Table Of Content

Volume 86, No. 2 January 12, 1999 ATHER U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Agricultural Statistics Service National Weather Service and World Agricultural Outlook Board Departure of Average Temperature from Normal (°F) JAN 3 - 9, 1999 CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER, NOAA Computer generated isotherms Based on preliminary data HIGHLIGHTS January 3 - 9, 1999 Contents Yo cold air remained in place from the Plains Total Precipitation & eastward, resulting in two hard freezes (January 4-5) in Extreme Minimum Temperature Maps southern Louisiana’s sugarcane areas, a minor freeze U.S. Crop Production Highlights ......... cre | (January 6) in citrus and vegetable areas of central and National Weather Data for Selected Cities southwestern Florida, and the lowest temperature on record National Agricultural Summary & Snow Cover Map (-36 degrees F on January 5) in Illinois. The Louisiana December Weather and Crop Summary freezes and subsequent rapid warming adversely affected December Precipitation & Temperature Maps 10 unharvested and newly planted sugarcane, while the Florida December Extreme Maximum & : freeze caused generally minor damage to tender ground crops. Minimum Temperature Maps .......... Be 8 A deep snow cover insulated the Midwest’s soft red winter December Weather Data for Selected Cities . 12 ‘International Weather and Crop Summary .... 13 __ wheat crop from the bitterly cold conditions, but increased the Subscription Information ..........6...556. 16 region’s livestock stress. On the central Plains, where only (Continued on page 3) Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin January 12, 1999 Total Precipitation (Inches) JAN 3 - 9, 1999 KEBRPAAKRRKKYKS P TERK RRR 4 SS cs GEES ERR << fD 2 My 2 ? Y L,* f SA 4 L,eL yY hy ———) CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER, NOAA ZZ Computer generated contours 6 ae 6/2Y7s = Based on preliminary data ._Jik hat°,e GN aS 1°, [OVUOY RSi EES a, Extreme Minimum Temperature (°F) JAN 3 - 9, 1999 eS oe ALASKA x CLIMATE PREDICTION CENTER, NOAA Computer generated isotherms Based on preliminary data January 12, 1999 Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin U.S. Crop Production Highlights The following information was released by USDA’s Agricultural Statistics Board on January 11, 1999. Forecasts refer to January 1. All orange production forecast for 1998-99 is 10.1 million tons, Florida’s all orange forecast remains at 190 million boxes (8.55 down 8 percent (%) from last month’s forecast and down 27% million tons), 22% less than the record-large 244 million boxes from last year’s record-large crop of 13.9 million tons. Due to the (11.00 million tons) utilized last season. Early and midseason December freeze in the San Joaquin Valley, California’s all orange varieties in Florida are forecast at 112 million boxes (5.04 million production forecast is 38 million boxes (1.43 million tons), down tons), 20% lower than last season. Florida’s Valencia forecast of 39% from the October forecast and down 49% from the 1997-98 78 million boxes (3.51 million tons) is 25% lower than last utilization. season’s utilization. The freeze during the nights of December 20-23, 1998, caused All cotton production is forecast at 13.8 million bales, up 3% considerable losses to both the Navel and Valencia crops. from last month, but down 27% from 1997. Yield is expected to California’s Navel forecast, at 19 million boxes (712,500 tons), is average 618 pounds per harvested acre, down 55 pounds from last down 