National Weather Summary: Rain Slows Harvest, Snow Covers Colorado
11/03/2009 11:35AM
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HIGHLIGHTS: Another major storm dumped 2 to 8 inches of rain from the western half of the Gulf Coast region into the central Corn Belt, dealing another setback to producers attempting to harvest summer crops and plant soft red winter wheat. Corn and cotton harvesting continued to proceed at the slowest pace since at least the mid-1970's, when National crop progress tables first appeared in the Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin. The Nation's soybean harvest proceeded at the slowest pace since 1984. Wet soils and lowland flooding also continued to threaten the quality of unharvested summer crops in the lower Mississippi Valley and parts of the Midwest. In contrast, relatively drier conditions promoted some summer crop harvesting and winter wheat planting in the eastern Corn Belt and the southern Atlantic coastal plain. Meanwhile on the Plains, generally cool, wet weather hampered fieldwork and limited winter wheat emergence and development. Heavy snow blanketed some areas from eastern Colorado into Nebraska, but mostly dry weather prevailed in eastern Montana and western North Dakota. Elsewhere, cool weather also settled across the West, although dry weather favored cotton harvesting and other fieldwork from California into the Southwest.
Farther north, snow fell in parts of the Rockies, while showers aided Northwestern winter grains. Weekly temperatures averaged more than 10oF below normal in parts of the Four Corners States, but were at least 5oF above normal in northern Florida, southern Georgia, and portions of the lower Great Lakes region.
By November 1, one-quarter (25 percent) of the Nation's corn was harvested, compared to the previous record-slow pace of 44 percent in 1992. On the same date, just over half (51 percent) of the Nation's soybeans were harvested - the slowest harvest pace since 1984, when harvest reached the halfway mark on November 1. At the same time, the Nation's cotton harvest was 28 percent complete. The last time less than 40 percent of the U.S. cotton was harvested by November 1 was 1984 (35 percent complete).
Early in the week, sharply colder air invaded the West, where daily-record lows for October 26 included 15oF in Rawlins, WY, and 23oF in Grand Junction, CO. High winds accompanied the surge of cold air, with peak gusts clocked to 83 miles per hour (on October 27) at Logan Pass, MT, and 81 miles per hour (on October 27) atop southern California's Whitaker Peak. Meanwhile, significant snow blanketed the northern and central Rockies and central High Plains, with isolated storm totals approaching 4 feet in Jefferson County, CO. From October 25-29, snowfall totaled 15.7 inches in Denver, CO; 15.0 inches in Cheyenne, WY, and 12.6 inches in Scottsbluff, NE. Elsewhere in Nebraska, a 12.3-inch snowfall in North Platte on October 29-30 boosted its monthly sum to 30.3 inches (2,755 percent of normal). North Platte's normal annual snowfall is 28.4 inches, and its previous snowiest October (15.7 inches) occurred in 1969. Similarly, Cheyenne, WY, completed its snowiest, coldest October on record, with 28.0 inches of snow (previously, 23.1 inches in 1906) and an average temperature of 37.0oF (previously, 37.1oF in 1969). Other locations reporting their coldest October included Tulsa, OK (55.9oF, or 6.7oF below normal; tied 55.9oF in 1925); Goodland KS (43.7oF, or 8.1oF below normal; previously, 44.3oF in 1925); and Rapid City, SD (38.7oF, or 9.5oF below normal; previously, 39.0oF in 2002). In contrast, Miami, FL, set a record for its warmest October on record, with an average temperature of 82.4oF, or 3.6oF above normal (previously, 82.1oF in 2002). Miami also tied a 1989 record with 14 October days with highs of 90oF or greater. Elsewhere in Florida, Lakeland (95oF) notched a daily-record high for October 29, while Tampa posted daily-record highs of 91oF on both October 29-30. Orlando, FL (89oF on October 31), ended the month with its ninth daily-record high tied or broken during October. Meanwhile, chilly weather lingered for much of the week in the West, where daily-record lows for October 29 dipped to 2oF in Stanley, ID, and 24oF in Douglas, AZ.
On October 26, heavy rain returned to the western Gulf Coast region, where daily-record totals in Texas included 2.43 inches in Houston and 2.42 inches in Waco. Later in the Mid-Atlantic region, Georgetown, DE (2.77 and 2.06 inches), posted consecutive daily-record rainfall totals for October 27-28. Meanwhile, even heavier rain developed from eastern Texas into the lower and middle Mississippi Valley. On October 29, rainfall topped 5 inches in locations such as Shreveport, LA (5.88 inches); Lufkin, TX (5.58 inches); and North Little Rock, AR (5.23 inches). For North Little Rock, it was the wettest October day on record, toppling the standard of 4.69 inches on October 29, 1991. In nearby Little Rock, AR, where 5.05 inches fell on October 29, it was the second-wettest October day behind 5.11 inches on October 18, 1984. By October 30, additional daily-record totals included 3.39 inches in Monroe, LA; 3.00 inches in Jonesboro, AR; and 2.83 inches in Grand Rapids, MI. For Grand Rapids, it was the second-wettest October day behind 3.59 inches on October 3, 1954. At week's end, drier air overspread much of the Nation. However, records for October wetness were set in dozens of locations across the Midwest and South, including Monroe, LA (20.54 inches; previously, 12.14 inches in 1906); Shreveport, LA (20.35 inches; previously 14.02 inches in 1949); El Dorado, AR (19.75 inches; previously, 16.02 inches in 1919); Little Rock, AR (16.56 inches; previously, 15.35 inches in 1984); Greenville, MS (14.47 inches; previously, 10.02 inches in 1984); Vichy-Rolla, MO (12.56 inches; previously, 11.27 inches in 1949); Memphis, TN (10.56 inches; previously, 10.13 inches in 1919); Mason City, IA (6.98 inches; previously, 5.64 inches in 1984); and Sioux City, IA (5.70 inches; previously, 5.30 inches in 1979). In late October and early November, record flooding developed in parts of northwestern Louisiana, where Bodcau Bayou rose more than 28 feet above flood stage and nearly 3 feet above the previous high-water mark established on March 18, 2001.
For much of Alaska and Hawaii, late-October conditions included light precipitation and near- to above-normal temperatures. However, Fairbanks, AK, received its first measurable snowfall of the season (5.3 inches) from October 26-28, accounting for 86 percent (0.43 of 0.50 inch) of its monthly precipitation. For the month, Fairbanks' average temperature of 30.7oF was 7.2oF above normal, while its snowfall of 5.3 inches was 42 percent of normal.
Farther south, Honolulu, Oahu, notched a daily-record high of 90oF on October 30, and completed the month with a rainfall total of 1.27 inches (58 percent of normal). On Hawaii's Big Island, October rainfall was close to normal in Hilo (9.48 inches, or 98 percent of normal), mainly on the strength of early-month showers.