prevailed across the southern Plains and the Southwest, accelerating the development of drought-stricken winter grains and hampering the emergence of newly planted, dryland summer crops. Farther north and east, warm weather and generally favorable moisture reserves promoted rapid winter wheat growth across the northern Plains and the lower Midwest. Across both the northern Plains and Midwest, however, frequent showers and locally soggy fields slowed spring planting operations. Elsewhere, warm, dry weather favored Southern fieldwork, but filling winter grains and emerging summer crops were in need of rain along and near the Gulf Coast. Unfavorably dry conditions also persisted in the Atlantic Coast States, although late-week showers provided some relief in the Mid-Atlantic region. During the first half of the week, wet weather persisted in California and the Northwest, while warm conditions prevailed in most areas from the Rockies eastward. In northern California, both Redding and Red Bluff noted consecutive daily-record rainfall totals on April 11-12. The 2-day total reached 2.24 inches in Redding, where each of the month's first 12 days featured measurable rainfall and below-normal daily average temperatures. Farther east, daily-record highs topped 90' degrees F on April 9 in Florida locations such as Ft. Lauderdale (93 degrees F) and Melbourne (91 degrees F). A day later, record for April 10 included 89 degrees F in Roswell, NM, and 84 degrees F in Sioux City, IA. After midweek, an early-season heat wave expanded across the Plains and the Midwest, tying or breaking more than 50 daily-record highs on April 13. Sioux City, IA, collected a record high of 91 degrees F on April 13, its fourth-earliest 90-degree reading behind March 30, 1968, April 4, 1929, and April 6, 1991. Meanwhile in Minnesota, St. James' high of 90 degrees F tied a State record for April 13. Farther south, Medicine Lodge, KS (100 degrees F on April 13), recorded its earliest triple-digit heat by more than 2 weeks and tied its April record high (previously, 100 degrees F on April 29, 1910). By week's end, heat encompassed much of the Nation east of the Rockies. Of the 41 records reported by the National Weather Service on April 14, 39 were daily record high temperatures. Childress, Texas reached 100 degrees F, easily surpassing the previous standard of 96 degrees F set in 1995. In Missouri, both Saint Louis and Saint Joseph surpassed the 90-degree threshold, setting daily records with highs of 92 degrees F. In South Carolina, Greenville-Spartanburg started a two-day stretch of record heat, tying the mark previously set in 1941 of 87 degrees F, and eclipsing the record high the following day with a reading of 91 degrees F. In fact, 40 new daily record high temperatures were established across the central and eastern U.S. on April 15. In Kansas, Wichita Falls easily surpassed the previous standard (94 degrees F) with a high of 102 degrees F, while Salina broke a 110-year record by 2 degrees F with a daytime high of 94 degrees F. Childress, TX, continued its impressive run of heat, peaking at 97 degrees F. Other daytime records established in Texas included San Angelo (98 degrees F), Abilene (97 degrees F), Lubbock (92 degrees F), and San Antonio (95 degrees F, previously 94 degrees F set on April 15, 1894). Farther east, 90-degree heat expanded into the southern Mid-Atlantic region, with Danville, Virginia reaching 91 degrees F. At Kennedy Airport, New York, the daytime high of 80 degrees F shattered the previous record of 69 degrees F set in 1977. In addition to the heat, more than three dozen tornadoes were reported across the central Plains and the Midwest during the second half of the week, boosting the Nation's year-to-date total to more than 500. Last year, the 500th tornado was not reported until June 11. On April 13, preliminary reports from Iowa indicated 17 tornadoes and one fatality (in Muscatine County). If verified, the 17 twisters would represent Iowa's second-highest daily total in April behind a 28-tornado outbreak on April 11, 2001 also the date of the State's last April death associated with a tornado. On April 14, severe weather shifted eastward into the central and eastern Ohio Valley, where 5 tornadoes and numerous large hail reports were noted. Intense thunderstorm activity returned to the central Plains the following day, with 19 tornado reports noted in southwestern portions of the Corn Belt on April 15. In addition, for the second time in three days, a thunderstorm triggered large hail along the Potomac River Basin in northern Virginia. Stormy weather continued early in the week across southwestern Alaska, where