We 1 (2-07) Weekly Weather And Crop Bulletin National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released February 13, 2007, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, U.S. Department of Agriculture. For information on "Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin" call Theresa Holland at (202) 720-7621, office hours 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET. National Weather Summary Volume 94, No. 7 February 4 - 10, 2007 For additional information, call (202) 720-2397. Highlights: Warm weather returned to the West, but bitterly cold conditions curtailed outdoor activities and maintained significant stress on livestock from the Dakotas into the Northeast. Weekly temperatures averaged at least 10 degrees F above normal at several locations in the Intermountain West, but ranged from 10 to 25 degrees F below normal from the Dakotas and eastern Nebraska into the northern and middle Atlantic States. Temperatures below -20 degrees F were common from eastern North Dakota into northern Wisconsin. Meanwhile, heavy rain and snow showers were largely confined to northern and central California, where precipitation aided pastures and boosted high-elevation snow packs. Elsewhere in the West, light showers overspread areas from the Pacific Northwest to the northern Rockies, while unfavorably dry conditions persisted in much of southern California and Arizona. Farther east, light precipitation improved winter wheat's patchy, shallow snow cover on the northern High Plains. Across the remainder of the Nation's mid-section, conditions remained generally favorable for overwintering wheat, except in areas of the central Plains that have experienced an extended period of ice coverage. Elsewhere, precipitation was largely confined to extreme southern portions of Texas and Florida, where rainfall topped an inch, and a narrow snow swath from the upper Midwest into the Mid-Atlantic States. The South's mostly dry week favored early-season fieldwork, while the Midwestern snow, most of which fell on February 6, helped to insulate soft red winter wheat. Snow was also observed downwind of the Great Lakes, and was especially heavy near Lake Ontario. Early in the week, record warmth returned to the West Coast States, while temperatures remained below 0 degrees F across the upper Great Lakes region. In California, daily-record highs for February 4 included 88 degrees F in Yorba Linda and 80 degrees F in Salinas. Meanwhile, Duluth, MN, which noted a high of -10 degrees F on February 4, endured 91 consecutive hours with sub-zero temperatures. It was Duluth's longest spell with readings continuously below 0 degrees F since January 2005, when there was a 119-hour streak. On February 4, high temperatures remained below 0 degrees F in Wisconsin locations such as Madison (-3 degrees F) and Milwaukee (-1 degree F) for the first time since early-February 1996. In North Dakota, Grand Forks (-29 and -31 degrees F) posted consecutive daily-record lows on February 4-5. Bitterly cold conditions shifted into the Ohio Valley and the central Appalachians by February 6, when daily-record lows included -16 degrees F in Elkins, WV, and -6 degrees F in Mansfield, OH. The coldest air in more than 10 years invaded several locations, including Pittsburgh, PA, where the low of -5 degrees F on February 6 represented its lowest reading since February 4, 1996 (-6 degrees F). February 6 also featured the development of locally heavy snow across the Midwest; daily-record amounts reached 6.4 inches in Cincinnati, OH, 6.0 inches in Rochester, MN, and 5.2 inches in Indianapolis, IN. Snow fell for much of the week in favored areas downwind of the Great Lakes, piling up to phenomenal levels. One narrow but pesky snow band downwind of Lake Ontario oscillated across western New York for nearly the entire week, producing more than 100 inches of snow in a few Oswego County locations. For example, Redfield, NY, netted 131 inches of snow from February 3-10, while nearby Parish received 115 inches. Oswego, NY, another Oswego County location, reported 48 inches of snow in less than 15 hours on February 5-6. The cumulative effect of cold weather across the Midwest was historically impressive. In Indiana, Fort Wayne noted 8 consecutive days with a low temperature below 0 degrees F, its longest such streak on record. Fort Wayne previously reported a maximum of 6 sub-zero days in a row from February 6-11, 1982. Meanwhile in Wisconsin, Green Bay (10 days below 0 degrees F from February 2-10) noted its longest spell of sub-zero lows since January 28 - February 6, 1996. Elsewhere in Wisconsin, La Crosse logged 8 consecutive days with readings of -10 degrees F or lower, the second-longest such streak there behind an 11-day cold snap from January 27 - February 6, 1996. La Crosse also experienced its coldest start to February since 1936, with a February 1-10 average temperature of -1.0 degree F (20.4 degrees F below normal) . Beginning on February 7, a series of storm systems affected northern and central California. February 