We 1 (3-06) Weekly Weather And Crop Bulletin National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released March 28, 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. 13 March 19 - 25, 2006 For additional information, call (202) 720-2397. Highlights: Cold air expanded across the United States in the wake of a dynamic storm system, holding weekly temperatures more than 15 degrees F below normal across parts of the central Plains and resulting in significantly below-normal readings nationwide, except in southern Florida, northern Maine, the upper Midwest, and the Northwest. From March 25-27, Southeastern readings generally ranging from 28 to 32 degrees F as far south as northernmost Florida resulted in frost but were not a major concern for temperature-sensitive crops such as boot-stage winter wheat, blooming fruit trees, and emerging corn. Meanwhile, Western storminess continued to hinder fieldwork and crop development in northern and central California, while snow further improved spring and summer runoff prospects across the interior Northwest and the Intermountain region. However, mostly dry weather returned to the drought-affected Southwest, following the previous week's rain and snow. Much-needed precipitation ended early in the week across the southern High Plains, where topsoil moisture improvements revived some pastures, rangeland, and winter grains. However, much more rain was needed to sustain drought recovery. Farther north, very heavy snow blanketed the Nation's mid-section from the central High Plains northward, disrupting travel but providing highly beneficial moisture for pastures and winter wheat. More than 2 feet of snow buried parts of Nebraska. Across the South, early-week showers and thunderstorms were followed by a cold snap. Weekly rainfall topped 2 inches from northeastern Texas to the southern Appalachians. Flash flooding was reported in several areas, including northeastern Texas, where some locations received more than 6 inches of rain. However, heavy rain largely bypassed Florida, parts of which remained very dry. Aside from Florida, rain boosted Southeastern soil moisture reserves for newly planted summer crops and in preparation for planting, but short-term dryness worsened in the Northeast. Elsewhere, snow briefly fell across the southern Corn Belt, while the remainder of the Midwest experienced dry weather and near- to below-normal temperatures. Early in the week, a spring snowstorm continued to rage across parts of the Plains. In Nebraska, March 18-21 snowfall totals included 21.6 inches in Grand Island, 21.2 inches in Hastings, 17.5 inches in Norfolk, 16.7 inches in Kearney, and 15.3 inches in Valentine. Unofficial Nebraska totals reached 30 inches in Greeley (Greeley County), 29 inches in Chambers (Holt County), and 26 inches in Ord (Valley County). Grand Island set records for its greatest 1-day snowfall (17.8 inches on March 20; previously 13.0 inches on March 16, 1917) and 2-day total (20.7 inches on March 19-20; previously 15.1 inches on February 17-18, 1984). Records for the same two periods were also broken in Hastings (17.4 inches on March 20 and 20.3 inches on March 19-20, respectively), where former standards were 14.0 inches on March 18, 1984, and 17.4 inches on October 25-26, 1997. Elsewhere, East Rapid City, SD, netted 17.3 inches of snow from March 18-21, while Goodland, KS, measured 13.5 inches on March 20. For Goodland, it was the seventh-highest single-day total on record and greatest snowfall since October 25, 1997, when 19.3 inches fell. The Plains' snowfall was also very wet, resulting in daily-record precipitation totals on March 20 in locations such as Goodland (1.73 inches) and Grand Island (1.61 inches). Meanwhile, heavy showers swept across areas from the southern Plains to the southern Appalachians. In Texas' northern panhandle, Amarillo's March 18-20 precipitation of 1.25 inches exceeded its 1.10-inch total during the preceding 202 days (August 28 - March 17). Farther east, the heaviest rain in years soaked parts of the Arklatex region. Texarkana, AR, received 5.07 inches of rain from March 18-20, marking its first observance of at least 5 inches of rain in a 3-day period since December 15-17, 2001. In northeastern Texas, March 19 totals reached 6.90 inches at Dallas' Love Field and 6.08 inches in Arlington. By March 21, Augusta, GA (2.79 inches), noted a daily-record rainfall, while daily snowfall records included 5.5 inches in Springfield, IL, and 4.3 inches in Des Moines, IA. Record warmth lingered in advance of the powerful spring storm. On March 20, daily-record highs in southern Texas soared to 99 degrees F in Harlingen and 98 degrees F in McAllen. A day later in Florida, Tallahassee (91 degrees F) notched its earliest reading above 90 degrees F (previously, 91 degrees F on March 22, 1935). In contrast, Western highs were the lowest on record for the date in locations such as Redding, CA (45 degrees F on March 20), and Las Vegas, NV (51 degrees F on March 21). By midweek, the former powerhouse storm weakened while crossing the Midwest and East, while another disturbance emerged from the West. Nevertheless, the first storm ended long spells without measurable rain in parts of Florida and southern Texas. Harlingen, TX (0.20 inch on March 22-23), measured rain for the first time since February 10, ending a 39-day dry spell. In Florida, the month's first measurable rain fell on March 23 in locations such as Vero Beach (0.53 inch), Ft. Myers (0.32 inch), and Orlando (0.02 inch). With the latter system, daily-record snowfall totals reached 1.3 inches (on March 22) in Wichita, KS, and 1.6 inches (on March 23) in Oklahoma City, OK. Meanwhile, chilly weather expanded eastward