Bethel's 12.3-inch snowfall from April 7-12 boosted its total for the first half of April to 20.2 inches. Meanwhile, locally heavy precipitation in southeastern Alaska resulted in an April 1-15 total on Annette Island of 6.60 inches (172 percent of normal). Alaskan weekly temperatures were mostly near normal, although readings averaged as much as 6 degrees F below normal in western portions of the state. Meanwhile, Hawaii continued to experience a reprieve from incessant late-February and March rainfall. During the first half of April, rainfall totaled just 0.07 inch (7 percent of normal) in Kahului, Maui; 0.39 inch (62 percent) in Honolulu, Oahu; 0.98 inch (65 percent) in Lihue, Kauai; and 5.05 inches (74 percent) in Hilo, on the Big Island. National Agricultural Summary April 10 - 16, 2006 Highlights: Above-normal temperatures continued to dominate the Nation's weather, particularly in the Great Plains and Western Corn Belt, where temperatures averaged over 12 degrees Fahrenheit above normal. Moderate precipitation across the Corn Belt hampered corn planting, holding progress behind the normal pace. Dry weather favored corn and sorghum planting in the Great Plains and cotton and rice planting in the Mississippi Delta. However, across the Southeast, many cotton growers were delayed by inadequate soil moisture. Persistent rainfall in the Pacific Northwest continued to hinder seeding of small grains. Corn: Planting advanced to 9 percent complete, 4 percentage points behind last year and 1 point behind normal. Missouri and Tennessee growers seeded their crop rapidly, planting 34 and 41 percent of their acreage during the week. However, in the central Corn Belt, progress was limited by wet conditions. In Illinois, just 8 percent of the acreage had been sown, 9 points behind normal, while in Indiana and Iowa, growers had planted only 3 percent of their acreage. Winter Wheat: Nine percent of the acreage was at or beyond the heading stage, compared with 6 percent for last year and the 5-year average. Heading was most advanced in California, at 50 percent, but due to persistent rainfall trailed well behind the normal pace of 70 percent. Though well underway in the southern Great Plains, heading had not yet begun in the Pacific Northwest, Corn Belt, and the northern half of the Great Plains. Cotton: Growers had planted 13 percent of their acreage, 3 points ahead of last year and 2 points ahead of the 5-year average. In Texas, 20 percent of the acreage had been seeded, 4 points ahead of normal. Aided by warm, dry weather, producers in the Delta were well ahead of normal. In California, however, wet conditions continued to hinder planting, and just 14 percent of the acreage had been sown, 26 points behind normal. Rice: Planting advanced to 45 percent complete, compared with 20 percent last year and 31 percent for the 5-year average. Planting progressed rapidly in the Delta, advancing 31 points in Arkansas, 38 points in Mississippi, and 29 points in Missouri. But planting had not yet begun in California. Meanwhile, emergence, at 17 percent, was 7 points ahead of last year and 4 points ahead of normal. Seventy-three percent of Texas' crop and 54 percent of Louisiana's crop had emerged, but elsewhere emergence was limited to 7 percent or less. Sorghum: Producers had sown 23 percent of their acreage, 7 points ahead of last year and 8 points ahead of normal. Planting was well underway in the southern Great Plains and Mississippi Delta, with Texas growers having planted 63 percent of their acreage. In Kansas, the leading producing State, planting had begun slightly ahead of normal, with 2 percent of the acreage sown. Small Grains: Planting of spring wheat and barley continued to lag behind normal, mostly due to soggy conditions in the Pacific Northwest. Spring wheat growers had planted 10 percent of their acreage, compared with 21 percent last year and 16 percent for the 5-year average. Barley seeding, at 9 percent complete, was 10 points behind last year and 9 points behind normal. For both crops, Idaho and Washington producers, stymied by persistent rainfall, trailed well behind their normal planting pace Forty-four percent of the Nation's oat crop had been planted, 8 points behind last year but 1 point ahead of normal. Planting was 73 percent complete in Nebraska and over 50 percent complete in Iowa and Pennsylvania. Meanwhile, emergence had begun on 27 percent of the acreage, 3 points behind last year but the same as the 5-year average. In Texas, where oats are planted in the fall, emergence was at 100 percent. Elsewhere, however, progress was limited to 14 percent in Nebraska and Pennsylvania and had not yet begun in