7-10 rainfall topped 4 inches in many California locations, including Santa Rosa (5.03 inches), Redding (4.64 inches), and Ukiah (4.18 inches). Redding also netted a daily-record sum of 2.36 inches on February 10. Despite a surge of moisture across the Sierra Nevada, snowpacks remained significantly below normal. On February 9, the water content of the Sierra Nevada snowpack stood at just 8 inches (40 percent of normal for the date), according to the California Department of Water Resources. Farther inland, beneficial precipitation fell as far east as the Great Basin and the northern High Plains. Daily-record totals included a 4.2-inch snowfall (on February 8) in Great Falls, MT, and a 0.49-inch rainfall (on February 9) in Winnemucca, NV. Late-week showers also developed across the southern tip of Texas, where Harlingen (1.13 inches on February 10) collected a daily-record sum. Elsewhere, record warmth briefly spread eastward across the southern half of the Nation. In southern California, highs reached or exceeded 90 degrees F on February 5 in several locations, including El Cajon (91 degrees F). The following day, records for February 6 were broken at sites such as Tulsa, OK (73 degrees F), and West Plains, MO (66 degrees F). At mid-week, warmth briefly reached the Southeast, where Greenville-Spartanburg, SC (70 degrees F on February 7), collected a daily-record high. Mild weather continued across Alaska, although temperatures fell slightly from the previous week's lofty levels. Nevertheless, weekly temperatures averaged at least 15 degrees F above normal in several locations across northern and western Alaska. Mostly dry weather accompanied Alaska's warm spell, although some rain and snow fell across southern areas. February 1-10 precipitation totals were as high as 2.34 inches (104 percent of normal) in Kodiak and 1.05 inches (70 percent) in Juneau. Meanwhile, unusually cool weather settled into Hawaii early in the month, with many locations reporting their lowest readings on February 4. Kahului, Maui (54 degrees F on February 4), posted a daily record-tying low. Drier-than-normal weather also prevailed in Hawaii, where February 1-10 totals included 0.80 inch (27 percent of normal) in Hilo, on the Big Island, and 0.27 inch (30 percent) in Honolulu, Oahu. National Agricultural Summary February 5 - 11, 2007 Highlights: Temperatures averaging above normal in the West contrasted sharply with below-normal temperatures from the High Plains eastward during the week. Bitterly cold weather averaging 10 to as much as 25 degrees F below normal stretched from the northern Great Plains, across the upper and middle Mississippi Valley, through the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley, and into the middle Atlantic Coast and Northeast. Beneficial rain and mountain snow spread inland across northern California and the Pacific Northwest, but extremely dry conditions persisted across southern California and the Desert Southwest. Light snow across the northern Plains and eastward into the Ohio Valley improved snow cover, better insulating winter wheat from temperature extremes. The extreme cold and snow across the Nation's north and mid-section continued to cause severe stress to livestock and curtailed outdoor activities. Seasonally mild daytime temperatures across the Southeast allowed growers to continue preparations for spring planting. In California, recent rains and warmer weather improved growth of winter forage, wheat and other grain crops in some areas. Damage to citrus crops from the January freeze became more apparent as minimal volumes of fruit were harvested. In Arizona, growers finished planting small grains and continued harvesting alfalfa. In Texas, mostly dormant wheat remained in fair to good condition having benefitted from recent precipitation and warming temperatures. Although the favorable weather conditions also contributed to pasture growth, supplemental feeding of livestock continued statewide. Harvest of sugarcane, vegetables and citrus continued, but persistent wet conditions prevented field activities for corn and cotton. In Florida, mostly mild weather helped vegetables recover from recent rainy, windy, and cold conditions. Freezing temperatures across the Panhandle and the northern Peninsula slowed the growth of small grains and pastures. Harvesting of sugarcane and vegetables remained active, while ground preparation and planting of spring crops continued. ACCESS TO REPORTS!! For your convenience, there are several ways to obtain NASS reports, data products, and services: INTERNET ACCESS All NASS reports are available free of charge on the worldwide Internet. For access, connect to the Internet and go to the NASS Home Page at: www.nass.usda.gov. E-MAIL SUBSCRIPTION All NASS reports are available by subscription free of charge direct to your e-mail address. Starting with the NASS Home Page at www.nass.usda.gov, under the right navigation, Receive reports by Email, click on National or State. 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