44% from the previous forecast. Close to 90% of the Navel year. Texas production was increased 200,000 bales from acreage is in the San Joaquin Valley and only 15% of the crop had December’s forecast, and the yield, at 509 pounds, ties their record been harvested before the freeze. Approximately 60% of set in 1996. Georgia’s production is up 150,000 bales from last California’s Valencia acreage is in the San Joaquin Valley and month, as the open fall weather benefited crop development. the State forecast of 19 million boxes (712,500 tons) is down 32% from October. (Continued from front cover) patchy snow cover existed, temperatures generally ranged from entire winter of 1997-98 was 5 degrees F. Champaign, IL also -10 to 10 degrees F on January 3, 4, and 9. Weekly temperatures posted a low of -25 degrees F, tying their all-time record set on ranged from nearly 20 degrees F below normal in the Midwest to January 19, 1994. A minimum of -21 degrees F in Springfield, more than 10 degrees F above normal in parts of the northern IL was their lowest reading since December 23, 1989. Farther Rockies. Mostly dry, mild weather prevailed throughout the south, Tuesday’s lows of 2 degrees F in Louisville, KY and 13 West, except in California’s Central Valley, where seasonal fog degrees F in Nashville, TN were both locations’ lowest readings and cool conditions persisted. Late in the week, widespread since January 1997. precipitation developed across the North and from the Mississippi Valley eastward. Additional snow blanketed the Sub-freezing temperatures reached deep into the South, where northern Plains, Midwest, and Northeast, while freezing rain or Baton Rouge, LA (20 degrees F on January 5) notched a daily- rain occurred from the Ohio Valley and Mid-Atlantic region record low. A day later, records were reported in another two southward. dozen locations, including Savannah, GA (17 degrees F), Lakeland, FL (26 degrees F), Tampa, FL (30 degrees F), Early in the week, heavy rain continued along the East Coast, Orlando, FL (31 degrees F), and Ft. Myers, FL (32 degrees F). while snowfall gradually diminished across the Midwest. Daily- Temperatures in central and southwestern Florida generally record rainfalls were reported on Sunday in locations such as ranged from the middle 20's to lower 30's degrees F, causing Bridgeport, CT (2.73 inches) and Boston, MA (1.51 inches). minimal damage to citrus and minor damage to ground crops. Winds gusted to 71 mph in Chatham, MA, 65 mph in Tiverton, RI, and 38 mph in Bridgeport. Meanwhile, storm-total (January Meanwhile, unusually mild weather prevailed across the West, 2-4) snowfall reached 22.0 inches in Grand Rapids, MI, resulting in nearly two dozen daily-record highs. San Luis breaking their single-storm record of 21.1 inches, set in December Obispo, CA registered daily-record highs on Sunday (73 degrees 1970. With additional snowfall during the week, Grand Rapids’ F), Monday (78 degrees F), and Saturday (77 degrees F). Farther month-to-date snowfall climbed to 29.1 inches by January 9. In east, late-week precipitation returned to the North and East. As Holland, MI, January 2-6 snowfall totaled 37.8 inches. much as 2 to 4 inches of rain fell from Louisiana to the southern Ohio Valley, with freezing rain glazing the northern portion of Extremely cold air trailed the stormy weather, producing Illinois’ this region. On Friday, London, KY collected a daily-record lowest temperature on record (-36 degrees F on January 5 in rainfall of 1.48 inches. Farther east, 2.2 inches of snow fell on