We 1 (1-08) Weekly Weather And Crop Bulletin National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released January 8, 2008, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, U.S. Department of Agriculture. For information on "Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin" call Dawn Keen at (202) 720-7621, office hours 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET. National Weather Summary December 30, 2007 - January 5, 2008 Highlights: A major winter storm slammed into the West Coast on January 3-4, followed by additional rain and snow thereafter. Effects from the storm were both positive (e.g. a substantial boost in high-elevation snow packs) and negative (e.g. local flooding and wind damage). California bore the brunt of the storm's strike, but effects were noted throughout the West. Meanwhile, mild, dry weather prevailed on the Plains, except for a lingering chill across snow-covered central portions of the region. The Plains' wheat continued to overwinter well, except for the portion of the crop mainly on the central and southern High Plains that was poorly established prior to entering dormancy. Farther east, mostly dry weather and a late-week warming trend aided Midwestern livestock, which have been stressed by wintry weather. However, a substantial snow cover persisted through week's end in parts of the northern and western Corn Belt. Elsewhere, a sharp but short-lived cold snap brought the coldest weather in nearly 5 years to parts of the Southeast, burning back winter grains and cool-season pastures. In Florida, citrus and other temperature-sensitive crops escaped the January 3 cold outbreak with little or no damage, although producers in freeze-affected areas employed sprinkler systems to provide insulation. In southern Florida, producers monitored the effects of blowing sand on vegetables such as squash and tomatoes. Early in the week, bitterly cold air lingered across snow-covered areas of the Intermountain West. In Colorado, Alamosa noted five daily-record lows in 6 days from December 27 - January 1, including readings below -30 degrees F on December 29 (-33 degrees F) and January 1 (-31 degrees F). Elsewhere in Colorado, Crested Butte (-36 degrees F) also tallied a daily-record low on New Year's Day. Meanwhile, warm weather lingered in Florida, where daily-record highs reached 85 degrees F (on December 30) in Melbourne and 83 degrees F (on December 31) in Vero Beach. Farther north, however, a wintry December came to a close in New England, where daily-record snowfall totals for December 31 included 10.1 inches in Concord, NH, and 8.2 inches in Bangor, ME. Concord's monthly snowfall of 44.5 inches (332 percent of normal) edged its December record of 43.0 inches, set in 1876. By January 1, cold air swept into the Midwest and East, accompanied by snow squalls downwind of the Great Lakes. Daily-record totals for New Year's Day reached 8.5 inches in South Bend, IN, and 7.0 inches in Marquette, MI. By January 3, Tallahassee, FL, measured a record-high barometric pressure of 30.77 inches of mercury (1042 millibars), eclipsing the standard of 30.74 inches (1041 millibars) set on January 4, 1979, and February 5, 1996. Record lows in Florida for January 3 included 32 degrees F in Ft. Myers, 40 degrees F in Miami Beach, and 45 degrees F in Key West. For Key West, it was the first reading at or below 45 degrees F since January 24, 2003. It was also the coldest day since January 24, 2003, in locations such as Tampa, FL (29 degrees F); Pensacola, FL (23 degrees F); and Mobile, AL (21 degrees F). The following morning, January 4, was the coldest in North Myrtle Beach, SC (16 degrees F), since January 25, 2003, when it was 15 degrees F. Elsewhere on January 4, it was the coldest morning since January 24, 2005, in Florence, SC, and Wilmington, NC; both locations reported lows of 16 degrees F. Farther west, however, warmth expanded in advance of the major Western storm. On January 4, daily-record highs included 60 degrees F in Walla Walla, WA, and 55 degrees F in both Billings and Glasgow, MT. The following day, records for January 5 soared to 82 degrees F in Wichita Falls, TX, and 78 degrees F in Lawton, OK. Meanwhile, a ferocious storm bore down on the West Coast. By January 4, much of California was under an assault of heavy precipitation and high winds. In Bishop, CA, where the normal annual precipitation is 5.02 inches, an amazing 4.00 inches fell on January 4. Previously, Bishop's