National Weather Summary: August 22 - 28, 2010
Highlights: Locally heavy rain helped to ease the effects of a hot,
drier-than-normal summer in the South and East. However, the rain -- which totaled 4 inches or more along the eastern Gulf Coast and in parts of New York and southern New England -- fell too late to benefit most summer crops.
Farther west, cooler air settled across the Corn Belt, accompanied by a string of dry days. In fact, Midwestern rain was confined to western Corn Belt on August 23-24. The mild, dry weather promoted Midwestern summer crop maturation but maintained stress on late-planted soybeans across the southern Corn Belt. Meanwhile on the Plains, most of the week's rain also fell on August 23-24, with the most significant totals (2 inches or more) occurring from central Kansas into eastern Nebraska. An exception was Montana, where
early- and late-week showers slowed small grain harvesting but boosted soil moisture in preparation for the upcoming winter wheat establishment season.
Elsewhere, scattered showers dotted the Rockies and the Southwest. Several days of hot, dry weather promoted fieldwork and summer crop maturation across the majority of the West, but markedly cooler air arrived toward week's end.
Relief from hot weather also reached the south-central United States,
although readings of 100 degrees Fahrenheit or higher were common through August 24. Later, a surge of warmth in advance of a cold front boosted temperatures to 100 degrees Fahrenheit or higher as far north as Montana and the Dakotas on August 26-27.
During the first half of the week, record-setting heat persisted across the south-central United States. Dallas-Ft. Worth, Texas, posted consecutive daily-record highs (105 and 107 degrees Fahrenheit) on August 22-23. In San Angelo, Texas, high temperatures reached or exceeded 100 degrees Fahrenheit on 26 consecutive days from July 30 - August 24, easily breaking its 1969 record of 18 days.
Elsewhere in Texas, Waco's string of 25 consecutive 100-degree days from July 31 - August 24 was its longest such streak since a
29-day spell of triple-digit heat from July 6 - August 3, 1998. The heat came to an abrupt end, however, as sharply cooler air trailed a cold front into the nation's midsection. In Oklahoma, Ft. Supply's low of 41 degrees Fahrenheit on August 25 tied a state record for the date. With a low of 48 degrees Fahrenheit on August 26, Amarillo, Texas, tied its monthly record first established on August 30, 1915.
Meanwhile, extreme heat briefly affected the West, where Bakersfield, California (111 and 107 degrees Fahrenheit), notched consecutive daily-record highs on August 24-25. Other daily-record highs in California included 121 degrees Fahrenheit (on August 26) in Death Valley; 110 degrees Fahrenheit (on August 25) in Fresno,
Redding, and Riverside; and 109 degrees Fahrenheit (on August 24) in Paso Robles.
Farther north, sharp temperature fluctuations were noted across the
interior Northwest. For example, Pocatello, Idaho, registered a daily-record low of 35 degrees Fahrenheit on August 24, followed by a daily-record high of 100 degrees Fahrenheit on August 26. The latter reading was also Pocatello's latest triple-digit heat, breaking the record set with a high of 101 degrees Fahrenheit on August 15, 2003. Toward week's end, record-setting heat briefly overspread the northern Plains, where both Chadron, Nebraska, and Mobridge,
South Dakota, attained 106 degrees Fahrenheit on August 27. It was Chadron's second-hottest August day on record (tied with August 11, 2006, and earlier dates), behind only 108 degrees Fahrenheit on August 6, 1980. By August 28, chilly conditions returned to the West. In California, Santa Rosa notched a daily-record low of 46 degrees Fahrenheit on August 28, just 3 days after posting a daily-record high of 103 degrees Fahrenheit.
A low-pressure system lurking near the northern Atlantic Coast maintained wet conditions during the early- to mid-week period in the Northeast. Parts of Ulster County, New York, received more than 7 inches of rain during the first half of the week. Daily-record rainfall totals for August 22 in New York included 4.21 inches in Syracuse and 1.80 inches in Binghamton. It was also Syracuse's wettest August day on record, surpassing the mark of 2.98 inches set on August 28, 1990. The following day, August 23, a wind gust to 69 miles per hour was clocked on Horseshoe Shoal in Nantucket Sound. Heavy rain
lingered through midweek in coastal New England, where daily-record totals for August 25 included 2.76 inches in Boston, Massachusetts, and 2.64 inches in Portland, Maine. Milton, Massachusetts, reported an August 22-25 event total of 7.59 inches. Meanwhile, locally heavy showers dotted the Southeast, where daily-record amounts reached 5.27 inches (on August 24) at Cape Hatteras, North Carolina; 4.92 inches (on August 23) in Sarasota-Bradenton, Florida; 3.21 inches (on August 22) in Savannah, Georgia; and 2.55 inches (on August 24) in Lynchburg, Virginia. Heavy showers also briefly flared across the central Plains and the western Corn Belt, where Sioux City, Iowa (2.18 inches), collected a daily-record rainfall for August 23.
Relatively tranquil weather and near-normal temperatures prevailed in both Alaska and Hawaii. At week's end, however, wet weather developed in parts of Alaska, resulting in a daily-record total of 1.22 inches (on August 28) in Anchorage. Meanwhile on Hawaii's Big Island, Hilo's month-to-date precipitation totaled just 4.06 inches (46 percent of normal), despite measurable rainfall on 26 of 28 days.
National Weather Summary provided by USDA's World Agricultural Outlook Board. For more information, call (202) 720-2397.
