We 1 (3-01) Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released March 27, 2001, 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 88, No. 13 March 18 - 24, 2001 For additional information, call (202) 720-7917. Highlights: The year's most significant rain fell across Florida's peninsula on March 19, although only light showers fell in many major citrus areas and heavy amounts were confined to locations along the Atlantic Coast. Mostly dry weather returned to Florida thereafter. Elsewhere in the Southeast, widespread, early- to mid-week rainfall continued to slow spring fieldwork but further eased long-term drought. Farther north, heavy, wet snow blanketed high-elevation locations from the Appalachians northeastward into the Northeast, while heavy rain caused flooding in eastern New England. In the Midwest, the late-week return of sharply colder weather halted winter wheat development in the Ohio Valley and postponed the onset of spring snow-melt flooding from the eastern Dakotas to the upper Mississippi Valley. Weekly temperatures ranged from 2 to 8 degrees F below normal in the northwestern Corn Belt. From the central and southern Plains to the lower Mississippi Valley, cool weather slowed winter wheat development, while scattered showers and damp fields continued to hamper fieldwork. Mild, dry weather prevailed on the northern High Plains. Weekly temperatures ranged from 6 to 10 degrees F above normal in agricultural areas of California and Arizona, promoting crop development and fieldwork, including cotton planting preparations. Warm weather also prevailed in the Northwest, where scattered showers provided little relief from unfavorably dry conditions. The late-week water content of high-elevation snow packs ranged from 45 to 70 percent of normal in key watershed areas from the Cascades to the northern Rockies, and stood near 75 percent of normal in the Sierra Nevada. Heavy rain, locally in excess of 5 inches, finally overspread Peninsular Florida on March 19. The most significant rain fell in two bands, the first just north of a line from Tampa to Orlando, and the second in a corridor across southern Florida. Daily rainfall amounts of 2.07 inches in Ft. Myers and 5.05 inches in West Palm Beach accounted for more than half of the cities' respective year-to-date totals. Although some rain fell in Lake Okeechobee, only light showers dampened the lake's surrounding drainage basin. As a result, Okeechobee's average surface elevation stood at 10.15 feet on March 25, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, virtually unchanged from a week earlier and a mere 0.4 foot above the July 1981 record low. Farther north, a slow-moving storm dumped at least 2 inches of precipitation in many areas from western Florida to southern Maine. Daily-record rainfall totals were observed in many locations, including Wilmington, NC (3.99 inches on March 20), Pittsburgh, PA (1.61 inches on March 21), and Boston, MA (2.59 inches on March 22). Storm-total rainfall topped 4 inches from eastern Massachusetts to southernmost Maine, reaching 7 inches in Belmont, MA, near Boston. Another heavy snow event affected areas farther inland, totaling 32 inches in Eustis (Franklin County), ME and 30 inches on Jay Peak (Orlean s County), VT. Farther south, 30 inches also fell near the summit of Mount Mitchell, NC. Peak wind gusts during the storm reached 69 mph near the Maine coast on Matinicus Rock, 60 mph at Cape Lookout, NC, and 58 mph in Chatham, MA. March 1-25 precipitation reached 11.96 inches (253 percent of normal) in Columbus, GA and 11.73 inches (228 percent) in Montgomery, AL. During the same period, March snowfall records were broken in locations such as Binghamton, NY (44.8 inches) and Burlington, VT (43.7 inches), both of which had been established in 1993. In contrast, record warmth prevailed in the West. On Monday warm conditions spread as far east as Montana, where Havre (70 degrees F) posted a daily-record high. A day later, record highs in California included 89 degrees F in King City and 83 degrees F in San Jose. Tucson, AZ notched a daily record-tying high of 90 degrees F on March 21, their warmest day since a high of 99 degrees F on October 7, 2000. Enough mild weather edged into the Corn Belt to melt the remaining snow in Des Moines, IA. At least 1 inch of snow remained on the ground in Des Moines for 99 consecutive days (December 11 to March 19), eclipsing their previous record of 90 days from December 19, 1977 - March 18, 1978. LaCrosse, WI noted a maximum temperature of 48 degrees F on March 20, their highest reading of the year-to-date. The last time LaCrosse went so late into a year without a high of 50 degrees F or above was 1975, when the first observance was April 7. Meanwhile in Minnesota, Rochester measured 40 degrees F on March 3 and 14, their highest readings of the year. Rochester's latest recorded observance of their first high above 40 degrees F was March 25, 1962. By week's end, bitterly cold weather returned to the upper Midwest, where Rochester registered a high of 17 degrees F and a low of 8 degrees F on March 24. Prior to the arrival of colder weather, significant, snow melt-induced rises were noted along creek and rivers in the upper James River Basin. For example, Pipestem Creek near Pingree, ND climbed more than 5 feet in a 2-week period, rising 1.5 feet above flood stage on March 26. Below-normal temperatures prevailed throughout Alaska for the first time in nearly 4 months, since the last week of November. Weekly temperatures averaged 10 to 24 degrees F below normal across interior Alaska, aided by several daily-record lows on March 22, the second full day of astronomical spring. Records included -39 degrees F in Eagle and -36 degrees F in Northway. Meanwhile in Hawaii, cool weather (as much as 3 degrees F below normal) accompanied generally light showers until week's end, when heavier rain overspread parts of Kauai, Oahu, and Molokai. National Agricultural Summary March 19 - 25, 2001 Cool, wet weather prevented fieldwork in the Southeast and on the Atlantic Coastal Plain. Most precipitation provided beneficial moisture, especially in Florida and along the Gulf and Atlantic coasts. However, moisture shortages remained in parts of Florida, and moisture surpluses existed in inland areas of the Southeast. In the southern Great Plains, late-week showers and isolated heavy downpours ended a brief dry period. The central and northern Great Plains, Corn Belt, and Southwest were mostly dry. Above-normal temperatures prevailed from the High Plains to the Pacific coast. The unseasonably warm weather stimulated vegetative growth in California, but winter wheat remained dormant in the northern Great Plains due to cold overnight temperatures. Florida's citrus region received soaking rains that promoted abundant new growth and temporarily eased irrigation needs. However, soil moisture reserves remained short in most areas. The bloom season was nearly ended. Field preparations for spring crops resumed after early-week rain delays. A few growers planted corn. Winter forages began heading even though temperatures were cooler than normal. In the southern Great Plains, a favorably drier weather pattern, accompanied by warm daytime temperatures, reduced moisture surpluses and aided fieldwork early in the week. However, late-week showers halted tillage across parts of northern and eastern Texas. Corn and rice plantings lagged behind the 5-year average in Texas and Louisiana. Texas' cotton and soybean plantings were slightly ahead of normal. Development of small grains continued, although cool overnight temperatures limited vegetative growth. Winter wheat was 4 percent headed in Texas, slightly ahead of normal. In Oklahoma, development lagged well behind normal, with 20 percent jointed compared with the average of 54 percent. In Kansas, a few isolated wheat fields were at the jointing stage, but development was far behind last year's pace. Temperatures averaging well above normal stimulated development of California's winter grains and forage crops. The warm, sunny weather also accelerated growth and facilitated pollination in orchards and vineyards. Cotton and corn planting began in are as with light soils. Many fruit trees were in full bloom and early varieties were setting fruit. The next "Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin" report will be released at 12:00 p.m. ET on April 3, 2001. 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.) 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). 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