Congerville). The previous record, -35 degrees F, had been set Washington, DC, their first 1-inch accumulation since February in Elizabeth on February 3, 1996, and in Mt. Carroll on January 8, 1997. A day later, a daily-record snowfall (15.1 inches) 22, 1930. Elsewhere on Tuesday, bitterly cold conditions blanketed Caribou, ME. At week’s end, snow depths included produced about two dozen of the week’s nearly five dozen daily- 12 inches in Lewistown, MT and Columbus, OH; 18 inches in record lows. Minima dipped to -25 degrees F in Lincoln, IL and Mason City, IA and Chicago, IL; and 26 inches in Caribou. Cedar Rapids, IA. Lincoln’s lowest temperature during the Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin January 12, 1999 National Weather Data for Selected Cities Weather Data for the Week Ending January 9, 1999 Data Provided by Climate Prediction Center (301-763-8000 EXT. 7503) and the Southern Regional Climate Center a NUMBER OF DAYS TEMPERATURE °F PRECIPITATION UMIOITY, fama STATES AND 3. STATIONS 54 AVMEARXAIGMAEUV MMEI RNAIGMEU M AVERAGE TINO.T, AL, BE NPCOTSJ1R. aIM nNA CLE AVMEIRNAIGMEU M 3BA2NED L OWI0 1N CH BIRMINGHAM & 8 §W© E EKLY 129 TINOno,T AL, HUNTSVILLE DE_P. ARTURE 130 MOBILE B&NF&& ORROMMA L &2#TIN@8O . T AL, MONTGOMERY ANCHORAGE a882B BARROW §oc©©=G §RIRo@8N2E. R 48 A+ 8THEO3US RT,I N Dw]a FAIRBANKS JUNEAU Len£d 8 KODIAK NOME FLAGSTAFF PHOENIX TUCSON YUMA FORT SMITH NA2SS7S ASBBNA“OSFANPr GNCRN EOBOUV EWS wOoOn LITTLE ROCK EEaa=S n=B8SeN !B2SC oE2So 4So8Ro 8nRn8: & BAKERSFIELD EUREKA FRESNO LOS ANGELES REDDING SACRAMENTO A=V ERAGE SAN DIEGO @ SAN FRANCISCO ALAMOSA REaBSMyL R TSENSRSRSSKVAYSLAIL CO SPRINGS DENVER GRAND JUNCTION PUEBLO Rasa®IBoo-canea BRIDGEPORT BSRELRVGLRSERABH HARTFORD WASHINGTON WILMINGTON DAYTONA BEACH BSSRBBSISEBRASEEBE JACKSONVILLE KEY WEST MIAMI ORLANDO ABSSASSASAILKSSxAB PENSACOLA TALLAHASSEE TAMPA RRa WEST PALM BEACH ATHENS ATLANTA AUGUSTA eae COLUMBUS SQRR2ZBRRTBBA MACON 8 SAVANNAH B2U6 HILO Q o Q 1 HONOLULU g SPSR2ZLSEFLSHEBSSESSRERSSS KAHULUI UHUE BOISE REVSSRVBBISBRBRS LEWISTON RBSINBS POCATELLO ge rr) CHICAGO/O'HARE Sw-TSooaHW@snwbAU + mNuoN vMdVmAhpoGb NSdNEbSNd +ou bnrddbhbNbddbdt MOLINE PEORIA anne ROCKFORD SPRINGFIELD EVANSVILLE FORT WAYNE INDIANAPOLIS SOUTH BEND BURLINGTON O->~nvowoonoe S72eRVBSsSsEs eseass CEDAR RAPIDS DES MOINES rs 88 DUBUQUE a SIOUX CITY WATERLOO CONCORDIA =R Phovworanw=>non DODGE CITY Dda GOODLAND TOPEKA SB8e3 ak > PERBBSEASLSBLRSFBSaamGSSOSSSASteOEStauiRA AASsDl,SN yeNAe ) Os FS,A OOS eRwRRa=ODaRSRGG=RGEOGS RB RMOO0ODC1maEPnERERSOiObA eSSRO)G))O)a 0hGSa N hR R IRtCe= C R R) ) ES SS SB O ) S S: RS LSFSVIKSSSRBSSBLSLSSBLSBSSSYB SISLSSRRLESSSSRALSRSBS Based on 1961-90 normals January 12, 1999 Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin Weather Data for the Week Ending January 9, 1999 TEMPERATURE °F PRECIPITATION Pee APTEEnMLPM.T ?u A°BF nM cOPcnROE CNnIPS | STATES AND STATIONS AVMEARXAIGMAEUV ME RAGE EXLTORWE MEA VERADGEEP ARTURE DENFPORARORMMTA ULR IGENR 2INE4. -AHTOUERS,T TINO.,T AL, AVMEARXAIGMEAU VMME IRNAIGME9AAUN 0MBD O VE3 BA2NED L OW WICHITA i) iITNO ~, T AL, JACKSON NPNCOnXT §JSR .