wettest day on record occurred on February 24, 1969, when 3.50 inches fell. Heavy precipitation also spilled into western Nevada, where a levee break along the Truckee Canal near Fernley, NV, flooded more than 200 homes. Reno, NV (1.91 inches on January 4), experienced its third-wettest day in the last century behind 2.29 inches on January 21, 1943, and 2.02 inches on December 23, 1955. Reno received 7.4 inches of snow on January 4-5, but unofficial 3-day totals topped 100 inches at a few Sierra Nevada locations, including Kirkwood and Horse Meadow. According to the California Data Exchange Center, the water content of the Sierra Nevada snow pack increased from 6 to 13 inches (56 to 111 percent of normal for the date) in a 96-hour period from January 3-7. In a typical year, nearly 30 inches of liquid accumulates in the Sierra Nevada by April 1, the traditional peak snow pack date. Compared to the peak, the increase from 6 to 13 inches represented a change from 21 to 44 percent of the April 1 normal. Meanwhile, storm-total rainfall (and melted snow) exceeded 11 inches in California locations such as Sims (Shasta County) and the south entrance to Yosemite National Park (Mariposa County). In southern California, 10.79 inches of rain soaked San Marcos Pass, near Santa Barbara. At the height of the storm on January 4, a wind gust to 163 m.p.h. was clocked atop the Sierra Nevada crest just west of Tahoe City, CA. In the Sacramento Valley, January 4 peak gusts reached 70 m.p.h. in Redding and 69 m.p.h. in Sacramento. A gust to 87 m.p.h. was measured along the Oregon coast at Cape Blanco. Cold weather in western Alaska (weekly readings as much as 15 degrees F below normal) contrasted with near-normal temperatures across the remainder of the state. On January 4, King Salmon (-25 degrees F) noted its lowest reading since March 24, 2007, when it was -27 degrees F. Significant Alaskan precipitation was confined to southeastern and south-central portions of the state, where Kodiak netted 2.69 inches (including 4.9 inches of snow) from December 30 - January 1. Farther south, the year ended on a wet note in Hawaii, where Hilo (on the Big Island) posted a December total of 17.56 inches (167 percent of normal). Rainfall was particularly heavy in some locations on December 30-31, when 24-hour totals reached 4.46 inches in Maunawili, Oahu, and 5.13 inches at Kaupo Gap, Maui. National Weather Summary provided by USDA's World Agricultural Outlook Board. For more information, call (202) 720-2397. National Agricultural Summary December 31 - January 6, 2007 Highlights: Precipitation along the Pacific Coast was greater than 4 inches with similar amounts stretching eastward to cover most of the northern half of California. Washington and Oregon received much less precipitation east of the Cascade Mountains although some areas did see up to 2 inches of rainfall. Farther east, the only notable precipitation was evident in the Rocky Mountains, New England, and the Southeast, where in central Georgia, up to 4 inches fell. Along the northern tier of the country, as well as in the Texas Panhandle and most of Oklahoma, temperatures were near-to-above normal. Elsewhere, temperatures were near-to-below normal. Adequate snow cover remained over areas of the Pacific Northwest and through the Rocky Mountains, although the snow cover is eroding across the central Great Plains and remains patchy and shallow farther north. Arizona temperatures were above normal across the State as grain planting continued, cotton harvest was winding down, and marketing of vegetables continued. A Florida cold snap damaged small grains, while field activities were slowed due to frost. Vegetable harvest was halted as damge was assessed. Some strawberry, tomato, and ornamental crop losses were evident in some areas, while elsewhere harvest and packing of beans, okra, squash and tomatoes continued. However, the duration of the cold temperatures was not long enough to cause any significant damage to citrus trees or fruit. In Georgia, small grains showed improvement with the warm, rainy weather as growers sprayed for winter weeds and Italian ryegrass. In Texas, small grains continued to struggle due to lack of rainfall. Cotton harvest neared completion in the Panhandle. Pecan harvest was completed in the Blacklands, as citrus and vegetable harvest continued in the Lower Valley. 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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