National Weather Summary
Highlights: Heavy rain soaked the south-central United States, slowing or halting fieldwork but maintaining abundant to locally excessive moisture reserves for pastures, winter wheat, and emerging summer crops. Rain was especially heavy in parts of western and central Texas, where localized flooding occurred. Farther north, a late-season snow storm blanketed Montana's High Plains, stressing livestock but aiding pastures and winter grains. Rain briefly spread as far east as the Dakotas and the upper Midwest, but the remainder of the Corn Belt experienced a very warm, mostly dry week, with many locations reporting temperatures more than 10 degrees Fahrenheit above normal. As a result, corn planting and other spring fieldwork quickly advanced, despite a few late-week showers. Summer crop planting also continued across the South, where rain was mostly confined to southern portions of Texas and Florida. However, rain was needed in much of the South to promote germination and growth of emerging crops. Meanwhile, occasional frost in the northern Mid-Atlantic region was a concern with respect to fruit crops, many of which had bloomed during an early-April heat wave. Elsewhere, Northwestern producers also monitored fruit trees and other temperature-sensitive crops, following early-April freezes. Throughout the West, a cool, showery weather regime yielded to warm, mostly dry conditions by week's end, allowing fieldwork to resume.
Early in the week, heavy precipitation fell in the West Coast States. In California, daily-record totals for April 11 included 2.25 inches in Ukiah and 0.98 inch in Red Bluff. According to the California Department of Water Resources, the average water content of the high-elevation Sierra Nevada snow pack climbed to 33 inches (118 percent of the normal seasonal peak value) by mid-April, up 3 inches from the end of March. Farther east, Ely, Nevada (2.2 inches), measured a daily-record snowfall for April 12. Meanwhile, heavy showers peppered southern Florida, resulting in daily-record amounts in locations such as Naples (1.52 inches on April 11) and Miami (2.15 inches on April 12). Between areas of stormy weather, warmth expanded across the Nation's midsection. Daily-record highs for April 12 included 86 degrees Fahrenheit in Sioux City, Iowa, and 85 degrees Fahrenheit in Norfolk, Nebraska. However, high winds accompanied the surge of warmth. On April 13,peak gusts were clocked to 68 miles per hour in Valentine, Nebraska; 66 miles per hour in Colorado Springs, Colorado; and 63 miles per hour in Goodland, Kansas. Later, record-setting warmth returned to the Midwest, South, and East. Jackson, Tennessee (88 degrees Fahrenheit), posted a daily-record high for April 14, followed the next day by records in locations such as Alpena, Michigan, Columbus, Ohio, and Parkersburg, West Virginia (all 84 degrees Fahrenheit).
On the northern High Plains, the early-week Western storm evolved into a significant spring snowfall. On April 13-14 in Montana, totals reached 13.2 inches in Great Falls and 12.5 inches in Valier. During the same period, Havre, Montana, received just 3.0 inches of snow, but collected 1.05 inches of liquid equivalent. Meanwhile, heavy rains erupted across the south-central United States. In Texas, April 15-17 totals included 4.50 inches in Lubbock and 4.27 inches in Childress. In Del Rio, Texas, where the weekly rainfall reached 5.79 inches, the April 15 sum of 3.19 inches represented the highest single-day April total on record. Previously, Del Rio's wettest April day had been April 11, 1969, when 2.94 inches fell. Elsewhere in Texas, McAllen received a weekly sum of 4.19 inches, while Wichita Falls netted a daily-record amount of 3.45 inches on April 17.
Mild, occasionally stormy weather prevailed across much of Alaska. On April 11, daily-record totals included 2.8 inches of snow in Bettles and 0.41 inch of precipitation in McGrath. On April 13-14, 18.1 inches of snow blanketed Valdez. Anchorage, with 9.0 inches on April 14, experienced its second-snowiest April day on record behind 15.5 inches on April 24, 2008. In contrast, weekly precipitation totaled just 0.09 inch in Juneau, where a daily-record high of 56 degrees Fahrenheit occurred on April 16. Farther south, mostly dry, unusually cool weather settled across Hawaii. On the Big Island, Hilo posted daily-record lows on April 12 and 14 (61 and 62 degrees Fahreneheit, respectively).