@=a I MnNA1CL E LEXINGTON @M*©~» I NIMUM tSD1‘ =eI}cN CE nSJ12Iae NnoC 8E 8 LOUISVILLE NPCeOTR.s MA L ao| PADUCAH C~oR~&SWTN3HNWEO. ETsEALK LY & BATON ROUGE ERSBSes D&8&8X€SeEI cNtCE 8 LAKE CHARLES NEW ORLEANS SHREVEPORT XBFN&©&®b+SRNOR S RO MMA L CARIBOU e2esesa PORTLAND BS2SESRRBB BALTIMORE ES)N BOSTON 8 WORCESTER : ALPENA BREESE SBSSESBSSERBVSEBRBRS GRAND RAPIDS i)2 =+@“0 m @-om = HOUGHTON LAKE LANSING 8 MARQUETTE MUSKEGON SSLTSLSSSVSLLLSBSLBSE DULUTH INT'L FALLS aeB8is8sB ~ oc MINNEAPOLIS SRBIVIS ROCHESTER RTIFwvB Bae RRwRB S uSSfnHetSw~L ST. CLOUD SRVRSBHASSSRBAVHESAR JACKSON MERIDIAN ANONNNPNM NNWNNANNNNNENN NNNN N TUPELO COLUMBIA KANSAS CITY 22e8éSS SAINT LOUIS SPRINGFIELD BILLINGS BUTTE GLASGOW GREAT FALLS 888 KALISPELL ~B8BER2AB MILES CITY ~“ MISSOULA GRAND ISLAND 2B88 SBSER LINCOLN NORFOLK NORTH PLATTE OMAHA —@a~ SCOTTSBLUFF VALENTINE ELY LAS VEGAS RENO WINNEMUCCA EESEBES CONCORD 8 NEWARK ALBUQUERQUE SEBKBKBARSSSBSASILSEFSRSERLERALKESE ALBANY BINGHAMTON BUFFALO 88s BIR ROCHESTER aoN SYRACUSE ASHEVILLE CHARLOTTE PPPEYSAEeeSTRrrP E ,a GREENSBORO HATTERAS RALEIGH PSVSSESSRSSHFLVPELRUISSSSESS WILMINGTON BISMARCK DICKINSON SEKHHAH FARGO GRAND FORKS aot88 JAMESTOWN WILLISTON AKRON-CANTON CINCINNATI BSRRSILBRKBEVSBRBES CLEVELAND 4 COLUMBUS RBRRBRoBns+es-eSro SEBSESREBS © Ls) resSoSaoeeCage SseSeeoeeoeeeop reoi oeee e esosWlk goraneess o ates eNSN NoeSeVO NOT DaaOa ASESer EA SAaSNM ee ANOON2OiS R RL CROdRSNONaeRNeNi F P h eEPEAOOAOHSO e RAANR SNSDOSe E MAS NO N N N Based on 1961-90 normals Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin January 12, 1999 Weather Data for the Week Ending January 9, 1999 ISEA LANATE R A TEMPERATURE °F PRECIPITATION egy TEMMP. O°FS SPEREC IP STATES e AND STATIONS AVMEARXAIGMAEUV MMEI RNAIGMEEUX MHTI RGEH ME AVERADGEEP ARTURE PNCOTR. MAL SJIa1 NnC E NPCOSJT1R.aI M nNA CEL AVMEARXAIGMEAU VME RAGE BA32EN DL OWI0OM1 N CORHR E TOLEDO §Wo E TISEfNOK TLALY, fSD&1Ief Nc C E TINOof,fT AL, ~ YOUNGSTOWN OKLAHOMA CITY Ban 85 TULSA “N DéE &P ARTURE TOIT=N4=SD A,&8&& ILe@ E N,c C tE “vn n» o8o-Q ge ASTORIA SRkBaR BURNS EUGENE n&FNb28RO§B@B B4 O R M5M AbL5 h6086 MEDFORD SBSSs@—SBE PENDLETON 88e8es coGo©fRQI ASE NcEtA.8T c HEOSeSUTc8IANoB, cRoRc20RS0S80S8 Ix88 SR8BR8Sa8 8 _N a= N“ eo=xn ao MIDDLETOWN PHILADELPHIA PITTSBURGH WILKES-BARRE WILLIAMSPORT ataSR PROVIDENCE BEAUFORT 4=OFNbRON ORo MM AbL hbdsbbdbs-hovbb~=6 CHARLESTON GBe2R8G COLUMBIA nd@ BREQISRERSBS GREENVILLE ESSR8K SRBBVVEARAGSBSB*VE&BF8SE6R8GT6ES8S EFKSRLBSEESREERS®E SUBESE ABERDEEN o o HURON i)a RaaAaAa RAPID CITY wp=o o w a onO oe SIOUX FALLS BRISTOL oe CHATTANOOGA KNOXVILLE RRXs MEMPHIS S2BBPaaBaeeeoe 0 S NASHVILLE % ABILENE 49 RR AMARILLO 47 ® PAVBLSSSBLSBSSRKFVLKSSSSLRES AUSTIN 57 8 BEAUMONT 60 SAIVBISERSESSRE BROWNSVILLE 68 CORPUS CHRISTI 64 q 0.01 DEL RIO 60 3 0.01 EL PASO 56 000 0.00 E8388 FORT WORTH 46 B8Ea&sSssE 0.00 0.00 GALVESTON 58 Be ~bhbh0o.4h9 ooonnaoed 0.47 HOUSTON 61 0.20 0.09 LUBBOCK §2 0.00 -0: 0.00 MIDLAND 58 0.00 0.00 SAN ANGELO 57 st2a 8 a88EF 0.00 0.00 SAN ANTONIO §7 8 0.04 0.04 VICTORIA 61 0.00 . 0.00 SRSBsBRR WACO 54 23 0.00 , 0.00 g WICHITA FALLS 43 0.00 0.00 SALT LAKE CITY AA RBRESER20.E00S 0.00 69 BURLINGTON 26 aa 1.48 i 63 LYNCHBURG 3% 1.06 . 0.17 NORFOLK 50 0.54 0.16 136 RICHMOND 43 1.89 1.61 162 ROANOKE 36 0.73 0.56 84 WASH/DULLES 3% HAON RC1N.9C6 MNoO: HOAN1.H30 R“A3 .62 90 HANFORD 40 eeeesy 0.00 0.00 0.44 - OLYMPIA 45 0.12 0.04 13.11 124 QUILLAYUTE 47 1.11 5 0.41 22.59 114 SEATTLE-TACOMA 46 0.29 “ 0.16 9.27 122 SPOKANE 33 0.38 0.19 3.65 120 YAKIMA 39 0.00 0.00 0.74 4 BECKLEY 3 SEBRSVSBBVBSSRSSoOBR1E.24B SSBEVWSS0. 51 5.81 141 CHARLESTON % RBRLSEBRESE2 .12 0.99 5.57 ELKINS 33 4 DNONNHNN AN0D.8N0D ! 