We 1 (12-06) Weekly Weather And Crop Bulletin National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released December 5, 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. 49 November 26 - December 2, 2006 For additional information, call (202) 720-2397. Highlights: An early-season winter storm blanketed areas from the southern Plains to near Lake Michigan with snow and ice, severely disrupting travel and stressing livestock. Significant rain preceded the arrival of frozen precipitation, boosting weekly liquid totals to 4 inches or more from eastern Oklahoma into Illinois. The storm's moisture was highly beneficial for drought-stressed winter wheat on the southern Plains, especially in Oklahoma and environs, but further delayed final summer crop harvesting in the saturated eastern Corn Belt. Farther north and west, rain and snow showers preceded the season's strongest cold wave. A shallow to moderate snow cover insulated winter wheat from temperatures near 0 degrees F across parts of the interior Northwest and as low as -20 degrees F in Montana. In western portions of South Dakota and Nebraska, however, wheat was exposed to temperatures as low as -10 degrees F, without the benefit of a protective snow cover. Meanwhile, cold air also settled into winter agricultural areas of California and the Southwest, necessitating freeze-protection measures and threatening vegetables and other tender plants. However, temperatures were not low enough to harm citrus fruits. In southern California, periodically strong off-shore winds maintained the wildfire threat. Elsewhere, warm weather promoted Southeastern fieldwork, including late-season cotton and soybean harvesting, until the late-week arrival of windy, showery conditions. Sharply colder air overspread the South at week's end, although temperatures remained above the freezing mark in winter agricultural areas of Deep South Texas and Florida's peninsula. Early in the week, as much as 2 to 3 feet of snow blanketed some Western peaks, including the Cascades and the Wasatch Range. Alta, UT, received 32 inches of snow on November 27-28. Farther east, as much as 6 to 18 inches of snow fell from Texas' northern panhandle into parts of Michigan from November 29 - December 1. Official storm totals included 15.3 inches in Columbia, MO; 10.8 inches in Tulsa, OK; 10.7 inches in Rockford, IL; 7.2 inches in Amarillo, TX; and 6.4 inches in Houghton Lake, MI. In Tulsa, 10.5 inches of snow and sleet fell by the end of the month, breaking its November 1972 record of 5.6 inches. Tulsa's normal annual snowfall is 9.1 inches. Farther north, December 1 snowfall totals included 13.0 inches in Columbia and 10.7 inches in Rockford. Both Columbia's and Rockford's totals represented single-day station records for December (previously, 11.2 inches in Columbia on December 30, 1973, and 10.6 inches in Rockford on December 15, 1987). Meanwhile, freezing rain glazed surfaces to a depth of one-half inch or more in an area stretching from east-central Missouri into central Illinois, including St. Louis, MO, and Springfield, IL. In St. Louis, storm-total (November 29 - December 1) precipitation reached 3.62 inches, including a substantial ice accumulation and 4.2 inches of snow and sleet. In the storm's wake, cold air blanketed the Nation, resulting in more than 150 daily-record lows from November 28 - December 1. Daily-record lows dipped to -20 degrees F or lower in locations such as West Yellowstone, MT (-26 degrees F on November 29), Stanley, ID (-21 degrees F on November 29), and Alamosa, CO (-21 degrees F on November 30). On the final day of November, monthly record lows were broken in Arizona locations such as Greer (-13 degrees F; previously, -12 degrees F on November 28, 1976) and the Grand Canyon Airport (-8 degrees F; previously, -6 degrees F on November 19 and 20, 1985). A monthly record was also established in New Mexico on November 30 at El Morro National Monument (-23 degrees F; previously -20 degrees F on November 28 and 29, 1976). Meanwhile, daily-record lows in California's interior valleys included 29 degrees F (on November 30) in Bakersfield and 34 degrees F (on December 1) in Palm Springs. Farther east, Tulsa, OK, posted three consecutive daily-record lows (13, 9, and 14 degrees F) during the first 3 days of December. Chanute, KS (6, -2, and 5 degrees F), and Joplin, MO (11, 6, and 10 degrees F), also achieved the feat, with