from the West, resulting in more than three dozen records. In southern California, daily-record lows for March 22 included 27 degrees F in Lancaster and 28 degrees F in Palmdale. Two days later on the Plains, records for March 24 were reported in locations such as Valentine, NE (-2 degrees F); Roswell, NM (23 degrees F); Oklahoma City (23 degrees F); Abilene, TX (26 degrees F). Farther east, Georgia locations such as Macon (32, 28, 29 degrees F) and Valdosta (32, 31, and 32 degrees F) reported their first of three consecutive freezes on March 25. Tallahassee, FL, also noted three consecutive freezes (32, 31, and 29 degrees F) from March 25-27. Elsewhere, late-week rainfall reached daily-record proportions in several Western locations, including Walla Walla, WA (0.97 inch), and downtown Sacramento, CA (0.98 inch). Periods of heavy rain continued to batter parts of Hawaii, especially toward week's end. On March 26, month-to-date rainfall on Kauai's Mt. Waialeale surged past its March 1951 record total of 81.95 inches. For the 5-week period ending at 8 a.m. HST on March 27, Mt. Waialeale's rainfall totaled 124.88 inches. Elsewhere on Kauai, Lihue measured 33.00 inches of rain (1,089 percent of normal) during the first 26 days of the month, more than doubling its March 1951 standard of 14.51 inches and easily surpassing its December 1968 monthly record of 22.91 inches. Farther east, a tornado struck Lanai's Kaumalapau Harbor on March 23, marking only the 35th documented tornado on the Hawaiian Islands since 1950. Elsewhere, March 1-26 rainfall climbed to 25.45 inches (214 percent of normal) in Hilo, on the Big Island, and 10.65 inches (649 percent) in Honolulu, Oahu. Farther north, mostly dry weather prevailed in Alaska, although temperatures ranged from 10 degrees F below normal in parts of the southwestern mainland to as much as 5 degrees F above normal in the southeastern part of the State. Heavy snow briefly lingered early in the week across southern Alaska, where Yakutat (19.4 inches on March 19) received a daily-record total. Later in the week, however, Skagway posted consecutive daily-record highs (55 and 51 degrees F on March 22 and 23, respectively). Elsewhere in southeastern Alaska, Juneau's daily-record high (50 degrees F on March 23) occurred just 5 days after its last of three consecutive daily-record lows (-2, -3, and 0 degrees F from March 16-18). National Agricultural Summary March 20 - 26, 2006 Highlights: Below-normal temperatures prevailed across most of the Nation, with the exception of the Pacific Northwest. Low temperatures dipped below 20 degrees Fahrenheit across the northern and central Great Plains and much of the Corn Belt. However, most of the winter wheat crop in these areas was protected by a new layer of snow cover deposited by a storm system that moved across the area early in the week. This system brought much-needed precipitation to the central and southern Great Plains, where winter wheat, particularly in Texas and Oklahoma, endured an extremely dry winter. Heavier rainfall across the Mississippi Delta hindered planting. Light to moderate rainfall eased soil moisture shortages along the southern Atlantic Coast, but the middle Atlantic Coast States remained mostly dry. In the West, variable weather brought snow to the northern Rocky Mountains, light rainfall to parts of the Southwest, and moderate to heavy precipitation to coastal areas, while the Great Basin and central and southern Rockies remained mostly dry. In northern and central Florida, conditions remained mostly dry, while storms in the southern peninsula brought scattered rainfall and high winds, though no significant wind damage was reported. Rainfall in Georgia eased soil moisture shortages, but cold weather was a concern for vegetable growers. Corn planting in Louisiana was hampered by heavy rainfall, while rice growers in the southeastern part of the State, where little rain fell, planted rapidly. In Texas, rainfall improved the condition of winter wheat and oats, though some of the crop may have been beyond help. Corn planting exceeded the halfway mark, at 52 percent complete. California fruit trees were blooming and some fruit trees were past peak bloom and leafing. ACCESS TO REPORTS!! For your convenience, there are several ways to obtain NASS reports, data products, and services: INTERNET ACCESS All NASS reports are available free of charge on the worldwide Internet. For access, connect to the Internet and go to the NASS Home Page at: www.nass.usda.gov. E-MAIL SUBSCRIPTION All NASS reports are available by subscription free of charge direct to your e-mail address. Starting with the NASS Home Page at www.nass.usda.gov, under the right navigation, Receive reports by Email, click on National or State. Follow the instructions on the screen. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - PRINTED REPORTS OR DATA PRODUCTS CALL OUR TOLL-FREE ORDER DESK: 800-999-6779 (U.S. and Canada) Other areas, please call 703-605-6220 FAX: 703-605-6900 (Visa, MasterCard, check, or money order acceptable for payment.) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ASSISTANCE For assistance with general agricultural statistics or further information about NASS or its products or services, contact the Agricultural Statistics Hotline at 800-727-9540, 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET, or e-mail: nass@nass.usda.gov. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance program. (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 USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write to USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, or call (800) 795-3272 (voice) or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.