0.32 2.81 63 HUNTINGTON 3 2.21 1.27 5.49 130 EAU CLAIRE 5 0.24 0.01 0.09 0.80 56 GREEN BAY 9 0.10 0.18 0.04 0.59 3 MADISON 9 0.13 0.15 0.07 0.93 42 MILWAUKEE 13 0.07 034 0.05 1.69 59 CASPER 36 16 0.03 0.11 0.02 0.19 23 50 CHEYENNE 37 18 0.18 0.10 0.11 0.78 150 300 BSLTSELRSSRSKLKFSSSSRKRSRSSVEB LANDER 43 18 12 0.00 0.11 0.00 0.27 38 : 21 ~ ao BRiSEnPyLm uLm BSSOSAISOSSHARDMNSwN NAHN NANS NNaNANRONES nCSISEDS S tAO ARAS NONNNXOENNSA OA NSSANHVT ADBNNSVNELNIAMSAANBSSOPSMSSODLAASWHIEOWCVNHLVWSRHSSOSLNAHHVOASANNUVRAIVNNNMB NSOECSOSCLOCSOL“HCKOLCHENLGVDSOL=S=NS=SNSOXBLAGRDKTRAFAKGTFHEAS-BFSOSNOSHE=FHRASOTSMATVSSHSARHRIABOSH ON=OANON NOTE: These data are preliminary and subject to change. In the past, precipitation totals from a number of stations have been incomplete. January 12, 1999 Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin _ National AgriculturalSummary January 4 - 10, 1998 HIGHLIGHTS Frigid temperatures continued east of the Rocky Atlantic States, and into the Northeast. Temperatures Mountains, with below freezing temperatures recorded in the Rocky Mountains, Pacific Northwest, and most of in most of Texas and as far south as central Florida. In the Southwest were seasonably mild. High pressure Florida’s lowland citrus groves, some fruit was partially forced storms to the north of the Pacific Northwest frozen and some new foliage was frost bitten, but coastal areas, allowing soils to dry and streams to damage statewide was minimal. Orange harvest and recede from their banks. Parts of the northern and movement was very active. Vegetable development central Rocky Mountains received additional snow, were hindered by the cold weather, with tomatoes while the southern Rocky’s and Southwest remained suffering minor leaf burn. Sugarcane harvest dry. Below-normal temperatures persisted in continued in the Panhandle. in Texas, the cold weather California’s valleys, hindering growth of small grains, halted small grain development. Snow, freezing rain, winter forages, vegetable crops, and emerging and sleet only partially eased moisture shortages in sugarbeets. Increasing dryness also contributed to central Texas. Snow in the eastern Corn Belt protected slow growth. Most of the remaining navel orange crop winter wheat from sub-zero temperatures. Rain, was damaged and some was destroyed. Picking of freezing precipitation, and snow provided beneficial mature fruit continued in southern California. Pruning, moisture along a band that stretched from the lower weed control, and fertilizing activities continued in Mississippi Valley, through the Appalachian and mid- vineyards and non-citrus fruit orchards. Snow Depth (Inches) Jan 11, 1999 “7 laa The NWS co-operative network is the principal Experimental product based on preliminary data source of the snow depth reports. NOAA/USDA JOINT AGRICULTURAL WEATHER FACILITY Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin January 12, 1999 December Weather and Crop Summary Weather Arctic air enveloped much of the Nation following early- to mid- BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT month record warmth, severely damaging citrus in California’s San DECEMBER-RECORD HIGH TEMPERATURES Joaquin Valley (December 21-25) and threatening soft white winter eee ee: wheat in the Northwest (December 20-24). In the Plains and Ohio Valley, however, winter wheat escaped with only some burning back of top-growth, as snow cover insulated the potentially vulnerable portion of the crop. During the coldest period (December 19-26), only a few areas, including coastal southern California, the lower Colorado Valley, extreme southern Texas, and Peninsular Florida, escaped sub-freezing temperatures. Lowest temperatures ranged from -10 to -30°F across the northern and central Plains as DF EGREES far south as eastern Colorado and west-central Kansas. A reinforcing Arctic blast arrived at year’s end (December 29-31), primarily