We 1 (1-10)
Weekly Weather
and Crop Bulletin
Washington, D.C.
Released January 12, 2010, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service
(NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, U.S. Department of Agriculture. For
information on "Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin" call Julie Schmidt at (202)
720-7621, office hours 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET.
National Weather Summary
January 3 - 9, 2010
Highlights: Cold weather gripped most areas from the Rockies to the East
Coast, maintaining stress on livestock across the Plains and Midwest, and
threatening winter crops across the Deep South. Weekly temperatures averaged
at least 10 to 20 degrees F below normal from the Plains eastward, except
from the Great Lakes region into New England. Relative to normal, conditions
were especially harsh (at least 15 degrees F below normal) across Florida's
peninsula. Citrus, strawberry, and vegetable producers in central and
interior southern Florida waged a week-long battle against the cold,
mitigating the effects of multiple freezes but losing some crops especially
during the latter outbreak. Relatively mild weather in northern New England
(more than 10 degrees F above normal) was due to an atmospheric block. The
blocking high-pressure system helped to force unusually cold air deep into
the South.
The coldest mornings in Florida's citrus belt were January 6-7 and 10-12. As
the second, stronger surge of cold air arrived, some frozen precipitation
(sleet and snow) was observed across central Florida on the morning of
January 9. On January 10-11, Florida's northwestern tier of citrus-producing
counties reported lows generally ranging from 20 to 25 degrees F, hampering
freeze-protection efforts. Across the remainder of Florida's peninsula, the
coldest morning in many locations occurred on January 11. On that date,
significant freezes were also noted in citrus, sugarcane, and vegetable areas
west of Lake Okeechobee, and frost occurred as far south as the Homestead
winter vegetable region. Elsewhere in the Deep South, producers monitored
the effects of freezes in winter agricultural regions of southern Louisiana
and Deep South Texas, starting January 9. Farther north, bitterly cold air
overspread the Plains and Midwest. Wind-blown snow preceded and accompanied
the Arctic surge from the northern Plains into the Northeast, disrupting
travel. By week's end, Midwestern snow depths ranged from a few inches
across the southern and eastern Corn Belt to as much as 1 to 2 feet across
the western Corn Belt. In contrast, winter wheat lacked a protective snow
cover on the central and southern High Plains, where sub-zero temperatures
were reported on January 8 as far south as western Oklahoma and northernmost
Texas. Elsewhere, milder air overspread the Far West, accompanied by
seasonably showery weather in the Northwest. In California, mostly dry
weather promoted winter fieldwork but maintained concerns about sub-par snow
packs and below-normal reservoir storage. At week's end, the water content
of the Sierra Nevada snow pack stood at 9 inches, approximately 75 percent of
normal for this time of year.
Early in the week, heavy snow lingered across the Northeast, while bitterly
cold weather covered the north-central U.S. Daily-record snowfall totals for
January 3 included 16.4 inches in Burlington, VT, and 14.6 inches in
Syracuse, NY. On the strength of 37.6 inches of snow from January 1-3,
Burlington's month-to-date snowfall of 44.5 inches surpassed its January 1978
record of 42.4 inches. Daily-record lows included -37 degrees F (on January
3) in International Falls, MN, and -29 degrees F (on January 4) in Atlantic,
IA. By January 4, the first wave of cold air arrived in Florida, where
daily-record lows dipped to 26 degrees F in Apalachicola and 30 degrees F in
Lakeland. The Southern chill deepened by January 6-7, when consecutive
daily-record lows were established in Florida locations such as Lakeland (28
and 27 degrees F), Melbourne (27 and 28 degrees F), Daytona Beach (28 and 29
degrees F), Orlando (31 and 30 degrees F), Tampa (27 and 36 degrees F), West
Palm Beach (34 and 37 degrees F), and Ft. Myers (34 and 38 degrees F).
Farther north, other Southeastern records included 15 degrees F (on January
6) in Greenwood, MS, and 18 degrees F (on January 7) in Florence, SC.
Meanwhile, precipitation spread across the northern Plains and the Northwest
in advance of an Arctic cold front. With a 6.9-inch snowfall on the 5th,
Billings, MT, experienced its snowiest January day since January 6, 1999.
The following day, snowfall records for January 6 included 11.0 inches in
Watertown, SD, and 4.4 inches in Topeka, KS. In fact, Watertown's total was
a record for any January day in that location (previously, 10.0 inches on
January 29, 1916, and January 25, 1925. By January 7, snow spread into the
Midwest, where daily-record amounts reached 7.3 inches in Milwaukee, WI; 4.8
inches in Mason City, IA; and 4.1 inches in Indianapolis, IN. On January 8,
Anniston, AL, received a trace of snow, while Wallops Island, VA, netted 3.0
inches. Across central Florida, some sleet and a few snow flakes were
observed on the morning of January 9. Officially, a trace of sleet was
observed in Daytona Beach and Orlando.
