We 1 (3-00) Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released March 21, 2000, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, U.S. Department of Agriculture. For information on "Weekly Weather and 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 87, No. 12 March 12 - 18, 2000 For additional information, call (202) 720-7917. Highlights: From southern and eastern Texas to the Atlantic Coast, widespread rainfall improved topsoil moisture and eased long-term drought, benefiting pastures, winter grains, and recently planted summer crops. On the central Plains, precipitation further improved soil moisture for winter wheat development, especially from southeastern Nebraska southward into Oklahoma. Weekly rainfall ranged from 2 to 4 inches, with locally higher totals, in most locations from southern Texas to the lower Ohio Valley, including key agricultural areas in the Delta. Totals also exceeded 2 inches in several locations along the Gulf Coast and on the east-central Plains. Meanwhile, windy, mostly dry conditions continued to adversely affect dryland winter wheat on the southern High Plains, although light precipitation briefly dampened Texas' northern panhandle. Farther west, warm, dry weather returned to the Southwest, and favored an acceleration of spring fieldwork in California. Weekly temperatures averaged 4 to 6 degrees F above normal in California's Central Valley, and up to 8 degrees F above normal in Arizona. In contrast, readings averaged as much as 4 degrees F below normal from the central and southern Plains into the Southeast, slowing the growth of pastures and winter grains. Bitterly cold air (temperatures below 10 degrees F) remained confined to areas from northern Montana and the Dakotas eastward to northern New England. Although temperatures briefly fell below 20 degrees F as far south as northwestern Kansas and the lower Ohio Valley, the colder weather did not significantly affect winter wheat, which was jointing only as far north as Oklahoma and southern Kansas. Scattered frost and near-freezing temperatures did not have a major effect on blooming fruit trees from central Texas into the Southeast. On Tuesday, locally heavy rain developed across southeastern Texas. Daily-record totals were noted on March 14 in Corpus Christi (3.66 inches) and Brownsville (2.38 inches). Corpus Christi's only heavier single-day total during March was 4.66 inches, observed on March 10, 1903. March 14-15 rainfall locally exceeded 6 inches near Corpus Christi, with totals reaching 12.50 inches in Aransas Pass, 12.00 inches in Bayside, and 6.69 inches in Rockport. Meanwhile, heavy snow blanketed the central Rockies. By March 15, storm-total snowfall northwest of Denver, CO reached 23 inches near Allenspark and Estes Park. Denver received 5.4 inches. On Thursday, snow fell as far south as Texas' northern panhandle, although amounts were generally light. Heavy snow was observed across parts of south-central Kansas, where more than 6 inches fell in some areas. Snow also blanketed parts of the Northeast, where Caribou, ME logged a daily-record amount (10.0 inches) on March 12. Late in the week, precipitation returned to the Northeast, where measurable snow was observed as far south as New York City (0.4 inch on March 16-17 at Central Park). Farther north, March 17 snowfall reached 6.8 inches in Portland, ME, 1 day after a daily-record high of 67 degrees F. Beneficial, locally heavy rain returned to the South at week's end. On Saturday, Monroe, LA (2.31 inches) posted their first of two consecutive daily rainfall records. Monroe's March 18-19 rainfall totaled 3.54 inches. In Alabama, March rainfall through week's end climbed to 8.80 inches in Birmingham and 5.35 inches in Huntsville. Elsewhere in the South, March 1-18 rainfall reached 4.10 inches in Tupelo, MS and 3.76 inches in Shreveport, LA. In Florida, however, large moisture deficits persisted. Tampa's March 1-18 total, 0.11 inch, left their year-to-date sum at 2.36 inches (33 percent of normal). Similarly, Orlando's year-to-date rainfall stood at 1.90 inches (26 percent of normal), including 0.31 inch during the first 18 days of March. Colder weather east of the Rockies stood in stark contrast to recent record warmth. Marquette, MI noted a low of -1 degree F on March 16, just 8 days after a March-record high of 71 degrees F. Marquette's snow depth, which had dropped to 1 inch on March 8, rose to 10 inches by March 16. During the 40-year period of record, Marquette's snow depth had never fallen to 4 inches or below before March 15 (in 1990 and 1994). Meanwhile, cooler air twice spread southward in the wake of strong spring storm systems. Early in the week, frost and near-freezing temperatures reached deep into the Southeast, where Monday's low temperatures fell to 30 degrees F in Evergreen, AL and Macon, GA; 31 degrees F in Jackson, MS and Tallahassee, FL; and 32 degrees F in Cross City, FL and Montgomery, AL. Several days later, cold air made a push southward through the Plains, where Friday's lows dipped to 16 degrees F in Hill City, KS and 27 degrees F in Lubbock and Midland, TX. Meanwhile, an offshore airflow contributed to California's warmth, resulting in several daily-record highs. Pismo Beach, CA ended the week with four consecutive records, including highs of 87 degrees F on March 17 and 18. Simi Valley, CA (87 degrees F) also posted a daily-record high on Saturday. In Hawaii, mostly dry weather, accompanied by temperatures up to 2 degrees F above normal, persisted through an eighth consecutive week, resulting in further drought intensification in most areas on the central and eastern islands. Meanwhile in Alaska, temperatures were well above normal statewide. Weekly readings ranged from 8 to 15 degrees F above normal across western and interior Alaska. In the latter region, the mild weather represented a ninth consecutive week with above-normal temperatures. National Agricultural Summary March 13 - 19, 2000 Highlights: A cold front produced moderate to heavy rainfall as it moved eastward from the western Gulf coast through the lower Mississippi Valley late in the week. The rainfall boosted soil moisture levels in southern and eastern parts of Texas and much of the Mississippi Delta region. Adjacent areas of the Southeast, Ohio Valley, southern Appalachians, and Atlantic Coastal Plains received lighter precipitation. Most of Oklahoma and eastern Kansas also received beneficial rainfall. However, southern Georgia and most of Florida remained too dry, receiving only scattered precipitation, while drought conditions continued in central Texas and the High Plains. In the Corn Belt, scattered, light precipitation moistened soils, but a dry weather pattern returned in the upper Mississippi Valley and northern Great Plains. Dry weather also returned to the Southwest and most of the Pacific Coast. Rain along the western Gulf Coast and isolated flooding along streams in the Coastal Bend region halted fieldwork after midweek. Adequate moisture supplies aided emergence and development of row crops in eastern and southern Texas, although below-normal temperatures limited growth. In other areas of the State, dry soils limited fieldwork and hindered crop development. Cool weather limited winter wheat growth in the central Great Plains, but soil moisture levels were adequate to sustain development. Despite the below-normal temperatures, winter wheat development was ahead of normal in Oklahoma and Kansas, where 60 and 13 percent, respectively, was jointing. Fieldwork resumed in northern California, as dry weather allowed excess moisture to drain from soggy soils. Florida citrus growers continued irrigating groves, while trees continued to bloom. In the Corn Belt and Great Plains, farmers continued applying fertilizers and herbicides and tilling fields. A few growers planted small grains. In Kansas, nearly half of the spring oat crop was planted. The next "Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin" report will be released at 12:00 p.m. ET on March 28, 2000. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs 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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