affecting the northern Plains and Midwest. Dec. 11, 1971 Dec. 4,1998 Dec. 7, 1998 Despite the late-month chill, December temperatures averaged 4 to DATE 10°F above normal across the Midwest. Similar departures (+2 to Figure 1 +8°F) were noted in the East. During the first 8 days of the month, nearly 500 daily-record highs were set or tied, while more than 50 locations reported December-record highs. A second warm spell, The warm conditions held off first autumn freezes to record-late beginning on December 12, produced more than 100 additional dates at several sites across the Souih and East, including Midland, daily-record highs before an Arctic cold front swept off the east TX on December 7 (formerly December 6, 1954), Oklahoma City, coast on December 22. In California, the cold wave helped to hold OK on December 8 (November 30, 1934), Atlanta, GA on monthly temperatures as much as 4°F below normal. December 18 (December 11, 1994), Little Rock, AR on December 21 (December 11, 1994), and New York’s Central Park on Heavy precipitation continued across the Pacific Northwest for a December 22 (December 11, 1948). A day after Midland’s first second consecutive month, contributing to late-month flooding west freeze, the region’s first hard freeze helped to defoliate unharvested of the Cascades. Some of the moisture spread across the Cascades cotton on the southern High Plains. Chicago, IL, coming off their into the northern Rockies, but most areas in a broad swath from record latest 5-day (November 26-30) streak with highs above 60°F, California to the Northeast, including the Great Lakes region, repeated the feat from December 2-6. Chicago also noted their received below-normal precipitation. Meanwhile, a series of low- second-sunniest December on record, with insolation observed pressure systems crossed the South, producing monthly during 62 percent (%) of the daylight hours. Normal for December precipitation greater than 4 inches in areas from eastern Texas and is 37%, and the record, 65%, occurred in 1988. southeastern Oklahoma to North Carolina and southern Virginia. A pair of storms during the second week of December provided this In the West, however, a 21.2-inch snowfall buried Livingston, MT region with heavy rainfall, but a December 22-24 ice storm caused on December 3-4. A trace of snow fell in Phoenix on December 6, power outages and transportation disruptions. Although the their first such observance since February 4, 1994. On the same Southeast’s precipitation provided significant relief from long-term day, 1.0 inch whitened Las Vegas, NV. The only other time when dryness, many locations both north and south of the primary storm at least an inch of snow accumulated in Las Vegas during track saw moisture deficits mount. Drought stretched through a December was on the 15" in 1967, 2.0 inches fell. On December sixth month in portions of the northern Mid-Atlantic region. 11, heavy snowfall disrupted an otherwise dry pattern across the southernmost High Plains. In Texas, 9.8 inches blanketed Midland, Mild weather during the first 8 days of December raised the number breaking their records for snowfall during a 24-hour period (6.8 of daily-record highs during the 2%-week warm spell (November 22 inches on January 23-24, 1974) and an entire month (9.0 inches in - December 8) to more than 700 days. The month opened with the January 1985). Wintry weather also accompanied Arctic air into high soaring to 77°F in Pierre, SD. Elsewhere in South Dakota, California’s San Joaquin Valley on December 20, resulting in