We 1 (3-07)a Weekly Weather And Crop Bulletin National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released March 20, 2007, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, U.S. Department of Agriculture. For information on "Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin" call Theresa Holland at (202) 720-7621, office hours 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET. National Weather Summary Volume 94, No. 12 March 11 - 17, 2007 For additional information, call (202) 720-2397. Highlights: Above-normal temperatures prevailed nationwide, despite a late-week cold snap across the Great Lakes and Eastern States. From the Plains westward, record-setting warmth boosted weekly readings as much as 15 degrees F above normal and resulted in some of the highest temperatures on record so early in the season. Western warmth was generally favorable for crops--including winter grains, blooming fruit trees, and recently planted summer crops--but caused premature melting of high-elevation snow packs. Implications of early melting could include the need for careful water management to meet the summer needs of agricultural, environmental, industrial, municipal, and recreational users. West of the Rockies, significant precipitation was confined to the Pacific Northwest. Dry weather also prevailed on the northern and central Plains, promoting greening and early-season growth of winter wheat. Farther south, however, a slow-moving disturbance boosted moisture reserves on the southern Plains but triggered heavy rain and flash flooding in parts of Texas. Late in the week, the disturbance interacted with an approaching cold front, helping to spark heavy precipitation from the eastern Corn Belt into the northern and middle Atlantic States. Sleet and heavy snow blanketed parts of the Northeast. The late-week storminess maintained soggy conditions in the eastern Corn Belt, while lowland flooding and muddy conditions lingered elsewhere in the Midwest in spite of a mostly dry week. Due to cool, wet soils, one Midwestern concern for the future was the possibility of spring planting delays. Elsewhere, heavy rain slowed planting and other spring fieldwork in the western and central Gulf Coast States, but only light showers dampened the Southeast. As a result, drought continued to expand across Florida's peninsula and in some areas just west of the southern Appalachians. Early in the week, heavy showers dotted Texas and the Pacific Northwest, while record-setting warmth developed nearly nationwide. Daily-record rainfall totals included 3.05 inches (on March 11) in Quillayute, WA, and 4.79 inches (on March 12) in Brownsville, TX. Heavy rain also fell in parts of northern and western Texas, where daily-record totals reached 1.90 inches (on March 12) in Lubbock and 1.71 inches (on March 11) in Abilene. Farther north, Rapid City, SD (82 degrees F on March 12), tied a monthly record most recently attained on March 26, 1993. In Nevada, Reno (80 degrees F on March 12) set a record for its earliest reading of 80 degrees F or higher, previously established with a high of 80 degrees F on March 14, 1994. Similarly, Bismarck's high of 75 degrees F on March 12 represented its earliest reading of 75 degrees F or greater. Later in the week, however, cold weather returned to the north-central U.S., where Grand Forks, ND, posted a daily-record low of -11 degrees F on March 16. Meanwhile, a developing storm produced heavy precipitation and drew colder air into the South and East. Heavy rain lingered in eastern Texas through March 14, when Galveston (3.37 inches) notched a record sum. Farther north, Pittsburgh, PA (1.26 inches), collected a record precipitation total on March 15. Many more Eastern precipitation records were shattered on March 16, when totals reached 2.27 inches in Georgetown, DE, 2.25 inches in Salisbury, MD, and 2.21 inches in Blacksburg, VA. Worcester, MA (11.3 and 5.6 inches), measured consecutive daily-record snowfall totals. Other daily snowfall records for March 16 included 8.8 inches in Concord, NH, and 8.7 inches in Harrisburg, PA. Record totals for March 17 reached 2.52 inches (a mixture of rain, freezing rain, sleet, and snow) in Bangor, ME, and 10.3 inches of snow in Burlington, VT. Storm-total snowfall topped 20 inches at a few interior Northeastern sites, while as much as a half-foot of sleet accumulated in southeastern Pennsylvania and