National Weather Summary: October 19 - 25, 2008
Highlights: A slow-moving storm produced widespread showers from the northern and central Plains to the East Coast. In addition, wind-driven snow briefly blanketed parts of the central Plains. The precipitation aided winter grains but slowed or temporarily halted harvest activities. Showers were especially beneficial for newly planted or emerging winter wheat in drought-affected areas of the Ohio Valley and the Southeast. However, scattered locations from western Florida to coastal South Carolina experienced local flooding due to late-week rainfall totals in excess of 4 inches.
Meanwhile, mostly dry weather promoted autumn fieldwork in Texas and throughout the West. Mid- to late-week warmth accompanied the dryness, allowing Northwestern winter grain planting to near completion. However, dry conditions remained a concern with respect to Northwestern wheat establishment. Weekly temperatures ranged from more than 5 degrees F below normal across much of the South and East to slightly above normal in California and the Desert Southwest. On October 23-24, freezes struck as far
south as the southern High Plains, helping to defoliate mature cotton but threatening harm to the portion of the crop on which bolls had not yet begun to open.
Early in the week, cold weather prevailed in the Northeast, where daily-record lows dipped to 21 degrees F at both Massena, NY (on October 19), and Bangor, ME (on October 20). A second surge of cold weather peaked across New England on October 23, when daily-record lows in Maine included 14 degrees F in Allagash, 17 degrees F in Fort Kent, and 20 degrees F in Caribou.
Between the cold snaps, as much as 2 to 6 inches of snow fell across northern Maine, with Fort Kent noting 4.0 inches on October 21-22. Meanwhile, a developing storm across the nation's mid-section brought another round of heavy precipitation. As a result, October precipitation records were broken in locations such as Hastings, NE (6.16 inches; previously, 4.76 inches in 2007), and Dodge City, KS (5.00 inches; previously, 4.94 inches in 1997). In Lincoln, IL, the year-to-date precipitation through October 25 climbed to 50.21 inches, second only to a 50.84-inch annual total in 1927. Specific daily-record totals for October 22 associated with the storm included 3.70 inches in Houston, TX; 2.31 inches in Kearney, NE; and 2.25 inches in Sioux City, IA. Official snowfall totals for October 23 included 2.0 inches (along with a north-northwesterly wind gust to 56 m.p.h.) in Goodland, KS, and 1.1 inches in North Platte, NE.
A separate area of heavy precipitation affected southern Florida, dumping 7.30 inches of rain in Key West on October 22. That total represented Key West's 11th-wettest day during its 138-year period of record.
Cold air trailed the storm system into the Northwest, the Plains, and
eventually much of the remainder of the U.S. By October 22, daily-record lows dipped to 17 degrees F in Idaho Falls, ID, and 14 degrees F at the Bryce Canyon Airport in Utah. The following day, records for October 23 fell to 4 degrees F in Alamosa, CO, and 30 degrees F in San Angelo, TX.
Elsewhere in Texas, Lubbock's first freeze (31 degrees F on October 23) occurred 8 days earlier than the normal first autumn freeze date of October 31. On October 24, the first hard freeze--a temperature of 28 degrees F or lower--of the season occurred in locations such as Guymon, OK (25 degrees F), and Amarillo, TX (27 degrees F). Farther east, the week ended on a wet, windy note. Daily-record rainfall totals for October 24 reached 6.57 inches in Charleston, SC, and 3.61 inches in Savannah, GA. Previously, Charleston's wettest October day had occurred on October 11, 1990, when 4.48 inches fell.
By October 25, daily-record totals included 3.35 inches in Mt. Pocono, PA, and 2.06 inches in Albany, NY, while wind gusts were clocked to 62 m.p.h. in both Milton (Blue Hill Observatory), MA, and Wrightsville Beach, NC.
Very cold weather persisted across the Alaskan mainland, where weekly temperatures averaged at least 5 to 15 degrees F below normal. Among several daily-record lows was McGrath's reading of -13 degrees F on October 22.
Three days later, the week ended with lows of -40 degrees F at Chandalar Lake and -25 degrees F at Tok. Meanwhile, very heavy precipitation fell across southeastern Alaska, where weekly totals reached 11.67 inches in Pelican, 6.19 inches in Yakutat, and 6.08 inches on Annette Island. Through October 25, month-to-date totals climbed to 35.51 inches in Pelican and 24.50 inches (124 percent of normal) in Yakutat.
High winds accompanied the storminess, with south-southeasterly gusts clocked to 69 m.p.h. (on October 19) on Annette Island and 56 m.p.h. (on October 23) in Juneau. Rain changed to snow toward week's end in much of southeastern Alaska, where October 24-25 snowfall totaled 3.1 inches in Juneau and 2.2 inches in Yakutat. Snow also blanketed parts of interior Alaska, where Fairbanks' weekly sum of 4.5 inches boosted its October 1-25 total to 12.0 inches.
