HDR1012000170100318971200WEEKLY WEATHER & CROP BULLETIN Released March 18, 1997, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, U.S. Department of Agriculture. For information on "Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin" call Greg Preston at (202) 720-7621, office hours 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET. National Agricultural SummaryWeek ending March 16, 1997 Highlights: The weather was colder than normal in the northern Plains. Heavy snowfall in the upper Midwest added to the expectations of record to near-record flooding in the Red River Valley from snow melt. The central Plains' temperatures cooled at week's end following several days in the 70's. Higher-than- normal temperatures were generally favorable to small grains and spring farm activities in the lower half of the country. Hard Red Winter (HRW) wheat was breaking dormancy into Kansas. The HRW areas most affected by last year's drought are again in need of moisture. Ohio River Valley flooding eased despite additional rainfall. Heavy rains curtailed fieldwork in east Texas and the lower Mississippi Valley. Welcome rains fell at week's end in many northern Florida localities. National Weather Summary Volume 84, No. 11 March 9 - 15, 1997 For additional information, call (202) 720-7917. Highlights: The Ohio River crest progressed slowly downstream, reaching the Mississippi River by week's end. Storm systems traversed the Ohio Valley on March 9 and 13, saturating soils with another 1 to 3 inches of rain. The latter system also produced unwelcomed heavy snow across the North Central States, where serious spring flooding is anticipated. The late-week storm also dumped locally heavy rainfall in the Southeast, hindering fieldwork and planting. However, beneficial rain dampened Peninsular Florida. In contrast, warm, dry weather prevailed on the central and southern Plains for much of the week, reducing topsoil moisture for winter wheat growth. Temperatures averaged above normal throughout the southern half of the Nation, with departures ranging from +6 to +10 in the Southwest and Southeast. Abnormally cold weather continued across the northern Plains, where temperatures ranged from 5 to 12 degrees F below normal. Early in the week, a high-pressure system crossed New England, while Pacific-origin air overspread much of the Nation in the wake of a cold front. On Sunday, Montpelier, VT (-12 degrees F) notched a daily-record low. A day later, warmth spread quickly eastward from the West Coast. In California, daily records on March 10 included 90 degrees F in Lompoc and 85 degrees F in San Diego. The early-week cold front stalled before reaching Florida, allowing for an extended period of warmth. From March 10-12, Ft. Myers posted three consecutive daily-record highs (90, 88, and 90 degrees F). At midweek, high pressure again overspread the North, while a major storm system evolved over the Nation's mid-section. As early as Tuesday, heavy rain developed across southern Texas, where Victoria collected 4.15 inches, a daily-record total. Storm-total rainfall reached 9.33 inches in Port Isabel, TX. A day later, warmth surged into the central Plains, resulting in daily-record highs in locations such as Hill City, KS (82 degrees F) and Pueblo, CO (78 degrees F). Heavy snow spread into the Pacific Northwest at midweek, reaching the northern Plains and Great Lakes States a day later. In northern Idaho, Bonners Ferry received a March-record, 24-hour snowfall (14.5 inches) on Wednesday. On March 13-14, snowfall totaled 28.0 inches in Marquette, MI--an all-time, 24-hour record--leaving their snow depth at an unprecedented 63 inches. The storm also produced an all-time-record, 24-hour snowfall in Alpena, MI (19.3 inches on March 14-15), boosting their seasonal total to an unmatched 176.1 inches. In Wisconsin, March-record, 24-hour totals were measured in Green Bay (14.5 inches) and LaCrosse (14.3 inches). In North Dakota, storm-total snowfall reached 8.2 inches in Bismarck and 7.0 inches in Fargo. The latter total further padded Fargo's record seasonal total to 106.6 inches. Farther east and south, precipitation on March 14 reached daily-record proportions in Buffalo, NY (1.21 inches) and Orlando, FL (1.23 inches). In the Northeast, the storm boosted weekly snowfall to 11.2 inches in Syracuse, NY and 9.0 inches in Worcester, MA. Storm-total rainfall surpassed 3 inches in Mobile, AL, and approached 2 inches in locations such as Peru, IN, Detroit, MI, and McComb, MS. In Cincinnati, OH, the Ohio River fell below flood stage on March 11 for the first time in 9 days. Downstream, the Ohio River crest ranked among the top 10 floods at all gauging stations. The crest passed Mt. Vernon, IN on March 11, shortly after producing the fourth-highest level (about 12.5 feet above flood stage) at Newburgh, IN. Water levels remained nearly steady for several days late in the week along the lower Ohio River, where the crest at Grand Chain, IL (about 15.9 feet above flood stage on March 14) was second only to the Great Flood of 1937. By week's end, cold air cloaked most areas east of the Rockies. On Friday, Billings, MT (-8 degrees F) logged a daily-record low. Lows dipped into the 10's well into Kansas. Highs on Saturday failed to crack the 20-degree mark as far south as Dubuque, IA (18 degrees F, 24 degrees below normal). The next "Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin" report will be released at 12 P.M. ET on March 25, 1997. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in its programs on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, and marital or familial status. 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