We 1 (3-02) Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released March 26, 2002, 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 89, No. 13 March 17 - 23, 2002 For additional information, call (202) 720-7917. Highlights: Another late-season cold outbreak overspread much of the Nation, holding weekly temperatures more than 30 degrees F below normal in northern Montana and threatening winter wheat and blooming fruit trees farther south. Heavy rain preceded the arrival of cold air across the interior South, causing widespread flooding. Although temperatures fell below -20 degrees F across northern and eastern Montana, the northern High Plains' drought-stressed winter wheat crop was protected from further adversity by a substantial snow cover. Farther south, wheat fields in northern and central Texas and the southeastern half of Oklahoma benefited from topsoil moisture improvements. However, very dry conditions persisted on the High Plains as far south as the Oklahoma panhandle, leaving the drought-affected wheat crop exposed to additional gusty winds and temperature extremes. Late-week temperatures on the central High Plains ranged from 5 to 15 degrees F on March 22, when cold weather threatened wheat that had broken dormancy, to as high as 85 degrees F just 2 days later. Meanwhile across the South, torrential rains struck early in the week from northeastern Texas to southwestern Virginia, halting fieldwork and submerging lowlands. Flooding affected some winter wheat fields in southern portions of the Ohio Valley and in the northern Delta region. In contrast, only light showers dampened the southern Atlantic States, leaving the region with little soil moisture for pastures and winter grains. Unfavorably dry conditions also persisted across southern Texas. On March 22-23, sharply cooler air overspread the South, threatening blooming peaches and tender ground vegetation from central Texas to South Carolina. On March 23, temperatures generally ranged from 24 to 32 degrees F in major peach-growing areas from central Georgia into South Carolina. Cold weather also returned to the Midwest, maintaining stressful conditions for livestock in the wake of near-record winter warmth. Corn Belt soil moisture ranged from somewhat short across the upper Midwest to adequate or excessive in the Ohio Valley. In the West, beneficial precipitation fell from northern and central California and the Pacific Northwest to the northern Rockies, repeating a pattern that has persisted since November. Meanwhile, unfavorably dry weather continued to stress pastures and dryland small grains in southern California and the Southwest. Meager high-elevation snow packs in the central and southern Rockies and the Southwest continued to reduce spring runoff potential. Heavy rain fell across the interior South through March 20, boosting 4-day (March 17-20) totals in western Tennessee to 6.52 inches in Jackson and 5.50 inches in Memphis. Dallas-Ft. Worth, TX, netted 5.61 inches on March 18-19. Twenty-four hour rainfall totals greater than 6 inches were noted at a few locations, including Beaver Ridge (Knox County), TN (6.07 inches on March 17-18); Appalachia (Wise County), VA (6.11 inches on March 17-18); and a station near Ft. Worth, TX (6.59 inches on March 19-20). East of the Appalachians, lighter but much-needed precipitation provided limited relief from long-term drought. Atlantic City, NJ, received 1.59 inches of rain on March 20, their highest 1-day total since 2.29 inches fell on August 11, 2001. Farther north, heavy snow fell across northern New England on March 20-21, with more than 1 foot observed in parts of Washington County, ME. March 18-21 snowfall totals included 9.0 inches in Concord, NH, and 9.1 inches in Portland, ME. Early in the week, record warmth prevailed across the Southeast, while cool weather lingered in the West. On Sunday, daily-record highs included 89 degrees F in Ft. Myers, FL, and 88 degrees F in Columbus, GA. Macon, GA, posted four consecutive high temperatures above 80 degrees F from March 17-20, followed by a freeze (28 degrees F) on March 23. Elsewhere in the Southeast, more than a dozen daily-record lows were set or tied on Saturday, including 21 degrees F in Richmond, VA, and 27 degrees F in Birmingham, AL. Farther west, more than three dozen daily-record lows were established in the West Coast States by midweek. On Sunday, record lows in southern California were set in locations such as Riverside (32 degrees F) and Thermal (33 degrees F). Record lows in California's Central Valley included 31 degrees F (on March 18) in Redding and 36 degrees F (on March 19) in Bakersfield. After midweek, another strong surge of cold air swept across areas east of the Rockies. On March 21, the minimum of -22 degrees F in Miles City, MT, represented their latest observance of a low temperature below -20 degrees F (previously -22 degrees F on March 11, 1951). Elsewhere in Montana, daily-record lows on March 21 included -27 degrees F in Cut Bank and -21 degrees F in Havre, helping to hold weekly temperatures slightly below 0 degrees F in both locations. Great Falls, MT, registered 12 days with low temperatures below 0 degrees F during the first 24 days of the month, breaking their March 1912 record of 10 days. Meanwhile, warm weather returned to the Southwest, where Phoenix, AZ, noted a daily-record high of 93 degrees F on March 21. Farther east, however, cold air continued to spread across the Plains, Midwest, and East. On March 22, daily records in Kansas included 5 degrees F in Hill City, 9 degrees F in Ashland, and 12 degrees F in Wichita. Toward week's end, locally heavy lake-effect snow squalls developed downwind of the Great Lakes. In western New York's Lewis County, Highmarket received 26.5 inches of snow in 24 hours on March 22-23, while North Osceola netted 28.1 inches in 28 hours. Torrential rainfall abated across Hawaii's eastern islands early in the week, followed by a period of cool, dry weather. On the Big Island, Honokaa netted a 24-hour (March 17-18) rainfall of 10.20 inches and a 48-hour (March 17-19) total of 12.75 inches. Pukalani, Maui, received 2.16 inches in 24 hours on March 17-18. Hilo, on the Big Island, noted record-low high temperatures for March 18(71 degrees F) and 19 (70 degrees F), and Kahului, Maui, posted a daily-record low of 55 degrees F on March 22. Farther north, mild weather prevailed across northern and western Alaska for the fourth consecutive week, while chilly conditions persisted across southeastern portions of the State. Barrow, AK, notched a daily-record high of 27 degrees F on March 22. Mostly dry weather prevailed across the State, except in south-central Alaska, where heavy snow fell early in the week. Anchorage, AK, received 28.7 inches of snow on March 16-17, including 21 inches in 17 hours from Saturday evening to Sunday afternoon. National Agricultural Summary March 18 - 24, 2002 Temperatures averaged below normal across most of the Nation during the week, and far below normal in parts of the northern Great Plains. Freezing temperatures and cold winds stressed winter wheat fields as far south as central Texas. Meanwhile, above-normal temperatures were confined to the Gulf Coast, adjacent areas of the interior Southeast, and the interior Southwest. The warm weather stimulated winter wheat development, but jointing lagged behind normal in the Southeast. In Arizona, 16 percent of durum wheat, 13 percent of winter wheat, and 17 percent of barley were headed. Heavy rain soaked soils and halted fieldwork in parts of the southern Great Plains and interior Mississippi Delta, as well as the Tennessee and lower Ohio River Valleys. Soil moisture supplies were excessive in most areas receiving the heavy rainfall. Most of the Southeast received light precipitation that provided adequate moisture for short-term winter grain and forage growth. However, long-term moisture reserves remained low on the Atlantic Coastal Plain. The central and northern Great Plains also remained unfavorably dry. Storms continued to deliver precipitation in the Pacific Northwest. The wet weather extended as far south as southern California, temporarily halting field and orchard work but providing beneficial moisture. The next "Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin" report will be released after 12 p.m. ET on April 2, 2002. 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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