Farther south, mostly light showers provided little or no drought relief in Hawaii. Through October 25, year-to-date rainfall totals stood at 3.76 inches (28 percent of normal) in Kahului, Maui, and 4.08 inches (32 percent) in Honolulu, Oahu. Late in the week, some heavier showers in windward sections of Oahu resulted in a 48-hour
(October 24-26) rainfall total of 5.38 inches at the Oahu Forest National Wildlife Refuge. Meanwhile on the Big Island, Hilo posted daily-record lows of 65 and 64 degrees F on October 21 and 23, respectively.
National Agricultural Summary: October 20 - 26, 2008
Corn: Areas of the western and central Corn Belt received patchy rainfall amounting of up to 5 inches in isolated portions of Iowa, Kansas, and Nebraska. Temperatures across the region ranged between 45 and 55 degrees Fahrenheit. Ninety-six percent of the corn crop was mature, 4 points behind last year and 3 points behind the 5-year average.
Nebraska acreage was the furthest behind, lagging 13 points behind the average with 87 percent mature. The crop was within 6 points of full development elsewhere. Producers had harvested 39 percent of the crop, 31 points behind last year and 27 points behind the 5-year average. Producers in the Dakotas had harvested the least of their planted acreage, with 4 and 16 percent of the crop harvested in
North Dakota and South Dakota, respectively. Harvest was also falling well behind in Illinois, Iowa, and Missouri. Condition of the corn crop improved 2 points from last week, reaching 64 percent good to excellent.
Soybeans: Average temperatures in soybean-growing areas ranged from as low as 35 degrees in the Dakotas to as warm as 60 degrees along the Mississippi River. Up to 2 inches of rainfall were received over areas along the Mississippi River, in southeast South Dakota, and over much of Illinois. Producers had harvested 76 percent of the soybean acreage, 5 points behind last year, and 7 points behind the 5-year average.
Winter Wheat: In the winter wheat growing areas, the majority of the rain fell over Kansas and Nebraska, reaching up to 5 inches in isolated areas, though light scattered showers fell over areas to the south into the Oklahoma and Texas panhandles. Planting of winter wheat was complete on 84 percent of the acreage, 2 points behind last year and 4 points behind the 5-year average. Major planting activity was evident in Illinois, Indiana, and Oregon, where 15 percent or more of the crop was planted during the week. Producers completed seeding acreage in Colorado and Ohio. Producers in
Arkansas and Missouri were planting their acreage 16 and 20 points behind the 5-year average. Sixty-nine percent of the crop had emerged, 3 points ahead of last year, but the same as the 5-year average. The winter wheat crop was rated 65 percent good to excellent.
Cotton: Ninety-two percent of the cotton acreage had open bolls, 3 points behind last year, and 1 point behind the 5-year average. Producers harvested 40 percent of the crop, 7 points behind last year and 5 points behind the 5-year average. In California and Mississippi, harvest lagged 22 and 20 points behind the average, respectively. Cotton condition was 48 percent good to excellent, unchanged from the previous week.
Sorghum: Eighty-three percent of the sorghum crop was mature, 14 points behind last year and 7 points behind the 5-year average. Major development occurred in New Mexico and Oklahoma, where 29 percent of the crop reached maturity during the week. Producers harvested 49 percent of the crop, 26 points behind last year and 16 points behind the 5-year average. Harvest was at or behind the 5-year average in all States, and was nearly a month behind in South Dakota, with major delays evident in many of the sorghum-producing States. Condition of the sorghum was rated 56 percent good to excellent, unchanged from the previous week's rating.
Rice: Ninety-five percent of the rice crop was harvested, 1 point ahead of last year, but 1 point behind the 5-year average. Harvest was complete in Louisiana and Texas. Harvest was 7 points ahead of the average pace in California, but was at or behind elsewhere.
Peanuts: Peanut producers had harvested 66 percent of the acreage, 7 points ahead of last year's harvest pace, but 1 point behind the 5-year average.
Harvest was very active in all States, with between 10 and 23 percent of the crop being harvested during the week.
Other Crops: Sugarbeet producers harvested three-fourths of the acreage, 6 points behind last year, and 9 points behind the 5-year average. Harvest in Minnesota and North Dakota was most advanced, while major activity during the week occurred in Idaho and Michigan.
Twenty-two percent of the sunflower acreage was harvested, 25 points behind last year and 31 points behind the 5-year average. Other than in Colorado, where harvest was 1 point ahead of the 5-year average, harvest was more than 30 points behind the average.