the northernmost growing areas. Other Crops: Sugarbeet growers had seeded 7 percent of their crop, compared with 23 percent last year and 22 percent for the 5-year average. Planting had not yet begun in the Red River Valley and was well behind the normal pace in Idaho and Michigan. Corn: Percent Planted, Selected States 1/ -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 2001- State:Apr 16,:Apr 9, :Apr 16,: 2005 : 2006 : 2006 : 2005 : Avg. -------------------------------------- : Percent : CO : 3 0 4 2 IL : 8 0 32 17 IN : 3 0 11 6 IA : 3 0 5 5 KS : 23 7 20 19 KY : 29 15 18 30 MI : 0 0 8 3 MN : 0 0 0 1 MO : 50 16 46 38 NE : 3 0 4 3 NC : 61 35 29 37 ND : 0 0 0 1 OH : 2 0 8 3 PA : 4 1 4 2 SD : 0 0 0 0 TN : 57 16 29 44 TX : 68 64 64 59 WI : 0 0 0 0 : 18 Sts: 9 3 13 10 -------------------------------------- 1/ These 18 States planted 93% of last year's corn acreage. Winter Wheat: Percent Headed, Selected States 1/ -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 2001- State:Apr 16,:Apr 9, :Apr 16,: 2005 : 2006 : 2006 : 2005 : Avg. -------------------------------------- : Percent : AR : 43 NA 16 15 CA : 50 NA 74 70 CO : 0 NA 0 0 ID : 0 NA 0 0 IL : 0 NA 0 0 IN : 0 NA 0 0 KS : 6 NA 0 0 MI : 0 NA 0 0 MO : 2 NA 1 1 MT : 0 NA 0 0 NE : 0 NA 0 0 NC : 26 NA 6 13 OH : 0 NA 0 0 OK : 12 NA 17 12 OR : 0 NA 0 0 SD : 0 NA 0 0 TX : 27 NA 18 20 WA : 0 NA 0 0 : 18 Sts: 9 NA 6 6 -------------------------------------- 1/ These 18 States planted 92% of last year's winter wheat acreage. Rice: Percent Planted, Selected States 1/ -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 2001- State:Apr 16,:Apr 9, :Apr 16,: 2005 : 2006 : 2006 : 2005 : Avg. -------------------------------------- : Percent : AR : 46 15 12 28 CA : 0 0 0 1 LA : 75 54 60 68 MS : 44 6 10 18 MO : 44 15 7 10 TX : 83 73 65 72 : 6 Sts : 45 22 20 31 -------------------------------------- 1/ These 6 States planted 100% of last year's rice acreage. Rice: Percent Emerged, Selected States 1/ -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 2001- State:Apr 16,:Apr 9, :Apr 16,: 2005 : 2006 : 2006 : 2005 : Avg. -------------------------------------- : Percent : AR : 6 NA 2 4 CA : 0 NA 0 0 LA : 54 NA 39 50 MS : 7 NA 3 6 MO : 4 NA 0 0 TX : 73 NA 42 50 : 6 Sts : 17 NA 10 13 -------------------------------------- 1/ These 6 States planted 100% of last year's rice acreage. Cotton: Percent Planted, Selected States 1/ -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 2001- State:Apr 16,:Apr 9, :Apr 16,: 2005 : 2006 : 2006 : 2005 : Avg. -------------------------------------- : Percent : AL : 9 1 8 9 AZ : 23 15 26 32 AR : 8 0 1 1 CA : 14 0 27 40 GA : 3 1 2 3 KS : 0 0 1 0 LA : 15 3 5 5 MS : 11 1 0 3 MO : 3 0 2 2 NC : 4 0 0 1 OK : 3 0 0 1 SC : 4 0 3 4 TN : 0 0 0 1 TX : 20 17 18 16 VA : 10 0 3 1 : 15 Sts: 13 8 10 11 -------------------------------------- 1/ These 15 States planted 99% of last year's cotton acreage. Sorghum: Percent Planted, Selected States 1/ -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 2001- State:Apr 16,:Apr 9, :Apr 16,: 2005 : 2006 : 2006 : 2005 : Avg. -------------------------------------- : Percent : AR : 40 16 17 29 CO : 0 0 0 0 IL : 0 0 0 0 KS : 2 0 1 0 LA : 43 26 34 21 MO : 6 1 2 2 NE : 0 0 0 0 NM : 0 0 0 0 OK : 8 1 4 4 SD : 0 0 0 0 TX : 63 54 44 43 : 11 Sts: 23 18 16 15 -------------------------------------- 1/ These 11 States planted 97% of last year's sorghum acreage. Sugarbeets: Percent Planted, Selected States 1/ -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 2001- State:Apr 16,:Apr 9, :Apr 16,: 2005 : 2006 : 2006 : 2005 : Avg. -------------------------------------- : Percent : ID : 36 9 73 65 MI : 12 8 83 48 MN : 0 0 0 8 ND : 0 0 1 4 : 4 Sts : 7 3 23 22 -------------------------------------- 1/ These 4 States planted 82% of last year's sugarbeet acreage. Spring Wheat: Percent Planted, Selected States 1/ -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 2001- State:Apr 16,:Apr 9, :Apr 16,: 2005 : 2006 : 2006 : 2005 : Avg. -------------------------------------- : Percent : ID : 17 7 57 48 MN : 2 0 2 7 MT : 9 2 15 10 ND : 3 0 10 8 SD : 35 15 65 40 WA : 45 39 88 71 : 6 Sts : 10 4 21 16 -------------------------------------- 1/ These 6 States planted 99% of last year's spring wheat acreage. Barley: Percent Planted, Selected States 1/ -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 2001- State:Apr 16,:Apr 9, :Apr 16,: 2005 : 2006 : 2006 : 2005 : Avg. -------------------------------------- : Percent : ID : 13 7 30 36 MN : 7 0 3 4 MT : 12 7 22 18 ND : 2 0 5 3 WA : 30 28 57 52 : 5 Sts : 9 5 19 18 -------------------------------------- 1/ These 5 States planted 79% of last year's barley acreage. Oats: Percent