adjacent areas in New Jersey. At week's end, the parade of record highs continued in the West. From March 12-17, Bishop, CA (83, 85, 84, 82, 84, and 84 degrees F), posted six consecutive daily-record highs. Similarly, Las Vegas, NV (90, 89, 87, 89, and 91 degrees F), closed the week with five daily-record highs in a row. On March 17, Las Vegas' high of 91 degrees F just missed its monthly record of 92 degrees F, set on March 21, 2004. Phoenix, AZ (99 degrees F on March 16 and 17), also fell 1 degree F short of its monthly record, which was established on March 26, 1988. Elsewhere in Arizona, Yuma (101 degrees F on March 17) notched its earliest reading greater than 100 degrees F (previously, 102 degrees F on March 21, 2004). Late-week highs reached monthly record-tying or -breaking proportions in several Southwestern locations, including Flagstaff, AZ (73 degrees F on March 17; tied 73 degrees F on March 26, 1988, and March 31, 1966), and Zion National Park, UT (91 degrees F on March 17; previously, 90 degrees F on March 20 and 21, 2004). Mainland Alaska's cold, dry weather persisted, while heavy snow continued to blanket southeastern parts of the State. Weekly temperatures averaged 22 degrees F below normal in Fairbanks, where readings fell to -10 degrees F or lower each day from February 16 - March 17. Fairbanks' low of -38 degrees F on March 14 represented its coldest weather so late in the year since 1964, when it was -41 degrees F on March 17. Meanwhile, Anchorage (11.4 degrees F, or 12.0 degrees F below normal) experienced its coldest first 2 weeks of March since 1966. Elsewhere, Juneau received 57.3 inches of snow (764 percent of normal) during the first 17 days of the month, eclipsing its March 1948 record of 52.6 inches. In addition, Juneau's July 1 - March 17 snowfall climbed to 192.4 inches, just shy of its July 1, 1964 - June 30, 1965, standard of 194.3 inches. Farther south, warm, showery weather prevailed in Hawaii. Rainfall was generally heaviest across the western islands, where Lihue, Kauai, netted a weekly total of 4.39 inches. Lihue also measured 2.34 inches on March 14. However, showers were lighter farther east, including the Big Island, where Hilo's March 1-17 rainfall totaled just 1.95 inches (26 percent of normal). Hilo also posted a daily-record high of 86 degrees F on March 13. National Agricultural Summary March 12 - 18, 2007 Highlights: Temperatures were warmer than normal nationwide for the week, averaging as much as 10 to 15 degrees F above normal over most of the West through the Rocky Mountains and into the High Plains. Significant precipitation fell in portions of the Pacific Northwest, across Texas and the lower Mississippi Valley, and from the Ohio Valley through the Mid-Atlantic and into the Northeast. The unusually warm weather in the West and High Plains promoted rapid early-season growth in winter wheat and other small grain crops. In the Corn Belt, melting snow contributed to lowland flooding and muddy conditions in fields and feedlots. In the Southeast, dry weather early in the week was favorable for planting and other spring field work, while showers later in the week brought beneficial moisture to some areas. In California, unseasonably warm weather accelerated bloom and development of stone fruit and almonds. Field preparations continued and planting of a variety of vegetables and field crops was on-going. Lack of precipitation left many pastures in poor condition, and dryland wheat, barley, and oats were showing signs of stress. In the central and southern Great Plains, winter wheat was in mostly fair to good condition as crop development progressed ahead of normal in Kansas and Oklahoma due to warmer than normal weather. In Texas, significant rainfall increased moisture levels across much of the State to the benefit of most crops, pastures, and water supplies for livestock use. Flooding in south-central and southeast portions of the State due to accumulations of up to 9 inches caused some livestock losses, and some replanting of cotton and sorghum may be necessary. In Florida, scattered rains eased dry conditions in some areas, but soil moisture ratings remained mostly short to very short. Although slowed somewhat due to rain, harvest of sugarcane, potatoes and other vegetables remained on schedule. 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. 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