We 1 (3-06) Weekly Weather And Crop Bulletin National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released March 7, 2006, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, U.S. Department of Agriculture. For information on "Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin" call Brian T. Young at (202) 720-7621, office hours 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET. National Weather Summary Volume 93, No. 10 February 26 - March 4, 2006 For additional information, call (202) 720-2397. Highlights: Record warmth returned to the Plains, maintaining severe stress on pastures and winter grains in Oklahoma and Texas and further reducing soil moisture reserves as far north as South Dakota. Weekly temperatures averaged at least 10 degrees F above normal on the central and southern Plains, where some locations reported highs above 90 degrees F, but averaged as much as 15 degrees F below normal in the Northeast. Meanwhile, stormy weather returned to California and the Northwest, maintaining abundant soil moisture reserves for pastures and winter grains. However, heavy rain caused local flooding in northern and central California, including some areas previously affected by the New Year's flood. In contrast, little or no precipitation fell in Arizona and New Mexico, resulting in further deterioration of pastures and rangeland. Similarly, the southern Plains' pastures and winter grains were in desperate need of rain, while crop stress became more apparent elsewhere across the Nation's mid-section due to warm, dry, windy weather and diminishing moisture reserves. Among the Plains' winter wheat-producing areas, only Montana remained cool and retained some protective snow. Farther east, Midwestern conditions varied, ranging from warm (as much as 10 degrees F above normal) in the middle Missouri Valley to cold (as much as 10 degrees F below normal) in the Great Lakes region, where frozen precipitation (snow, sleet, and freezing rain) increased livestock stress and caused travel disruptions. Elsewhere, mild, dry weather across the South promoted spring fieldwork and the development of winter grains and fruit trees, but left those crops vulnerable to potential spring cold outbreaks. In late February, record warmth developed from the Plains westward. Alliance, NE (75 degrees F), posted a daily-record high on February 28, just 1 week after its last of five consecutive daily-record lows (-30, -36, -16, -16, and -9 degrees F from February 17-21). More than 100 daily-record highs were established from February 27 - March 1, and several monthly records were tied on the last day of February. Denver, CO (77 degrees F), tied a record originally set on February 4, 1890, while Lubbock, TX (89 degrees F), matched a reading attained on February 24, 1918. In Kansas, monthly record-tying temperatures on February 28 included 86 degrees F in Hill City (previously set on February 29, 1972) and 81 degrees F in Goodland (previously set on February 17, 1970). A day later in Texas, record highs for March 1 soared to 98 degrees F in Wichita Falls, 95 degrees F in Abilene, and 93 degrees F in Dallas-Ft. Worth. March 1 highs also topped 90 degrees F in Oklahoma locations such as Tulsa (93 degrees F) and Oklahoma City (92 degrees F). Cooler weather arrived on the Plains in early March, but warmth briefly lingered in the Southeast. On March 2, Southeastern daily-record highs included 82 degrees F in both Mobile, AL, and Pensacola, FL. At week's end, record warmth returned to the Southwest in advance of an approaching storm. Gateway, CO (70 degrees F), collected a daily-record high on March 3, followed the next day by a record in Roswell, NM (82 degrees F). Stormy, windy weather arrived along the West Coast in late February and again in early March. In California, daily-record precipitation totals for February 27 reached 3.56 inches in Crescent City and 1.53 inches in Burbank. In California's Central Valley, February 27 wind gusts topped 50 m.p.h. in locations such as Sacramento (53 m.p.h.) and Stockton (51 m.p.h.). Farther inland, Reno, NV (0.55 inch), and Stanley, ID (0.36 inch), also measured record totals for February 27. The last day of February featured additional record totals in locations such as North Bend, OR (1.90 inches), Glasgow, MT (0.64 inch), and Yakima, WA (0.52 inch). Farther east, snow developed after mid-week across the Great Lakes and Northeastern States. Daily-record snowfall totals for March 2 included 8.5 inches in Saginaw, MI, 7.2 inches in Binghamton, NY, and 5.0 inches in Rhinelander, WI. Additional snow blanketed parts of the Northeast on March 3-4, when Burlington, VT, received 14.2 inches. At week's end, light precipitation developed across the Plains and Midwest. In Amarillo, TX, a 0.22-inch rainfall on March 4 exceeded its total of 0.13 inch during the preceding 96 days (November 28 - March 3). Meanwhile, March 4-5 precipitation in Iowa totaled more than 1 inch in locations such as Ottumwa (1.47 inches) and Lamoni (1.19 inches). Elsewhere in Iowa, Waterloo and Mason City netted 2.0 inches of snow on March 4. Farther north, daily-record snowfall totals in Montana for March 4 included 10.0 inches in Harlem and 7.0 inches in Lewistown. Extremely heavy rain fell across parts of Hawaii, causing local flooding. At Kaupo Gap, Maui, where the normal March rainfall is 11.80 inches, precipitation totaled 10.76 inches in a 24-hour period on March 2-3. Punaluu, Oahu, received 22.40 inches in a 48-hour period from March 1-3, easily exceeding its normal March rainfall of 9.10 inches. Farther west, weekly rainfall reached 38.77 inches on Kauai's Mt. Waialeale, where March rainfall typically totals 34.70 inches. Warm weather prevailed, however, in areas of Hawaii that remained mostly dry. For example, weekly rainfall totaled just 0.03 inch in Kahului, Maui, where daily-record highs climbed to 88 degrees F on both March 2 and 3. In contrast, near- to below-normal temperatures prevailed in Alaska. Chilly weather was most pronounced across the eastern half of Alaska, where weekly temperatures ranged from 4 to 12 degrees F below normal. Meanwhile, locally heavy precipitation overspread western Alaska, where March 1-5 snowfall totaled 19.3 inches in Nome and 13.1 inches in McGrath. On the 1st, Nome's 13.2-inch total eclipsed its March daily record (previously, 8.0 inches on March 13 and 29, 1940). National Agricultural Summary February 27 - March 5, 2006 Highlights: Warm weather returned to most of the Nation, with above-normal temperatures prevailing nearly nationwide. Across the central and southern Great Plains, average temperatures were 9 degrees Fahrenheit or more above normal. Only in the northern Corn Belt, Ohio River Valley, middle and northern Atlantic Coast, the Florida peninsula, parts of the Pacific Coast, and the far northern edge of the Great Plains were temperatures below normal. Along the Pacific Coast, however, moderate to heavy rain fell, with the most rainfall in northern California. East of the Rocky Mountains, however, only light precipitation was recorded, with most areas receiving no measurable precipitation. After a week of moderate rainfall, the southern Great Plains returned to mostly dry conditions, causing further stress to winter grains. Meanwhile an ongoing lack of snow cover and developing soil moisture shortages were concerns for winter wheat growers in the northern and central Great Plains. Dry weather also prevailed across the Mississippi Delta and Southeast. In the Corn Belt, only Iowa and western Missouri escaped the dry weather experienced elsewhere in the region. Recent rainfall in California boosted growth in grain fields and benefited pastures. In Texas, planting of corn, cotton, and sorghum was underway in southern parts of the State, while winter wheat and oat condition remained mostly very poor. Mild temperatures and dry weather in Florida allowed fieldwork to progress on schedule. In Georgia, corn planting was underway, while pasture fertilization was common, despite muddy conditions. ACCESS TO REPORTS!! 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