the Sioux Falls’ highs reached 63 degrees F on the first 3 days of the most significant snowfall there in exactly 30 years. month, breaking their monthly record by 1 degree, which had been set on December 3, 1941. Several locations in the East, such as In the snow’s wake, damaging cold settled across the San Joaquin Washington, DC and New York’s Central Park, set December Valley from December 21-25. Bakersfield, CA noted 19°F on records on the 4", only to see them broken again. Highs finally December 23, tying their all-time record low set seven times during peaked on December 7 in Washington (79°F) and New York (75°F). the freezes of December 1990, January 1937, and December 1929 - In Virginia on the 6", maxima reached or exceeded 80°F as far north January 1930. Bakersfield’s high had reached only 34°F the as Richmond (81°F) and Roanoke (80°F). A day later, Bridgeport, previous afternoon, their coldest maximum on record (formerly 35°F CT notched 76°F. Prior to this year, Bridgeport’s previous on December 11, 1932). Citrus and vegetables in the valley December record had been 65°F on December 11, 1971 (Figure 1). sustained serious damage from the 5-day freeze, but key agricultural January 12, 1999 Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin areas in southern California escaped with minor damage. Farther east, Grand Junction, CO reported a minimum of -12°F on WASHINGTON, D.C. LOWEST JULY-DECEMBER RAINFALL TOTALS ON RECORD December 22, their lowest temperature since December 24, 1990. Boise, ID, with a low of -2°F on December 21, registered a sub-zero 14) temperature for the first time since November 24, 1993. Most of the Northwest’s soft white winter wheat had no protective snow cover when temperatures dipped to near- or sub-zero levels from 10 Normal Precipitation December 20-24, raising concerns about potential damage to the 20.28 inches Les) a portion of the crop that entered dormancy poorly established. Elsewhere in the West, temperatures bottomed out at -45°F (on December 21) in West Yellowstone, MT and -40°F (on December 22) in Greenville, UT. (RIANICNHFEASL L Farther east, the Arctic outbreak ended a 29-day streak (November 20 to December 18) of above-normal temperatures in Huron, SD. Temperatures in Huron averaged 16°F above normal during that span. Elsewhere in South Dakota, Rapid City reported a 91-degree F temperature drop in 4 days, from a high of 69°F on the 17" toa Figure 2 low of -22°F on the 21*. On December 19, readings dipped below 20°F in Omaha, NE for the first time during the autumn, breaking In Alaska, monthly temperatures ranged from as much as 5°F below a record that had stood since December 13, 1915. Little Rock, AR normal in southwestern areas to 9°F above normal across the noted only 12 days with lows at or below 32°F during the first 354 extreme north. Precipitation patterns were highly variable. While days of 1998, but 9 such days during the last 11 days of December. Yakutat experienced their fifth-driest December (8.31 inches, or Their previous annual record of 19 days, set in 1931, remained 59% of normal) in the past 30 years, Anchorage netted their greatest intact. In Indiana, Indianapolis’ lowest temperature of the year December snowfall (37.6 inches, or 271%) since 1955. Annual (4°F) was recorded on December 31. precipitation reached 27.51 inches in Nome (second only to a 29.49- inch total in 1922), and 106.21 inches (157% of normal) in Kodiak Light snow accompanied the arrival of bitterly cold air in many areas. Omaha had no measurable precipitation from November 11 