National Weather Summary: October 12-18, 2008
Highlights: Snow ended early in the week after accumulating as much as a foot on the northern High Plains and at least 2 to 4 feet across parts of the northern Intermountain West. Most of the remainder of the West experienced cool (more than 10 degrees F below normal in a few locations), dry weather, although Santa Ana winds briefly fanned two major wildfires in southern California and brought warmer weather to coastal regions. Meanwhile, a period of heavy rain developed across the central and southern Plains, slowing harvest activities but boosting moisture reserves for emerging winter wheat.
Farther north, cold weather ended the growing season across the northern Plains and the upper Midwest. At the time of the season-ending freezes, at least three-quarters of the upper Midwestern corn was fully mature, while virtually all of the crop had dented. Nearly all of the soybeans in the freeze-affected areas were dropping leaves and thus safe from frost. Across the remainder of the Midwest, scattered showers caused only minor corn and soybean harvest delays. Elsewhere, little or no rain accompanied late-season warmth (as much as 10 degrees F above normal) across the eastern one-third of
the nation. Southeastern fieldwork resumed, following the previous week's rainfall, while pastures benefited from topsoil moisture improvements.
Early in the week, a winter-like storm continued across the Northwest. Lander, WY, netted 29.7 inches of snow from October 10-12, representing its greatest October storm and seventh-highest single-storm total on record. In Carbon, Madison, and Sweet Grass Counties of southern Montana, unofficial snowfall totals at a few high-elevation observation sites topped 4 feet.
Elsewhere in Montana, Billings measured an October 9-13 storm total of 12.9 inches, while Glasgow (13.6 inches from October 11-13) set an October snowfall record. Previously, Glasgow's monthly record for October was 11.5 inches, all of which fell on October 12, 1924. Heavy snow fell as far east as western North Dakota, where Williston received 8.4 inches from October 11-13. Farther south, Bishop, CA, noted its earliest trace of snow on record on October 11 (previously, October 19, 1949). Meanwhile on the Plains, North Platte, NE (2.95 inches of rain from October 11-13), experienced its wettest 3-day period in October since 1946, when 3.79 inches fell from October 4-6.
October 11-14 storm totals on the High Plains included 3.58 inches in Dodge City, KS, 4.66 inches in Guymon, OK, and 4.87 inches in Dalhart, TX. Storm-total rainfall reached 2.37 inches in Wichita, KS, propelling its year-to-date precipitation to a record-high annual value of 50.72 inches (previously, 50.48 inches in 1951).
Very cold air trailed the storm into the western and north-central U.S. In Colorado, Grand Junction opened the week with three consecutive daily-record lows (28, 24, and 26 degrees F) from October 12-14. Bryce Canyon Airport, UT (11, 8, and 14 degrees F), also noted three record lows in a row from October 12-14. Butte, MT, dipped to 10 degrees F on October 12 and 13, setting records on both dates. On October 13, daily-record lows of 7 degrees F were reported in locations such as Ely, NV, and Gunnison, CO. Bismarck, ND, finally recorded its first autumn freeze with a low of 27 degrees F on October 14, breaking the record established on October 11, 1980. Farther south, Tucson, AZ (38 degrees F on October 13), recorded its lowest reading during the first half of October since October 10, 1949, when it was also 38 degrees F.
In contrast, October 12 featured daily-record highs of 87 degrees F in Louisville, KY, and 87 degrees F in Fort Wayne, IN, while readings
topped 80 degrees F as far north as Green Bay, WI (82 degrees F). Warmth continued for much of the week in the East, especially on October 16 in advance of a cold front's passage. Record highs for October 16 soared to 87 degrees F in both Norfolk, VA, and Georgetown, DE. Showers associated with the front diminished in coverage and intensity while crossing the Midwest and East, although Fort Wayne (0.88 inch), collected a daily-record rainfall on October 15. Elsewhere, the Sesnon and Marek wildfires briefly flared early
in the week across southern California, northeast of Los Angeles. By October 17, the Sesnon fire had charred nearly 15,000 acres and claimed more than a dozen homes, while the Marek fire had burned fewer than 5,000 acres but destroyed more than 40 residences.
National Weather Summary provided by USDA's World Agricultural Outlook Board. For more information, call (202) 720-2397.