a trio of record lows from December 1-3. Prior to the cold air's arrival, remarkably warm weather prevailed. For example, Rochester, MN, observed 5 consecutive days (November 22-26) with highs of 50 degrees F or greater, its third-longest post-November 20 spell on record and longest since 1998 (11 days from November 25 - December 5). Meanwhile, Moline, IL, experienced 8 consecutive days (November 22-29) with readings of 60 degrees F or higher, followed by an 8.3-inch snowfall on December 1. In all, the week featured more than 100 daily-record highs, nearly two-thirds of which were set or tied across the South and East on November 30 - December 1. In fact, monthly record highs were noted on December 1 in locations such as Scranton, PA (71 degrees F; previously 69 degrees F on December 7, 1998), Williamsport, PA (70 degrees F; previously, 69 degrees F on December 6 and 7, 1998), and Binghamton, NY (65 degrees F; previously, 65 degrees F on December 6, 1982, and December 29, 1984). Roanoke, VA (77 degrees F on December 1), posted its second-highest December reading behind 80 degrees F on December 6, 1998. Farther south, daily-record highs topped 85 degrees F in locations such as Brownsville, TX (87 degrees F on November 28), and Vero Beach, FL (86 degrees F on December 1). However, high winds also swept into the East on December 1, when peak gusts included 66 m.p.h. in Beaver Falls, PA, and 63 m.p.h. in Youngstown, OH. Jackson, KY (58 m.p.h.), clocked its highest gust in the last quarter century, tying the record set on February 17, 1998. Bitterly cold weather persisted across southeastern Alaska early in the week, followed by a statewide warming trend. Weekly temperatures averaged at least 10 degrees F above normal across western and northern Alaska. On November 26, Northway noted a low of -49 degrees F, while Valdez (0 degrees F) broke a monthly record previously set with a low of 1 degree F on November 11 and 12, 1989. Farther west, however, Nome collected a daily-record snowfall of 4.1 inches on November 26. Three days later, Cold Bay measured a daily-record rainfall of 1.97 inches. Meanwhile, a tremendous snow storm buried southeastern Alaska, where Juneau's 19.1-inch total on November 29 set a November daily record (previously, 17.1 inches on November 23, 1994). In addition, Juneau's monthly snowfall of 64.1 inches (521 percent of normal) was its highest November total since 1994, when 69.8 inches fell. Meanwhile in Hawaii, warm, tranquil weather prevailed for much of the week. On November 28-29, a few heavy showers affected Kauai, where 24-hour totals reached 2.64 inches in Kokee and 2.43 inches in Wainiha. Toward week's end, locally heavy showers developed across Hawaii's eastern islands. On the Big Island, Honokaa netted 6.38 inches in a 24-hour period on November 30 - December 1. From December 1-3, 48-hour amounts included 4.82 inches on the Big Island at Mountain View and 7.30 inches at West Wailuaiki, Maui. Elsewhere on Maui, Kahului (3.07 inches) measured a daily-record total for December 2. National Agricultural Summary November 27 - December 3, 2006 Highlights: Temperatures were above normal across the eastern half of the Nation, averaging over 9 degrees Fahrenheit above normal in the eastern Corn Belt. In contrast, below-normal temperatures prevailed in the western half of the Nation, with minimum temperatures below zero from the northwestern Corn Belt across the northern Great Plains to the northern and central Rockies. Across much of the Great Plains, a lack of snow cover left winter wheat exposed to the frigid weather. Meanwhile, heavy precipitation, including some snow, fell in a band from Oklahoma to the northeastern Corn Belt. Moderate precipitation fell across the Southeast and Atlantic Coast, while mostly dry conditions prevailed across the Great Plains and Southwest. In Georgia, wet conditions slowed cotton harvest but were expected to improve conditions of pastures and winter grains. Mostly favorable conditions in Florida allowed harvest of field crops and vegetables to remain on schedule. Ohio's corn harvest advanced to 95 percent complete, while 97 percent of the State's winter wheat crop had emerged. In Texas, cold weather and up to 4 inches of snow slowed harvest in the Panhandle. Citrus harvest was well underway in California, with frosty mornings helping to harden the fruit. 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