Despite 0.84 inches of rain on December 31, Honolulu, HI ended to December 19, a 39-day period, but 0.15 inch (3.4 inches of snow) 1998 with 4.52 inches (21% of normal), their driest year on record. fell thereafter. Heavier snow blanketed parts of the Intermountain The previous record (5.03 inches) had been set in 1983. At the West, where Grand Junction, CO measured their greatest single-day major reporting sites, December rainfall ranged from 1.15 inches accumulation (6.3 inches on December 20) since January 4, 1991. (30% of normal) in Honolulu to 9.89 inches (82%) in Hilo. Despite In southern Utah, snow depths reached 11 inches in Richfield and December’s dry weather, most of Hawaii—especially in windward 15 inches in Milford. Across the Southeast, moisture overran the (east-facing) locations—experienced significant drought relief during newly entrenched Arctic air from December 22-24, resulting in a the latter half of the year with the transition from El Nifio to La major ice storm from central Texas to the southern Mid-Atlantic Nifia. The El Nifio-driven drought peaked during the spring of 1998. region. Farther north, one of the month’s only snow-producing storms crossed the Midwest on December 30, dumping 6.6 inches Fieldwork in Des Moines, IA, and the season’s first measurable snowfall in locations such as Columbia, MO (1.0 inch) and Evansville, IN (1.5 A large mass of cold air descended from Canada early in the month inches). and brought the first major snowstorm days later. Harvest activities were halted and wheat fields were blanketed with at least a few Frequent rains in the Northwest resulted in the wettest November- inches of snow in the northern Great Plains. A few days later, December period on record in Seattle, WA, breaking a 1995 record another storm delivered a mixture of snow and freezing rain in the by more than 2 inches. Seattle’s December rainfall totaled 8.98 northern Plains. As the system moved eastward, it produced heavy inches (152% of normal), boosting their 2-month total to 20.60 rains and damaging winds in parts of the Corn Belt and Mississippi inches. The wet spell culminated in late-month flooding, especially Valley. During the second half of the month, temperatures averaged west of the Cascades. On December 28, several coastal rivers in well above normal across most of the Nation, aiding development western Oregon—including the Siletz and Wilson Rivers—crested at of winter wheat in the central and southern Great Plains, levels slightly above those observed during the February 1996 flood. Mississippi Delta, southern and eastern Corn Belt, and Southeast. In contrast, continued dry weather in the Northeast left Portland, Dry conditions also prevailed over much of the Nation during the ME (3.36 inches) with their second-driest November-December last half of the month, aiding harvest and fall tillage. Harvest period on record. Only 3.11 inches dampened Portland in activities slowly resumed late in the month in the northern Plains November-December 1924. In Washington, DC, July-December and upper Mississippi Valley following earlier storms. 1998 precipitation was a mere 7.45 inches (37% of normal), ahead (Continued on page 11) of only 6.79 inches in July-December 1930 (Figure 2). Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin January 12, 1999 SRS mae ap 3 . | WS b N e - i INSxk nTRS TSROAOV, i WRASSE DN QBS RE QBS D19E9C8 D1E9C9 8 QW WS (TA°veFem) rpaegrea ture (DoATfN°fervoe Fpoerm)am rmpr aaetglrue ar teu re D19E9C8 D1E99C8 (TPIortneacclhi epsit)a tion OPPNfreo errccmieapnlitt ation