Washington, D.C. Weekly Weather And Crop Bulletin Released April,, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (SS),, U.S. Department of Agriculture. For information on call Brian T. Young at () -, office hours : a.m. to : p.m. ET. National Weather Summary Volume, No. April -, For additional information, call () -. Highlights: Drier conditions allowed spring planting operations to resume in most of the Southeast, while locally heavy rain hampered early-week fieldwork in the Delta. Meanwhile, showers and thunderstorms in the western Corn Belt slowed fieldwork but boosted pre-planting moisture reserves. In contrast, dry weather reduced topsoil moisture in parts of the eastern Corn Belt and the lower Great Lakes region. Farther west, snow fell early in the week from eastern Colorado into parts of the western Dakotas. Just to the east, a band of locally heavy rain affected areas from Kansas to the eastern Dakotas. Later in the week, some much-needed precipitation overspread Montana s High Plains. With respect to the winter wheat crop, dryness-related concerns including significant subsoil moisture shortages on the northern High Plains and diminishing topsoil moisture reserves on the southern Plains, especially in Oklahoma. Spring fieldwork, including cotton planting, advanced under dry conditions in California and the Southwest. Meanwhile in the Northwest, winter wheat and spring-sown small grains continued to benefit from occasional showers and topsoil moisture improvements. Nevertheless, projected summer water supplies remained a major concern for irrigated Northwestern crops due to the minimal summer runoff expected from meager high-elevation snow packs. In addition, Northwestern fruit producers monitored the effects of several cold mornings--the coldest of which was April in most locations--on blooming trees. Late in the week, frosts and freezes were also noted in the East as far south as the southern Mid-Atlantic s, although most of the region's fruit trees were not yet advanced to stages susceptible to the cold weather. Cool weather in the East and West Coast s contrasted with a third consecutive week of warm weather in most areas from the Plains to the Appalachians. Weekly temperatures ranged from as much as degrees F below normal in the Mid-Atlantic coastal plain to degrees F above normal in parts of the upper Midwest. Early in the week, warm weather prevailed across the Midwest in advance of a strong spring storm. On April, Muskegon, MI ( degrees F), collected a daily-record high, while locations such as LaCrosse, WI, and Indianapolis, IN (both degrees F), tallied their first readings at or above degrees F since September. Farther west, Denver, CO, collected a daily-record precipitation total (. inches on April ) and measured. inches of snow on April -. Storm-total snowfalls in excess of feet were noted in the nearby Colorado Rockies. Farther north, Valentine, (. inches), observed a daily-record snowfall for April, while Bismarck, (. inch), reported its rainiest day since September,, when. inch fell. Elsewhere on April, daily-record rainfall totals were observed in several Southern and Midwestern locations, including Shreveport, LA (. inches), El Dorado, (. inches), and Ames, IA (. inches). Meanwhile, heavy rain finally subsided by mid-week in the Southeast. Pensacola, FL, measured. inches of rain on April -, boosting its month-to-date total to. inches. Counting a.-inch deluge on March, Pensacola s - day (March - April ) rainfall totaled. inches. Through April, Pensacola set records for its wettest April (previously,. inches in ) and wettest March-May period (. inches; previously,. inches in ). At mid-week, cool air settled into the Northwest, where Yakima, WA ( degrees F on April ), tied its monthly record low (previously, degrees F on April, ). A day later, records for April included We (-)
degrees F in Ely, NV; degrees F in Yakima; and degrees F in Bakersfield,. The Northwestern chill lingered into April, when daily records were tied in Ephrata, WA ( degrees F), and Pendleton, OR ( degrees F). Ephrata had reported a lower temperature ( degrees F) on April, but had just missed its record low ( degrees F in ) for that date. Farther east, Martinsburg, WV, reported consecutive freezes ( and degrees F) on April -. Daily-record lows for April were reported in Mid-Atlantic locations such as Salisbury, MD ( degrees F), and Georgetown, DE ( degrees F). Prior to the arrival of the Eastern chill, heavy surf and high winds affected the Atlantic Seaboard. In eastern North Carolina, a wind gust to m.p.h. was clocked in Hatteras Village on April. Unsettled conditions prevailed for much of the week in the Pacific Northwest, but stormy weather pushed farther inland toward week s end. Along the Oregon coast, Astoria netted a daily-record rainfall of. inches on April. Scattered showers and thunderstorms also developed across the Southwest at week s end, when Albuquerque, NM, measured. inch on April. For the year-to-date, Albuquerque s precipitation reached. inches ( percent of normal). Windy weather preceded the late-week Western storminess, resulting in a wind gust to m.p.h. (on April ) in Wendover, UT. Very warm weather (up to degrees F above normal) prevailed in Hawaii, accompanied by locally heavy showers in windward locations. On Oahu, Honolulu posted highs of