Agricultural Summary: August 23 - 29, 2010
Highlights: With the exception of the Pacific Northwest, where temperatures fell to as many as 8 degrees below normal, above average temperatures dominated much of the country during the week, promoting the continued rapid development of summer crops such as corn, cotton, and soybeans. Lingering showers along the Gulf Coast delivered some much needed moisture to areas of the Delta and Southeast, while much of the Corn Belt welcomed a relatively
rain-free week that promoted drying in previously saturated summer crop fields.
Corn: Nearly ideal growing conditions throughout the major corn-producing areas of the Nation continued to promote rapid phenological development of this year's crop. By August 29, corn at or beyond the dough stage had advanced to 94 percent complete, 21 percentage points ahead of last year and 8 percentage points ahead of the 5-year average. Double-digit progress was evident in 14 of the 18 major estimating States during the week and by week's end, 73 percent of this year's corn acreage was at or beyond the dented
stage, 43 percentage points, or over 18 days, ahead of last year and
18 percentage points ahead of the 5-year average. Denting progress in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, and Minnesota was 52 percentage points or more ahead of last year and 20 percentage points or more ahead of the 5-year average. Corn in the mature stage advanced 9 points during the week, leaving progress, at 17 percent complete, 12 percentage points ahead of last year and 6 percentage points ahead of the 5-year average. Overall, 70 percent of the corn crop was reported in good to excellent condition, unchanged from ratings
last week but up slightly from the same time last year.
Soybeans: Nationally, 96 percent of this year's soybean acreage was at the pod setting stage or beyond by week's end, 4 percentage points ahead of last year and slightly ahead of the 5-year average. Pod setting was complete or nearly complete in all estimating States except Missouri and North Carolina, where progress was ahead of both last year and the average, and Kansas, where progress trailed both last year and the average. By August 29, leaves were dropping on 8 percent of the soybean acreage, 5 percentage points ahead of
last year and slightly ahead of the 5-year average. Leaf dropping was most advanced in Louisiana and Mississippi. Overall, 64 percent of the soybean crop was reported in good to excellent condition, unchanged from ratings last week but down 5 percentage points from the same time last year.
Cotton: Nationwide, boll setting advanced to 96 percent complete by week's end, 4 percentage points ahead of last year and 2 percentage points ahead of the 5-year average. Twenty-nine percent of the cotton acreage was opening bolls or beyond by August 29, eleven percentage points ahead of last year and 6 percentage points ahead of the 5-year average. Boosted by warm temperatures throughout the growing season, bolls were opening at a rapid pace across the
Delta and Southeast where progress was well ahead of both last year and the average. Overall, 60 percent of the cotton crop was reported in good to excellent condition, down 2 percentage points from ratings last week but 9 percentage points better than the same time last year. In Texas, spider mites coupled with a lack of available soil moisture negatively impacted fields in the Southern High Plains, while army worms and grasshoppers were evident in irrigated cotton fields in the Cross Timbers.
Sorghum: Heading of this year's sorghum crop was complete or nearly complete in all estimating States except New Mexico. Overall progress advanced to 95 percent complete by August 29, four percentage points ahead of last year and 5 percentage points ahead of the 5-year average. Fifty-eight percent of the sorghum acreage was at or beyond the coloring stage, 12 percentage points ahead of last year and 4 percentage points ahead of the 5-year average.
Warm temperatures prevailed throughout much of the Great Plains, promoting continued rapid coloring. Maturity inched forward during the week, advancing just 1 point to 26 percent complete by week's end, 2 percentage points behind last year and 3 percentage points behind the 5-year average. With activity limited to the Delta and Texas, 17 percent of the Nation's sorghum crop was harvested by August 29, seven percentage points behind last year and 6 percentage points behind the 5-year average. While the harvest pace was well ahead of normal in the Delta, progress in Texas trailed last year by 19 percentage points and the 5-year average by 16 percentage points. Overall, 62 percent of the sorghum crop was reported in good to excellent condition, down slightly from ratings last week but 13 percentage points better than the same time last year.
Rice: By week's end, 93 percent of the rice crop was at the heading stage or beyond, 5 percentage points ahead of last year but slightly behind the 5-year average. While heading was complete throughout the Delta, progress continued to trail normal in California and Texas. Harvest advanced to 32 percent by August 29, seventeen percentage points ahead of last year and 15 percentage points ahead of the 5-year average. Overall, 68 percent of the rice crop was reported in good to excellent condition, unchanged from ratings last week but
up 2 percentage points from the same time last year.
Small Grains: Nationally, 96 percent of the oat crop was harvested by week's end, 15 percentage points ahead of last year and slightly ahead of the 5-year average.
A week of dry, mostly sunny conditions allowed producers throughout the major barley-producing regions ample time to harvest 19 percent of the Nation's crop during the week. By August 29, harvest had advanced to 71 percent complete, 28 percentage points ahead of last year but 5 percentage points behind the average.
Spring wheat producers had harvested 69 percent of this year's crop by week's end, 33 percentage points ahead of last year but 6 percentage points behind the 5-year average. Despite producers in Idaho and Montana utilizing nearly a week of days suitable for fieldwork to harvest 17 percent or more of their crop during the week, overall progress in these States remained 32 percentage points or more behind the 5-year average.
Other Crops: Overall, 59 percent of the peanut crop was reported in good to excellent condition, up 3 percentage points from ratings last week but 13 percentage points below the same time last year.