Farther north, the second wave of Arctic air arrived on January 7 across
Montana, where daily-record lows plunged to -36 degrees F in Simpson and -34
degrees F in Turner. The following day, records for January 8 included -34
degrees F in Pollock, SD; -21 degrees F in Valentine, NE; and -13 degrees F
in Yuma, CO. At week's end, the coldest outbreak in many years settled
across the South. In Texas, for example San Angelo's low of 10 degrees F (on
January 9) represented the lowest reading there since February 4, 1996, when
it was 7 degrees F. Elsewhere in Texas, the coldest weather since early-
February 1996 also affected locations such as Huntsville (15 degrees F on
January 9 and 10) and Galveston (27 degrees F on January 9). Similarly,
January 9 Texas lows of 14 degrees F in Lufkin and 13 degrees F in Longview
and Tyler represented the lowest readings in those locations since December
24, 1989, December 25, 1990, and February 4, 1996, respectively. In Alabama,
Montgomery's string of at least 10 consecutive days (January 3-12) with low
temperatures below 25 degrees F demolished its former record of 7 days set in
January 2001. In southern Florida, Naples set a record with at least 11
consecutive days (January 2-12) with lows at or below 45 degrees F
(previously, 8 days in January 1977). Elsewhere in Florida, Tampa's
temperatures remained below 60 degrees F on at least 10 consecutive days
(January 2-11), topping its standard of 7 days set from January 8-14, 1956.
More details on the last 3 days (January 10-12) of Florida's cold snap will
appear in next week's summary. Meanwhile, warmth began to overspread the
West, where Olympia, WA (57 degrees F), notched a daily-record high. In
Missouri, however, Kansas City's snow depth remained at 5 inches or greater
on at least 19 consecutive days from December 25 - January 12, the longest
such streak there since the winter of 1978-79.
National Weather Summary provided by USDA's World Agricultural Outlook Board.
For more information, call (202) 720-2397.
Agricultural Summary
January 4 - 10, 2010
Highlights: An arctic cold front delivered cooler than normal temperatures
to much of the country late in the week. Recordings in Florida dipped to as
many as 20 degrees below normal. Elsewhere, temperatures in parts of New
England reached as many as 15 degrees above normal. While much of the
southern half of the country received below average precipitation, many areas
in the Pacific Northwest, northern Rocky Mountains, and northern Great Plains
experienced total accumulations of 150 percent or more above normal.
In Florida, freezing temperatures in the Panhandle brought fieldwork to a
near standstill, although some producers were able to seed clover acreage
where conditions allowed. Nursery growers were running irrigation to help
minimize the effects of freezing temperatures, but significant damage
occurred in the fern crop in the central Peninsula. Young sugarcane acreage
in the southern Peninsula was burned back, while the tops in the older crop
were frozen. Growers rushed harvest in some fields to help minimize the
amount of sucrose loss. Several nights of sub-freezing temperatures caused
extensive damage to many vegetable crops, with some reported as a total loss.
Wet fields and cold temperatures continued to slow fieldwork throughout much
of Georgia. Growers trying to harvest their remaining cotton and soybean
crops struggled as combines and pickers bogged down in excessively soggy
conditions. Extremely cold temperatures have affected growth in winter
wheat, as well as winter grazing in pastures.
Cooler than normal temperatures and a lack of available soil moisture
stressed the winter wheat crop in the Northern High Plains of Texas, while
oats in South Central Texas had developed rust due to excessive moisture.
Cotton harvest was complete in the Southern High Plains and neared completion
in the Northern Low Plains. Vegetable growers were busy preparing for spring
planting and were taking precautions to protect their winter crops from
recent cold temperatures.
Temperatures in Arizona were mostly warmer than normal, with little to no
precipitation reported Statewide. Vegetable growers in the central and
western parts of the State were busy shipping a variety of crops including
arugula, broccoli, cabbage, cilantro, lettuce, and spinach.
As soil conditions allowed, producers in California were busy making ground
preparations for spring row crop planting. Orchard growers were spraying to
control pests in dormant peach and prune crops, while herbicide applications
were made to almond and walnut groves. Vegetable growers spent the week
cultivating, shaping beds, controlling weeds, and irrigating in preparation
for spring planting.
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