degrees F on consecutive days from April -. Two of Honolulu s highs (on April and ) tied daily-record highs. On the Big Island, Mountain View collected a weekly rainfall total of. inches, including a -hour sum of. inches on April -. Farther north, cold, dry weather overspread much of Alaska. Temperatures averaged as much as degrees F below normal in Alaska, despite some early-week warmth. Anchorage tallied a daily-record high of degrees F on April, followed by a daily-record low ( degrees F) in Juneau just days later. By April, temperatures fell below - degrees F across parts of interior Alaska, where Galena (- degrees F) notched a daily-record low. Through April, month-to-date Alaskan precipitation totals were as low as a trace (. inch below normal) in McGrath and. inch (. inch below normal) in Anchorage. National Agricultural Summary April -, Highlights: Temperatures were mild across most of the Nation, particularly in the Corn Belt. Along the Atlantic and Pacific Coasts, however, below-normal temperatures prevailed. Thunderstorms in the Mississippi Delta limited fieldwork. Though conditions in the Southeast were drier than in previous weeks, soggy conditions continued to delay planting. Mostly dry weather the Ohio Valley was favorable for fieldwork. Despite heavy rain early in the week, planting progressed well in the central Corn Belt. Subsoil moisture shortages remained a problem in the northern Great Plains, despite light to moderate rainfall in the Dakotas early in the week. In the central Rockies and central Great Plains, a snowstorm late last week left as much as feet of snow on the ground in some areas, slowing fieldwork early in the week but increasing soil moisture. Topsoil moisture levels declined in the southern Great Plains under mostly dry conditions. Light rainfall in the Pacific Northwest and northern Rocky Mountains continued to boost soil moisture, benefitting pastures and winter grains. Dry conditions in California were favorable for fieldwork, allowing cotton planting to progress after delays in recent weeks due to soggy conditions. Corn: Growers had planted percent of their acreage, percentage points behind last year but points ahead of normal. In Illinois, where percent of the crop had been planted, progress was points ahead of the -year average. Meanwhile, planting was well behind normal in the Tennessee Valley and Southeast, where soggy conditions limited fieldwork. Planting had not yet begun across the northern Great Plains and northern Corn Belt, except in Michigan, where percent of the acreage was planted, well ahead of normal. Winter Wheat: Eight percent of the crop was headed, compared with percent last year and percent for the -year average. Heading was most advanced in California, where percent of the crop had reached the stage, points ahead of normal. In Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas, percent of more of the crop was headed, but fields in the Pacific Northwest, northern and central Great Plains, and Corn Belt had not begun heading. Cotton: Planting reached percent complete, points behind last year and point behind the -year average. Texas growers had planted percent of their acreage, the same as last year but points ahead of normal. April SS, UA
However, planting progress was behind normal in most other s. In California, where soggy conditions prevented planting in previous weeks, only percent of the acreage had been planted, points behind last year and points behind the -year average. Sorghum: Producers had planted percent of their crop, the same as last year but point ahead of normal. Planting was most advanced in Texas, where percent of the acreage had been seeded, points ahead of normal. Planting was most active in the Delta, advancing points in Arkansas and points in Louisiana. However, progress elsewhere was limited to points or less. Rice: Planting was percent complete, points behind last year and points behind normal. Eleven percent of the crop had emerged, compared with percent last year and percent for the -year average. Planting progress was behind normal in all s, but nowhere more than in the Delta, where Arkansas growers were points behind their normal pace and Louisiana growers were points behind due to soggy conditions. Meanwhile, emergence advanced to percent complete in Texas and percent complete in Louisiana. Emergence had not yet begun in California or Missouri and was behind the normal pace in the remaining s. Small Grains: Spring wheat planting advanced to percent complete, points behind last year but points ahead of the -year average. In Washington, percent of the acreage had been sown, points ahead of normal. South Dakota growers, with percent of their acreage planted, were points ahead of normal. In Minnesota, where persistent rainfall limited fieldwork, just percent of the acreage had been planted, compared with the normal percent. Barley planting, at percent complete, was points behind last year but point ahead of normal. Planting was most advanced in Washington, at percent complete. North Dakota growers had planted just percent of their acreage but were points ahead of the -year average. In the northern Rocky Mountains, planting progressed points in Idaho and points in Montana. Oat growers had planted percent of their acreage, compared with percent last year and percent for the -year average. Planting progressed rapidly in the Ohio Valley, advancing points in Ohio and points in Pennsylvania. South Dakota growers also progressed well, sowing percent of their acreage during the week. Planting was at or ahead of the normal pace in all s, except Minnesota. Other Crops: Sugarbeet planting reached percent complete, points behind last year but points ahead of normal. Michigan producers planted nearly percent of their acreage during the week, reaching percent complete, points ahead of normal. Planting was just getting underway in the Red River Valley. April SS, UA
