HDR1012000170100207951200WEEKLY WEATHER & CROP BULLETIN
HDR2012000170100207951200NAT. AGRI. SUMMARY

                          NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY
                         January 30 - February 5, 1995

HIGHLIGHTS:   Rain along the northern Pacific Coast left small grain fields
saturated and caused soil erosion in eastern Washington.  Excessive soil-
moisture hampered fieldwork in northern California and standing water in low-
lying fields resulted in yellowing of some small grains.  Dry, warm weather in
the Southwestern States allowed farmers to enter the fields to prepare for
spring planting.  Texas wheat producers took advantage of the mild weather to
apply fertilizer and top-dress fields.  In the Texas Plains, wheat fields were
still affected by greenbugs, while rust and yellowing problems were reported in
wheat fields in the Blacklands.  Warm weather in the Midwest early in the week
gave way to a cold front that brought a wintery mix of rain and snow.  The
mixture of snow, sleet, and rain in the Midwest produced wet conditions that
limited field activities.  The south-central Great Plains enjoyed mild weather
for most of the week.  Dry weather in the Delta allowed farmers to begin spring
tillage and to prune fruit trees, while wet fields limited field activity in
Georgia.  Snow cover in North Dakota was adequate to protect 71 percent of the
wheat crop but remained significantly below last year's snow cover.  Winter
wheat condition in Montana was rated as mostly fair to good despite the lack of
snowfall for the week.  The lack of snow cover in Wyoming resulted in some
freeze and wind damage to wheat fields.  The snow cover for wheat in the Ohio
Valley was replenished by a late week snowstorm.


HDR2012000170100207951200NAT. WEATHER SUMMARY

                           National Weather Summary
                               Volume 82, No. 6
                         January 29 - February 4, 1995

               For additional information, call (202) 720-7917.

Highlights:  A strengthening ridge of high pressure aloft brought record warmth
to the Western and Southern States, and deflected several disturbances around
its northern flank through the Pacific Northwest, causing snow-melt and rain-
induced flooding.  Late in the week, one of the disturbances rounded the ridge
and plunged southeastward, intensifying as it crossed the Ohio Valley.  An
additional infusion of arctic energy provided the impetus for winter's first
widespread blast of snow, wind, and cold in the Northeast.

Early in the week, patches of light frozen precipitation affected areas from
the southern Rockies to the Middle Atlantic States.  On Sunday, Tahlequah, OK
tallied 3 inches of snow, while by late Monday the 3-day snowfall reached
8 inches in Roanoke, VA.  In the wake of the storminess, cool air briefly
settled into the Gulf Coast States, lowering readings to 35 degrees F in Corpus
Christi, TX on Tuesday, and to 29 degrees F in Gainesville, FL on Wednesday.

Heavy rain fell in the Northwest through midweek, totaling 4.08 inches in
Quillayute, WA, 2.94 inches in Eureka, CA, and 2.29 inches in Salem, OR.  Areas
affected by minor river flooding included portions of northern California's
Sacramento basin, northeastern Oregon's Grande Ronde and Umatilla basins, and
southern Washington's Klickitat and Yakima basins.  With the rain came warmth,
including a January-record high of 70 degrees F in Pendleton, OR on Tuesday.
Farther east, very windy and warm conditions kept the High Plains free of snow.
On Thursday, Cheyenne, WY registered a gust to 64 mph, while Goodland, KS
clocked 61 mph.  With a high of 70 degrees F, Garden City, KS tied its daily
record for February 2.

The core of the ridge intensified across the Southwest after midweek.  Los
Angeles (Civic Center), CA set its first of four consecutive daily records on
Wednesday, and tied its February record with 94 degrees F on Thursday and
Friday.  Santa Maria, CA (89 degrees F) also equaled its February record on
February 2.  Warmth spread eastward across the Southern States late in the
week.  Highs topped 80 degrees F on Thursday as far east and north as Pine
Bluff, AR.  A day later, Atlanta, GA set a daily record with 76 degrees F.

Meanwhile, a developing storm moved from the northern Plains into the middle
Mississippi Valley, initiating a band of light rain.  As the system interacted
with colder air over the Ohio Valley and the Northeast, precipitation fell as
snow, except along the coast.  Philadelphia, PA (8.8 inches) received its first
measurable snowfall of the season, while Albany, NY (13.3 inches) more than
doubled its season-to-date accumulation.  Totals ranged from 1 to 2 feet in
northern New England, where Caribou, ME measured 24.3 inches and Burlington, VT
(19.4 inches; 16.8 inches on February 4) received its greatest February single-
day snowfall.  In addition, winds in New England rose above gale force, with
peak gusts on Saturday reaching 79 mph at Cape Elizabeth, ME and 56 mph in
Portland, ME.  Farther west, snow squalls downwind of the Great Lakes dumped
more than 1 foot in locally favored areas.  Rain fell on the storm's southern
periphery, and a pair of tornadic thunderstorms sliced across Lee County,
Florida, near Ft. Myers.  By Sunday morning (February 5), bitter cold swept
across the Nation's northeastern quadrant.  Temperatures dipped to -27 degrees
F in International Falls, MN and to -9 degrees F in Houghton Lake, MI.  In
contrast, mild weather persisted in the High Plains, where lows ranged through
the 20's and 30's.