HDR1012000170100307951200WEEKLY WEATHER & CROP BULLETIN HDR2012000170100307951200NAT. AGRI. SUMMARY NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY February 27 - March 5, 1995 HIGHLIGHTS: Heavy rainfall in California halted field activity late in the week. Small grain fields made excellent growth. Californian rice fields were drained and burned in preparation for planting, while corn and cotton fields were pre-irrigated, and treated with herbicides. Rain along the northern Pacific Coast did not slow weed control measures and soil fertilization in Washington. Last week's moisture and warm weather caused the winter wheat to lose its cold hardiness and to green quickly in the central Great Plains. Light snow from the northern High Plains to the southern Great Plains insulated the winter wheat from the cold air that descended from central Canada. The cold snap following last week's mild temperatures raised wheat producer's concern. Snow cover in Montana was rated as mostly poor with some wind damage to wheat reported. Mild temperatures and rain across the Southeastern States slowed fertilizer application to small grains but boosted growth. Numerous rain showers delayed planting and field preparation in the Delta States, where cool weather slowed wheat growth. In the Ohio Valley, the winter wheat was rated mostly fair to good, with little winterkill and some top dressing beginning. Spring tillage was interrupted in the Midwest, where most fields remained too soft to support equipment. Cool weather and overcast skies in Texas slowed winter wheat growth. Snow and freezing rain across the Texas Plains did not provide much moisture for dryland wheat, while in the Blacklands, some wheat fields were infected with wheat rust. HDR2012000170100307951200NAT. WEATHER SUMMARY National Weather Summary Volume 82, No. 10 February 26 - March 4, 1995 For additional information, call (202) 720-7917. Highlights: Arctic high pressure surged southward through the Nation's mid- section, dropping temperatures as much as 90 degrees F from last week's lofty levels. A combination of upslope and overrunning mechanisms produced snow as far south as northern Texas, insulating most of the hard red winter wheat. Elsewhere, temperatures also dropped sharply in the Northwest and the Northeast, but remained above normal in the Southwest and the Southeast. In advance of the cold front, early-week rains topped 2 inches from eastern Texas to the Carolinas, while snow and ice accumulated from the Midwest into the Northeast. Late in the week, a pair of Pacific storms delivered California's first significant precipitation in more than 5 weeks. At week's end, snow developed in the northern Plains and Midwest, while rain returned to the central Gulf Coast States. Early in the week, a high-pressure system drifted eastward across New England. Daily-record lows were set in Syracuse, NY (-10 degrees F on February 26) and Caribou, ME (-22 degrees F on February 27). Arctic air took a more direct aim on the Plains, as a cold front accelerated southward through Texas by Tuesday night. In Havre, MT, the weekly average temperature of 8 degrees F was 39 degrees F below last week's. Furthermore, Monday's low of -13 degrees F occurred only 3 days after a high of 73 degrees F. Havre's temperature bottomed out at -18 degrees F on Wednesday. With a low of -20 degrees F on March 2, St. Cloud, MN experienced its coldest day of the season-to-date. Farther south, Grand Island, NE noted a 3-day drop of 69 degrees (to 11 degrees F on Tuesday) and a 5-day drop of 73 degrees. In Amarillo, TX, the temperature dipped 60 degrees (to 14 degrees F on March 1) in 3 days, then commenced a rapid rise to 72 degrees F on Saturday. Snow depths peaked on Tuesday in Sheridan, WY (10 inches) and Billings, MT (5 inches). Dodge City, KS measured 8.1 inches of snow on Wednesday en route to a storm total of 9.0 inches. In Oklahoma, daily snowfall records were broken in Oklahoma City (3.5 inches on March 1) and Tulsa (4.3 inches on March 2). On March 1-2, 5.0 inches fell in Amarillo, increasing their season-to-date snowfall to 8.6 inches. Freezing drizzle coated areas as far south as San Angelo, TX. Early-week rainfall topped 2 inches in locations such as Beaumont, TX, Columbus, MS, and Rocky Mount, NC. With additional rainfall of more than 1 inch on Saturday, the weekly total reached 2.79 inches in Monroe, LA. In northern New England, early-week snowfall increased depths by 10 inches in Rumford, ME, 7 inches in Brunswick, ME, and 5 inches in Burlington, VT. Farther west, late-week snow developed from eastern Washington to the upper Midwest. By Sunday morning (March 5), an inch of snow covered formerly bare ground in Spokane, WA and Chicago, IL, while 13 inches of new snow blanketed Aberdeen, SD. Mid- to late-week precipitation in northern California topped 5 inches at Blue Canyon. In downtown Sacramento, more rain fell in 5 minutes on March 2 (0.37 inches) than during February (0.19 inches). Very heavy rain arrived in southern California at week's end. During the 24 hours ending at 4 p.m. PST on Sunday, March 5, 8.57 inches fell atop Mt. Palomar, bringing their 5-day total to 10.17 inches. Four-day totals reached 6.57 inches on Mt. Wilson (4.07 inches in 24 hours on March 4-5) and 7.62 inches at Idyllwild (6.00 inches in 24 hours on March 4-5).