Planted, Selected States 1/ -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 2001- State:Apr 16,:Apr 9, :Apr 16,: 2005 : 2006 : 2006 : 2005 : Avg. -------------------------------------- : Percent : IA : 55 19 85 61 MN : 17 0 13 15 NE : 73 27 83 62 ND : 3 0 8 4 OH : 44 17 43 31 PA : 52 29 45 26 SD : 32 13 55 33 TX : 100 100 100 100 WI : 14 2 29 18 : 9 Sts : 44 31 52 43 -------------------------------------- 1/ These 9 States planted 67% of last year's oat acreage. Oats: Percent Emerged, Selected States 1/ -------------------------------------- : Week Ending : :-----------------------: 2001- State:Apr 16,:Apr 9, :Apr 16,: 2005 : 2006 : 2006 : 2005 : Avg. -------------------------------------- : Percent : IA : 5 NA 28 12 MN : 0 NA 0 0 NE : 14 NA 31 19 ND : 0 NA 0 0 OH : 5 NA 3 7 PA : 14 NA 8 6 SD : 7 NA 10 6 TX : 100 NA 100 100 WI : 0 NA 0 0 : 9 Sts : 27 NA 30 27 -------------------------------------- 1/ These 9 States planted 67% of last year's oat acreage. Winter Wheat: Crop Condition by Percent, Selected States Week Ending Apr 16, 2006 -------------------------------------- State : VP : P : F : G : EX -------------------------------------- : Percent : AR : 0 4 26 51 19 CA : 0 2 8 32 58 CO : 6 16 33 36 9 ID : 0 1 7 87 5 IL : 0 2 24 47 27 IN : 1 3 18 61 17 KS : 7 16 39 34 4 MI : 0 1 23 54 22 MO : 0 9 31 49 11 MT : 1 5 34 46 14 NE : 4 8 34 48 6 NC : 1 9 37 47 6 OH : 0 3 16 64 17 OK : 32 35 28 5 0 OR : 0 0 35 62 3 SD : 1 12 29 49 9 TX : 48 30 18 3 1 WA : 2 4 19 61 14 : 18 Sts : 15 17 29 32 7 : Prev Wk : 14 16 29 35 6 Prev Yr : 1 5 25 53 16 -------------------------------------- VP-Very Poor, P-Poor, F-Fair, G-Good, EX-Excellent. National crop conditions for selected States are weighted based on 2005 planted acres. Crop Progress and Condition Survey and Estimating Procedures Survey Procedures: Crop progress and condition estimates are based on survey data that are collected each week from early April to the end of November. The Crop progress and condition surveys are non-probability surveys that include a sample of more than 5,000 reporters whose occupations provide them opportunities to make visual observations and frequently bring them in contact with farmers in their counties. Based on standard definitions, these reporters subjectively estimate progress of farmers' activities and progress of crops through their stages of development. They also provide subjective evaluations of crop conditions. Most reporters complete their questionnaire on Friday or early Monday morning and submit it to the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) Field Office in their State by mail, telephone, fax, e-mail, or through a secured internet website. A small number of reports are completed on Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. Regardless of the time that the questionnaire is completed, reporters are asked to report for the week ending on Sunday. For reports submitted prior to the Sunday reference date, a degree of uncertainty is introduced into the projections for weekend progress and crop condition changes. By the end of the 2001 season, nearly two-thirds of the data were being submitted through the internet website. As a result, about one-half of all data are submitted on Monday morning, which has significantly reduced this projection uncertainty. Reporters are sent written reporting instructions at the beginning of each season and are contacted periodically to ensure proper reporting. Terms and definitions of crop stages and condition categories that are used as reporting guidelines are available on the NASS website at: www.usda.gov/nass/pubs/cwterms.htm. Estimating Procedures: Reported data are reviewed for reasonableness and consistency by comparing with data reported the previous week and data reported in surrounding counties for the current week. Each State Field Office summarizes the reported data to district and State levels, weighting each county's reported data by NASS county acreage estimates. Summarized indications are compared with previous week estimates, and progress items are compared with earlier stages of development and historical averages to ensure reasonableness. Weather events and reporter comments are also taken into consideration. State estimates are submitted to the Agricultural Statistics Board (ASB) along with supporting comments, where they are compared with surrounding States and compiled into a National level summary by weighting each State by its acreage estimates. Revision Policy: Progress and condition estimates in the "Crop Progress" report are released after 4:00 pm ET on the first business day of the week. 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