National Agricultural Summary: October 13 - 19, 2008
Corn: While a good portion of the Nation's mid-section received light
rainfall, isolated areas of the central and southwestern Corn Belt received up to 3.5 inches during the week. Temperatures across the region averaged between 45 and 65 degrees Fahrenheit. Ninety-three percent of the corn acreage was mature and beyond, 6 points behind last year and 5 points behind the 5-year average. Acreage developed 10 points or more in Illinois, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin. Acreage was maturing at or behind the 5-year average pace in all States except Pennsylvania. Twenty-nine percent of the crop was harvested, 29 points behind last year and 24 points behind the 5-year average. Most harvest activity occurred in Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, and Ohio. Other than in Colorado and Ohio, producers were harvesting behind the 5-year average harvest pace.
Harvest in Illinois was furthest behind with a 44 point delay when compared with normal. Condition of the corn crop was rated 62 percent good to excellent, unchanged from the previous week.
Soybeans: Minimal to light rain fell over much of the soybean growing area as temperatures ranged from 40 degrees in the north, to as warm as 75 degrees along the Mississippi. Ninety-five percent of soybean acreage was dropping leaves, 3 points behind last year and the 5-year average. Missouri soybean development was 16 points behind the 5-year average, while elsewhere, leaf-dropping was occurring within 7 points of the 5-year average. Producers harvested 67 percent of soybeans, 5 points behind last year and 7 points behind the 5-year average.
Winter Wheat: Through the panhandles of Texas and Oklahoma, northward through much of Kansas, rainfall between 400 and 800 percent of normal fell over winter wheat growing areas, while average temperatures in the area, ranged from 50 to 65 degrees. Producers had planted 79 percent of the winter wheat crop, the same as last year but 2 points behind the 5-year average.
Planting progress at the State level ranged from 21 points behind normal in Missouri to as much as 17 points ahead in Ohio. Planting was nearly complete in Colorado, Montana, and Nebraska. Sixty percent of the winter wheat acreage had emerged, 7 points ahead of last year and 2 points ahead of the 5-year average. Emergence had just begun in Arkansas, California, and North Carolina while two-thirds or more had emerged in Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, and South Dakota.
Cotton: Eighty-eight percent of the acreage had open bolls by the end of the week, 4 points behind last year and 1 point behind the 5-year average. Development was complete in Arizona, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Missouri and was 16 points ahead of normal in Kansas. Elsewhere, development was within 7 points of the 5-year average. Producers reaped 32 percent of their acreage
nationwide, 9 points behind last year and 6 points behind the 5-year average.
Producers faced the most significant harvest delays in Arkansas, California, and Mississippi, behind 10, 20, and 23 points, respectively, when compared with the normal pace. Elsewhere, producers were harvesting their crop within 9 points of the 5-year average. Cotton was rated 48 percent good to excellent, unchanged from the previous week's rating.
Sorghum: Ninety-seven percent of the sorghum crop reached coloring, 3 points behind last year and 1 point behind the 5-year average. Coloring was complete or neared completion in all States except New Mexico and Oklahoma, where acreage was delayed 10 and 11 points, respectively, when compared with the average. Seventy-six percent of the crop was mature, 18 points behind
last year and 9 points behind the 5-year average. Development remained ahead in Colorado, when compared with the normal development pace, but was at or behind the 5-year average in all remaining States. Producers had harvested 46 percent of the acreage, 21 and 11 points behind last year and the 5-year average, respectively. Harvest was complete in Louisiana and nearly
complete in Arkansas, while harvest activity had just begun in Nebraska and New Mexico. Significant harvest delays were evident in the northern and central Great Plains and middle Mississippi Valley. Condition of the sorghum crop, at 56 percent good to excellent, improved 1 point from last week's rating.
Rice: Rice harvest was 90 percent complete, 2 points behind last year and 3 points behind the 5-year average. Major harvest activity was evident in California, where 29 percent of the crop was harvested during the week.
Peanuts: Peanut producers had harvested 52 percent of their acreage, 6 points ahead of last year but 3 points behind the 5-year average. Harvest was most active in North Carolina, where 30 percent of the acreage was harvested during the week. Peanut condition declined 4 points from last week to 66 percent good to excellent.
Other Crops: Sugarbeet producers harvested 61 percent of the acreage, 6 points behind last year and 10 points behind the 5-year average. Harvest was behind the 5-year average in all States.
Sunflowers were 13 percent harvested, 19 points behind last year and 23 points behind the 5-year average. Harvest was 24 or more points behind in all States, except Colorado.