Release March 23, 1999 by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) Agricultural Statistics Board, U.S. Department of Agricultural. For information on "Weekly Weather & Crop Bulletin" call Mark E. Miller at (202) 720-7621, office hours 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET. National Weather Summary Volume 86, No. 12 March 14 - 20, 1999 For additional information, call (202) 720-7917. Highlights: An early-week storm in the East and a mid- to late-week system across the South highlighted an otherwise tranquil weather pattern. The latter system provided much-needed soil moisture to the Southwest and maintained favorable moisture conditions in hard red winter wheat areas of the central and southern Plains. Little or no rain fell, however, across extreme southern Texas, where spring planting has been delayed by dryness. Both storms delivered rainfall to the Southeast, including parts of Florida, improving pre-planting moisture. In California's Central Valley, early- and late-week rainfall maintained generally adequate soil moisture but slowed fieldwork. Meanwhile, mostly dry weather prevailed in the Corn Belt and the Northwest, easing muddy conditions and livestock stress. Feedlots remained wet, however, across portions of the central and southern Plains. In the South, weekly temperatures averaged as much as 5 degrees F below along the primary storm track. In contrast, readings generally ranged from 6 to 14 degrees F above normal across the northern Rockies and northern Plains. Early in the week, temperatures plummeted to daily-record levels on the deeply snow-covered central High Plains. On Sunday in Kansas, Garden City notched a low of 5 degrees F, while Liberal reported 7 degrees F. A day later, daily-record lows included 12 degrees F in Springfield, MO and 32 degrees F in Houston, TX. Meanwhile, warmth overspread the northern High Plains and parts of the West, producing the week's first of more than two dozen daily-record highs. On March 14, highs reached 76 degrees F in Winslow, AZ and 71 degrees F in Worland, WY. Two days later, highs in Nebraska soared to 81 degrees F in both Valentine and North Platte. Farther north, wind gusts were clocked to 63 mph in Billings, MT, setting a March record. On Wednesday, gusts were measured at 61 mph in LaCrosse, WI and 51 mph in Oelwein, IA. Farther east, widespread rain and snow affected the East into Monday. Storm-total snowfall reached 18.0 inches in Bedford, PA, 14.4 inches in Berkeley Springs, WV, and 12.0 inches in Cumberland, MD. Similar totals (locally 1 foot or more) were reported west of the major East Coast cities from Washington, DC, northward. Sebec Lake, ME noted 22 inches. City snowfall, however, totaled only 0.3 inch in Washington, DC, 4.7 inches in Philadelphia, PA, 4.0 inches in New York City (Central Park), and 4.2 inches in Boston, MA. Along the storm's trailing cold front, beneficial rainfall reached Peninsular Florida, including a daily record-tying total (1.00 inch on March 14) in Daytona Beach. A new storm arrived in southern California on Monday, producing daily-record rainfall in Cuyama (0.82 inch) and Torrance (0.77 inch). As much as 10 inches of snow accumulated in Ventura County's Lockwood Valley, northwest of Los Angeles. As the system progressed eastward, March 16-17 snowfall totaled 3.0 inches on southern Arizona's Mt. Lemmon, near Tucson. Only a trace of rain fell in Tucson, however, leaving their 104-day (December 7 to March 20) precipitation at 0.01 inch. Since the beginning of the water year (October 1, 1998), Tucson's precipitation has totaled 1.37 inches (28 percent of normal). We 1 (3-99) Warmer weather arrived in the East by midweek, producing nearly a dozen daily-record highs on March 17-18. On Thursday, records included 80 degrees F in Raleigh-Durham, NC and 70 degrees F in Boston, MA. Meanwhile, storminess again reached the central and southern Plains. On Thursday, Wichita Falls, TX noted daily-record precipitation (1.78 inches), lifting their March total to 5.72 inches. Wichita Falls' normal March rainfall is 2.21 inches. Although significant rain fell as far south as San Antonio, TX, boosting their month-to-date rainfall to 1.67 inches (174 percent of normal), the lower Rio Grande Valley remained mostly dry. Heavy, wet snow fell as far south as northwesternmost Texas, where up to 10 inches accumulated in Hartley County. On Friday morning, snow depths included 8 inches in Dalhart, TX and 2 inches in both Dodge City, KS and Clovis, NM. Friday's high temperatures on the Plains ranged from 36 degrees F in Amarillo, TX to 73 degrees F in Miles City, MT. Elsewhere across the northern Plains and the Northwest, daily-record highs on Friday included 71 degrees F in Dickinson, ND and 68 degrees F in Wenatchee, WA. Alaskan temperatures varied widely, with significant warming and weekly temperatures as much as 9 degrees F above normal in the interior. In contrast, departures ranged from -2 to -8 degrees F across western and southern areas. Kodiak registered a daily-record low (2 degrees F) on Wednesday. Two days later, McGrath (37 degrees F) recorded their highest temperature since January 23. A 139-day period (October 26 - March 13) of sub-freezing weather ended in Fairbanks, their fourth-longest such streak on record behind 157 days in 1971-72, 142 days in 1958-59, and 141 days in 1932-33. National Agricultural Summary March 15 - 21, 1999 Highlights: The week began with a continuation of warm, windy, and dry weather in the southern Great Plains. Relief for the emerging drought conditions arrived midweek, when a slow-moving storm delivered soaking rains to much of northern and eastern Texas. The rain improved small grain conditions and aided corn, sorghum, and cotton emergence. After the front passed through the State, cold weather hindered crop development. Planting and other field activities were temporarily halted by muddy fields, especially in northern and southeastern parts of the State. Progress was only slightly delayed where rainfall was lighter. Dry conditions continued to persist in the central and northern Great Plains, but moisture shortages were not severe. Winter wheat conditions were aided by mild temperatures, while wind, disease, and insect damage remained light. Oat seeding progressed well in the central Great Plains due to dry conditions. Warm, dry weather aided tillage and fertilizing activities in the western and central Corn Belt. Fieldwork was less active in the eastern and southern Corn Belt, as fields slowly dried following heavy rains. Early and late-week storms hindered fieldwork in the Southeast and Atlantic Coastal Plains, but improved soil moisture levels in Florida. In the Great Lakes States and Northeast, a mixture of snow, rain, and freezing rain supplemented soil moisture supplies. Pacific storms shifted farther south, giving coastal areas of southern California needed moisture and allowing soils to dry in the Pacific Northwest. The next "Weekly Weather & Crop Bulletin" report will be released after 12 p.m. ET on March 30, 1999. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) 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