HDR1012000170100402961200WEEKLY WEATHER & CROP BULLETIN NATIONAL AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY March 25 - 31, 1996 HIGHLIGHTS: Favorable rain fell across parts of east Texas, Oklahoma, and the Delta States, slightly improving wheat prospects. Kansas received significant precipitation late in the week, but wheat condition declined since the benefit of the rain was not yet observed. The precipitation missed the Texas High Plains, western Oklahoma, and Kansas, where the lack of moisture stressed winter wheat and pastures. Very low temperatures during mid-week across the Central States curtailed wheat development and brought the possibility of freeze damage and leaf burn to early-jointed wheat fields. Repeated freezing and thawing lowered wheat condition in the middle Mississippi Valley. Seedbed and field preparation was delayed in the central Plains by frozen ground. In Kansas, wheat jointing was 2 percent(%) complete, 16 percentage points behind the 5-year average of 18%, and 40 points behind last year. Cotton planting was ahead of normal in Arizona, while cool weather slowed germination in recently planted Texas cotton fields. In California's San Joaquin Valley, cotton planting was underway. National Weather Summary Volume 83, No. 12 March 24 - 30, 1996 For additional information, call (202) 720-7917. Highlights: After delivering beneficial rainfall to the eastern Plains, a strong storm raced northeastward, spelling an early-week end to heavy snow in the North Central States and allowing cold air to overspread much of the Nation. Weekly temperatures averaged 15 to 25 degrees F below normal in the northern Plains. Rain returned to the central and southern Plains on March 26-27 and 30-31, further improving wheat prospects in Kansas (except the far west), Oklahoma, and north-central Texas. The Texas plains, however, remained critically dry, with March rainfall less than one-tenth of an inch in Lubbock and Midland. Six-month precipitation (since October 1, 1995) remained far below normal throughout the central and southern Plains, including 36 percent (%) of normal in Topeka, KS; 26% in Lubbock; and 15% in Midland. Early in the week, snow spread from the central Rockies to the western Great Lakes. March 23-25 totals reached 11.3 inches in Minneapolis, MN; 6.5 inches in Denver, CO; 5.6 inches in Norfolk, NE; and 4.0 inches in Sioux City, IA. Strong northerly winds induced blizzard conditions across the northern Plains and upper Midwest on Sunday, as gusts reached 55 mph in Aberdeen, SD and 60 mph in Sioux City. In advance of the storm's cold front, winds topped 50 mph across the central and southern Plains, including gusts to 54 mph in Concordia, KS and 52 mph in Lubbock, TX. Post-frontal winds took aim on the Midwest, where Indianapolis, IN clocked a gust to 62 mph on Monday. Farther north, 14.2 inches of snow blanketed Marquette, MI, boosting their seasonal total to 205.9 inches. Nearly 30 daily-record lows were broken in the Plains and Midwest on March 25-27. In the central and southern Plains, where temperatures fell as much as 70 degrees F in 36 hours, lows on Monday dipped to 7 degrees F in Hays, KS and 13 degrees F in Amarillo, TX. Laramie, WY notched a daily-record low of -18 degrees F. On Tuesday, Minneapolis, MN recorded -10 degrees F, their latest such reading, formerly set on March 16, 1900. Lows plunged below zero as far south as Hastings, NE (-5 degrees F), and in Minnesota fell to -14 degrees F in St. Cloud and -22 degrees F in International Falls. Several locations in Oregon tied or broke daily records, including Salem (25 degrees F) and Eugene (27 degrees F). Cool weather also blanketed Hawaii, resulting in daily records at Lihue (56 degrees F on Tuesday) and Honolulu (61 degrees F on Thursday). Meanwhile, above-normal temperatures prevailed across Alaska, where Barrow tallied a trio of daily records on March 24-26, including a high of 30 degrees F on Tuesday. The passage of five storms through the central and southern Plains during the last 18 days of March accounted for most of the month's rainfall and provided much-needed moisture for wheat. Although weekly totals--delivered by the most recent three storms--reached 1.44 inches in Tulsa, OK and 1.83 inches in Dallas, TX, March precipitation was below normal throughout the region. Across the Southeast, three episodes of rain boosted monthly totals above 10 inches in locations such as Melbourne, FL (a March-record 11.58 inches) and Birmingham, AL (10.58 inches). Weekly rainfall topped 8 inches in Mobile, AL, while Melbourne logged daily rainfall records on Thursday (2.42 inches) and Saturday (1.71 inches). In addition to the rain on March 30, about a dozen tornadoes swept across the Southeast, including seven in Florida and four in Louisiana. Farther north, snow returned to the northern Middle Atlantic region on March 28-29, adding 4.1 inches to New York City's seasonal record total (74.9 inches through March 31). Williamsport, PA (seasonal total of 83.9 inches) and Newark, NJ (77.7 inches) were added to the snowfall-record list, eclipsing marks that had stood since 1977-78 and 1867-68, respectively. Snow returned to the Western and Northern States toward week's end. March 28-29 totals included 5.3 inches in Williston, ND and 2.9 inches in Salt Lake City, UT.