Corn: Percent Planted, Selected s Winter Wheat: Percent Headed, Selected s Apr, Week Ending - Apr, Apr, Avg. Apr, Week Ending - Apr, Apr, Avg. CO IL IN IA KY MI NC OH PA TN WI CO IL IN MI MT NC OH OK OR WA Sts These s planted % of last year s corn Sts These s planted % of last year s winter wheat AL AZ GA LA MS NC OK SC TN Apr, Cotton: Percent Planted, Selected s Week Ending - Apr, Apr, Avg. * Sts * Revised. These s planted % of last year s cotton CO IL LA NM OK Sorghum: Percent Planted, Selected s Apr, Week Ending - Apr, Apr, Avg. Sts These s planted % of last year s sorghum April SS, UA
Rice: Percent Planted, Selected s Rice: Percent Emerged, Selected s Apr, Week Ending - Apr, Apr, Avg. Apr, Week Ending - Apr, Apr, Avg. LA MS LA MS Sts These s planted % of last year s rice Sts These s planted % of last year s rice IA OH PA WI Apr, Oats: Percent Planted, Selected s Week Ending - Apr, Apr, Avg. Sts These s planted % of last year s oat MT WA Spring Wheat: Percent Planted, Selected s Apr, Week Ending - Apr, Apr, Avg. Sts These s planted % of last year s spring wheat MT WA Apr, Barley: Percent Planted, Selected s Week Ending - Apr, Apr, Avg. Sts These s planted % of last year s barley MI Sugarbeets: Percent Planted, Selected s Apr, Week Ending - Apr, Apr, Avg. Sts These s planted % of last year s sugarbeet April SS, UA
CO IL IN MI MT NC OH OK OR WA Winter Wheat: Crop Condition by Percent, Selected s Week Ending Apr, VP P F G EX Percent Sts Prev Wk Prev Yr VP-Very Poor, P-Poor, F-Fair, G-Good, EX-Excellent. National crop conditions for selected s are weighted based on planted acres. April SS, UA
Crop Progress and Condition Survey and Estimating Procedures Survey Procedures: Crop progress and condition estimates are based on survey data that are collected each week from early April to the end of November. The Crop progress and condition surveys are non-probability surveys that include a sample of more than, reporters whose occupations provide them opportunities to make visual observations and frequently bring them in contact with farmers in their counties. Based on standard definitions, these reporters subjectively estimate progress of farmers activities and progress of crops through their stages of development. They also provide subjective evaluations of crop conditions. Most reporters complete their questionnaire on Friday or early Monday morning and submit it to the Agricultural Statistics Service s office in their by mail, telephone, fax, e-mail, or through a secured internet website. A small number of reports are completed on Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. Regardless of the time that the questionnaire is completed, reporters are asked to report for the week ending on Sunday. For reports submitted prior to the Sunday reference date, a degree of uncertainty is introduced into the projections for weekend progress and crop condition changes. By the end of the season, nearly two-thirds of the data were being submitted through the internet website. As a result, about one-half of all data are submitted on Monday morning, which has significantly reduced this projection uncertainty. Reporters are sent written reporting instructions at the beginning of each season and are contacted periodically to ensure proper reporting. Terms and definitions of crop stages and condition categories that are used as reporting guidelines are available on the National Agricultural Statistics Service (SS) website at: www.usda.gov/nass/pubs/cwterms.htm. Estimating Procedures: Reported data are reviewed for reasonableness and consistency by comparing with data reported the previous week and data reported in surrounding counties for the current week. Each Statistical Office summarizes the reported data to district and levels, weighting each county s reported data by SS county acreage estimates. Summarized indications are compared with previous week estimates, and progress items are compared with earlier stages of development and historical averages to ensure reasonableness. Weather events and reporter comments are also taken into consideration. estimates are submitted to the Agricultural Statistics Board (ASB) along with supporting comments, where they are compared with surrounding s and compiled into a National level summary by weighting each by its acreage estimates. Revision Policy: Progress and condition estimates in the "Crop Progress" report are released after : pm ET on the first business day of the week. These estimates are preliminary and subject to corrections or updates in the National Summary that is released after : pm ET on the second business day of the week. These estimates are then subject to revision the following week. April SS, UA
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