Released March 17, 1998, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, U.S. Department of Agriculture. For information on "Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin" call Rhonda Brandt (202) 720-7621, office hours 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET. National Agricultural Summary March 9 - 15, 1998 HIGHLIGHTS: A strong cold front brought sub-freezing temperatures as far south as central Texas and the Gulf of Mexico, damaging fruit and nut trees and slowing the growth of winter wheat, vegetables, and early-planted field crops. The peach crop in Georgia, the Carolinas, and Texas suffered considerable freeze damage to early-blooming varieties and young trees. Blueberry, strawberry, and pecan growers also reported damage caused by freezing temperatures. In southern Florida, temperatures remained warm enough to prevent damage to the vegetable and citrus crops. Field activities were sharply curtailed throughout the Southeast due to the cold weather and wet fields. The Corn Belt and Great Plains States experienced bitterly cold weather early in the week, but the winter wheat crop did not suffer significant damage. Snow cover helped protect the crop in the northern Great Plains. Leaf burn was reported throughout the central and southern Plains, but wind and freeze damage was expected to be light. In Texas, emerged corn was damaged by strong winds. Fieldwork was limited in the central Plains by cold, wet weather, but Texas farmers continued planting corn, cotton, and grain sorghum and began planting rice. Temperatures were above normal in California and the Pacific Northwest. The warm, sunny weather aided the progress of California's spring vegetables and helped dry out orchards and vineyards. Almond and stone fruit trees were near full bloom. Fieldwork resumed in most areas until showers later in the week halted activity in some northern locations. Plants in some low-lying small grain and alfalfa fields continued to recover from excessive moisture, but still showed signs of stress. National Weather Summary Volume 85, No. 11 March 8 - 14, 1998 For additional information, call (202) 720-7917. HIGHLIGHTS: Arctic air overspread areas east of the Rocky Divide, the first time in 2 months that extremely cold weather affected any part of the Nation. During a 4-day period (March 10-13), more than 130 daily-record lows were tied or broken, mostly from the northern Plains and upper Midwest into the Southeast. Weekly temperatures in these areas averaged 10 to 24 degrees F below normal despite some late-week warming. In contrast, weekly readings were as much as 7 degrees F above normal in the Northwest. Generally light precipitation fell along the West Coast, although a late-week storm delivered locally heavy rain to southern California. Significant precipitation developed across the Southwest and southern Plains at week's end. Farther east, snow continued early in the week across the Midwestern and Great Lakes States, while rainfall exceeded 2 inches along the entire Atlantic Seaboard. In parts of the Southeast, serious flooding continued in the wake of earlier rains. On Sunday, Des Moines, IA received 11.0 inches of snow, their greatest calendar-day total on record in March. Omaha, NE netted 12.7 inches, their highest storm-total snowfall since 14.1 inches fell on March 28-29, 1987. Farther north, totals in Michigan reached 15.7 inches in Gaylord and 15.9 inches in Houghton Lake. Meanwhile, heavy rain developed along the East Coast. In Worcester, MA, rainfall of 3.73 inches on March 9 was their third-highest calendar-day total for March. For Hartford, CT (2.40 inches), Providence, RI (3.02 inches), and Worcester, Monday was the rainiest March day since March 31, 1987. In southeastern Alabama, the Pea River at Elba crested on Monday at 9.20 feet above flood stage (afs), 2 days after flooding much of the town. The crest was the town's third highest on record, more than 10 inches above the July 1994 (Tropical Storm Alberto) level. Other gauging points in the Southeast that approached record levels included the Apalachicola River at Blountstown, FL (12.23 feet afs on March 13, third highest on record), the Withlacoochee River at Valdosta, GA (9.5 feet afs, fourth highest), and the Choctawhatchee River at Newton, Alabama (15.58 feet afs on March 9, fourth highest). At week's end, the worst flooding was occurring along the lower Flint River in Georgia, where more than 11,000 people remained out of their homes. A half-dozen daily-record lows were set in the Rocky Mountain States on Sunday, including a March-record low of -23 degrees F in Rawlins, WY. Bitterly cold air soon overspread the Central States, ending long streaks of above-normal temperatures (more than 40 days) in Moline, IL and Milwaukee, WI. By Wednesday morning, the core of the high-pressure system reached the South Dakota-Nebraska border with a central pressure of at least 31.12 inches (1054 millibars). March barometric pressure records were set in Wichita, KS (30.91 inches), Des Moines, IA (30.90 inches), St. Louis, MO (30.81 inches), and Columbia, MO (30.80 inches). Wichita's reading was their fifth highest on record. On March 11, a low of -15 degrees F in Hastings, NE was a March record. In South Dakota, Rapid City's low of -18 degrees F was their second-lowest March reading, behind -21 degrees F on March 8, 1996. Elsewhere, minima included -27 degrees F in Valentine, NE and -28 degrees F in Williston, ND. A day later in Omaha, NE, a low of -11 degrees F represented the latest occurrence of the season's lowest temperature, breaking their record set on March 5, 1960. On Thursday, the season's lowest readings were also observed in several other locations, including -6 degrees F in Topeka, KS (previously 6 degrees F on January 13), 4 degrees F in St. Louis, MO (13 degrees F on January 13), 8 degrees F in Indianapolis, IN (13 degrees F on November 17 and December 31), and 16 degrees F in Little Rock, AR (24 degrees F on December 6 and January 16). In Iowa, lows of -24 degrees F at Bedford and Guthrie Center ranked as the State's fourth-lowest March readings. Kansas City's low of -7 degrees F was their latest sub-zero reading during any winter season. Farther south, lows dipped below freezing on Friday morning as far south as the Florida cities of Gainesville (29 degrees F) and Ocala (30 degrees F). Other minima in the Southeast included 20 degrees F at both Augusta, GA and Columbia, SC. Farther north, Saranac Lake, NY recorded -19 degrees F. The cold dealt a glancing blow to jointing winter wheat on the southern Plains, where lows dipped into the middle to upper 10's on March 10 and 12. On most of the central and northern Plains, snow cover was adequate to protect wheat from the extreme cold. In the Ohio Valley, however, lows on March 12 ranged from 0 to 15 degrees F, burning back some recent winter wheat growth. Three consecutive freezes (March 11-13) in the Southeast threatened peach blooms and ground crops (for example, vegetables and strawberries). During the mid- to late-week period, several daily-record highs were set in the West. Chatsworth, CA notched 87oF on March 11. On Friday, maxima reached 67oF in Pendleton, OR and 71oF in Wenatchee, WA. Meanwhile in southern California, late-week rainfall totaled 0.96 inches in Torrance and 1.10 inches in Oceanside Harbor. Little or no rain fell in Hawaii, however, perpetuating the 4 month dry spell. In addition, Honolulu collected a daily-record high (87oF) on Tuesday. Farther north, very mild weather spread into western Alaska (up to 17oF above normal), resulting in daily-record highs on Saturday in Nome (40oF) and King Salmon (49oF). The next "Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin" report will be released at 12 p.m. ET on March 24, 1998. 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. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact the USDA's TARGET Center at 202-720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint, write the Secretary of Agriculture, USDA, Washington, D.C., 20250, or call 1-800-245-6340 (voice) or 202-720-1127 (TDD). USDA is an equal employment opportunity employer. ACCESS TO REPORTS!! 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