We 1 (12-06) Weekly Weather And Crop Bulletin National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released December 12, 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. 50 December 3 - 9, 2006 For additional information, call (202) 720-2397. Highlights: Most of the U.S. experienced cold, dry weather in the wake of the previous week's major snow and ice accumulations from the southern Plains to the Great Lakes region. Weekly temperatures averaged at least 10 degrees F below normal from eastern Oklahoma to Illinois, areas hit hardest by the winter storm. Readings also averaged 10 to 15 degrees F below normal in the central Gulf Coast States, including Louisiana's sugarcane-producing parishes, which were hit by crop-threatening freezes on December 5, 8, and 9. According to USDA/NASS, Louisiana's sugarcane (2006-07 production estimated at 12.18 million tons, or 41 percent of the national total) was 58 percent harvested on December 3, well behind the 5-year average of 70 percent, leaving a larger-than-usual portion of the crop exposed to an early-season cold snap. Elsewhere, significant precipitation was confined to northern and central California, southern Texas, and areas downwind of the Great Lakes. Precipitation in California and Texas arrived toward week's end, while snow showers in the Great Lakes States were most prevalent through Thursday. In California, a slow start to the 2006-07 wet season was briefly interrupted by locally heavy rain and snow showers. Moisture was beneficial especially beneficial for pasture growth in California's Central Valley. Meanwhile, a shallow to moderate snow cover persisted for several days across the northern and southern Plains and the interior Northwest, providing winter wheat with moisture and insulation. However, moisture reserves continued to diminish in wheat areas from northwestern Oklahoma into western South Dakota. Farther east, very cold, dry weather in the eastern Corn Belt allowed summer crop harvesting to near completion due to frozen fields. Late-season Southeastern fieldwork, including winter wheat planting and cotton and soybean harvesting, also advanced under a cool, mostly dry regime. During the first 9 days of December, well over 200 daily-record lows were set or tied nationwide. From December 1-4, four consecutive daily-record lows were established in Winnemucca, NV (2, 0, -1, and -5 degrees F); Chanute, KS (6, -2, 5, and 6 degrees F); Joplin, MO (11, 6, 10, and 11 degrees F); and Tulsa, OK (13, 9, 14, and 16 degrees F). Western daily records for December 3 included -27 degrees F in Crested Butte, CO, and -10 degrees F in Randolph, UT. A day later, readings dipped to 0 degrees F or lower in snow-covered locations such as Bartlesville, OK (-2 degrees F), and Springfield, IL (0 degrees F). Meanwhile in southern California, Santa Barbara's airport posted three consecutive record lows (32, 31, and 31 degrees F) from December 4-6. Southern California also endured a high-wind event early in the week, with peak gusts well above 70 m.p.h. in locations such as Laguna Peak and Wiley Ridge. The 13,600-acre Shekell fire, which initially flared on the morning of December 3, destroyed at least five Ventura County homes. Farther east, December 5 featured the first of three significant freezes in Louisiana's sugarcane region. Alexandria, LA, just northwest of the northern producing areas, posted records of 21, 23, and 18 degrees F on December 5, 8, and 9, respectively. New Iberia, LA (26, 27, and 24 degrees F), also notched record lows on those three dates. For Alexandria, the December 9 reading represented its lowest temperature since January 4, 2002, when the low was 17 degrees F. For New Iberia, December 9 was the coldest day since January 24, 2003, when the low was 23 degrees F. Meanwhile in Alabama, Huntsville's temperatures fell below 32 degrees F on each of the first 7 days of December (the streak eventually reached 10 days) for the first time since 1979. In addition, Huntsville's low of 14 degrees F on December 8 marked its coldest day since December 20, 2004, when it was also 14 degrees F. Elsewhere, Little Rock, AR (14 degrees F on December 8), posted its earliest reading below 15 degrees F since December 7, 1950, when the low was 9 degrees F. Additional record lows across the South, Midwest, and East on December 8 included -4 degrees F in Peoria, IL; 6 degrees F in Gilbert, AR; 8 degrees F in Crossville, TN; and 9 degrees F in Bluefield, WV. In contrast, warmth arrived along the West Coast after mid-week and soon expanded to the High Plains. On December 7, daily-record highs included 87 degrees F in Woodland Hills, CA, and 55 degrees F in Quillayute, WA. A day later in California, Fresno experienced its warmest December day on record (77 degrees F; previously, 76 degrees F on December 1, 1926, and December 15, 1958), while Bakersfield (81 degrees F) noted its warmest December day since December 3, 1979, when the high was 83 degrees F. By December 9, daily-record highs on the Plains included 69 degrees F in Valentine, NE, and 67 degrees F in Yankton, SD. Elsewhere in South Dakota, Philip's low of -18 degrees F on December 7 was followed 2 days later by a high of 63 degrees F. The majority of Alaska and Hawaii experienced mild, mostly dry weather. One exception was southern Alaska, where locally heavy precipitation fell. For example, Juneau followed its second-snowiest November (64.2 inches) with another 16.6 inches of snow during the first 10 days of December. December 1-10 Alaskan precipitation totals included 6.33 inches (273 percent of normal) in Kodiak and 3.39 inches (197 percent) in Juneau. Meanwhile, month-to-date (December 1-10) Hawaiian rainfall reached 3.08 inches (342 percent of normal) in Kahului, Maui, and 3.50 inches (86 percent) in Hilo, on the Big Island, although the majority of the precipitation fell during the first 2 days of the month. Weekly temperatures averaged as much as 20 degrees F above normal across the Alaskan mainland, and ranged from 1 to 2 degrees F above normal in Hawaii. National Agricultural Summary December 4 - 10, 2006 Highlights: Dry conditions prevailed nearly nationwide, with the exception of California. Elsewhere, only light precipitation fell in widely scattered, small areas. Minimum temperatures fell below 0 degrees Fahrenheit in the northwestern Corn Belt, northern Great Plains, and central Rocky Mountains, where much of the winter wheat crop was left unprotected by a lack of snow cover. Across the Corn Belt, temperatures dropped to the single digits, but adequate snow cover existed in most areas. In California, rainfall during the week was beneficial to pastures and emerging winter wheat. Citrus harvest was well underway, with some concern about frost damage. Cold, dry weather in Texas slowed crop progress and forced supplemental feeding of livestock. Georgia's cotton harvest was nearly complete, while freezing temperatures ended the fall vegetable harvest and caused some damage to newly-emerged winter wheat. 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