National Weather Summary provided by USDA's World Agricultural Outlook Board.For more information, call (202) 720-2397.
Agricultural Summary - April 12 - April 18, 2010
Highlights: Much of the United States was blanketed by warmer than normal temperatures during the week, with areas throughout the Corn Belt and Great Lakes regions pushing the mercury to as many as 12 degrees or more above average. In contrast, abnormally cool temperatures dominated California, slowing maturity of the barley, oat, and wheat crops. While relatively dry weather prevailed across much of the country, a low pressure storm system settled over Texas, delivering widespread precipitation to much of the State. Areas of the High and Low Plains, as well as portions of the Coastal Bend, Hill Country, and South Texas were pounded with heavy rainfall totaling 4 inches or more.
Corn: Nationally, 19 percent of the 2010 corn crop was planted by week's end, 14 percentage points ahead of last year and 10 percentage points ahead of the 5-year average. Aided by warm, mostly dry weather across much of the major corn-producing region, planting progressed rapidly during the week. Most notably, producers in Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina,Tennessee, and Texas planted 22 percent or more of their crop during the week.
Winter Wheat: Heading was evident in 6 percent of the Nation's winter wheat crop, 7 percentage points behind last year and 5 percentage points behind the 5-year average. The most significant delay existed in Arkansas, where planting setbacks following the late harvest of soybeans during the fall prevented the crop from reaching normal maturity before winter dormancy. Overall, 69 percent of the winter wheat crop was reported in good to excellent condition, up 4 percentage points from ratings last week and 26 percentage points better than a year ago.
Cotton: Producers planted 5 percent of the cotton crop during the week, leaving progress, at 11 percent complete, on par with last year but slightly behind the 5-year average. Planting began in areas of the Delta and Southeast during the week, where producers had 6 or more days suitable for fieldwork. Elsewhere, the biggest planting delay was evident in California,where soggy fields in some areas continued to limit fieldwork.
Sorghum: Planting of the 2010 sorghum crop advanced to 23 percent complete by April 18, slightly behind both last year and the 5-year average. Above average temperatures and sunny skies allowed producers in Arkansas and Louisiana to plant 43 and 18 percent of the crop during the week, respectively. Elsewhere, warm, dry weather was needed in the Coastal Bend region of Texas to promote crop growth and help dry saturated fields.
Rice: Nationwide, 47 percent of the rice crop was seeded by week's end, 19 percentage points ahead of last year and 14 percentage points ahead of the 5-year average. Seeding advanced rapidly in 4 of the 6 rice-producing States, with producers throughout much of the Delta seeding 32 percent or more of their crop during the week. Overall, 18 percent of the rice crop was emerged, 8 percentage points ahead of last year and 4 percentage points ahead of the 5-year average.
Small Grains: Seeding of the 2010 oat crop advanced to 63 percent by April 18, seventeen percentage points ahead of last year and 16 percentage points ahead of the 5-year average. Double-digit seeding progress was made in all estimating States except North Dakota, where seeding had just begun, and in Texas, where seeding was complete. Emergence was evident in 36 percent of this year's crop, 7 percentage points ahead of last year and 5 percentage points ahead of the 5-year average.
Barley producers had seeded 18 percent of the Nation's crop by week's end, 10 percentage points ahead of last year and 2 percentage points ahead of the 5-year average. Seeding was most advanced in Washington, where above average temperatures and mostly dry weather throughout much of February and March allowed producers to begin fieldwork earlier than normal. Conversely, cool, wet conditions and late-spring snow hampered fieldwork in the major barley-producing areas of Idaho, leading to a seeding delay of nearly one week.
Twenty percent of the 2010 spring wheat crop was planted by week's end, 14 percentage points ahead of last year and 6 percentage points ahead of the 5-year average. Similar to barley, seeding was most advanced in Minnesota and Washington, where progress was 39 and 15 percentage points ahead of normal, respectively.
Other Crops: Sugarbeet producers planted 16 percent of the crop during the week, leaving progress, at 33 percent complete, 16 percentage points ahead of last year and 15 percentage points ahead of the 5-year average. Progress was ahead of normal in Michigan, Minnesota, and North Dakota, but trailed the 5-year average in Idaho where cool temperatures in previous weeks had slowed planting.
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Source : USDA