We 1 (3-09) Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin National Agricultural Statistics Service USDA Washington, D.C. Released March 17, 2009, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, U.S. Department of Agriculture. For information on "Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin" call Julie Schmidt at (202) 720-7621, office hours 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET. National Weather Summary March 8 - 14, 2009 Highlights: Periods of heavy rain, totaling 2 to 6 inches, spread from central and eastern Texas into the southern Appalachians, easing long-term drought and improving conditions for pastures and winter grains. However, significant precipitation bypassed the High Plains and the lower Southeast. On the southern High Plains, winter wheat and other fall-sown crops continued to suffer due to a lack of topsoil moisture, despite some light rain and snow. As of March 15, USDA rated 57% of Texas' winter wheat crop in very poor to poor condition, along with 80% of the oats and 71% of the range and pastureland. Across Florida's peninsula, citrus and vegetable producers increased irrigation to maintain favorable crop conditions. Farther north, another round of heavy rain aggravated lowland flooding in parts of the Midwest, particularly in the central Corn Belt. Rainfall totaled 2 to 4 inches from near the Iowa-Illinois-Missouri triple point to the vicinity of Lake Erie. Meanwhile, blizzard conditions engulfed parts of the north- central U.S. on March 9-10, accompanied by a late-season blast of bitterly cold air. Weekly temperatures averaged as much as 10 to 20 degrees F below normal across the northern Plains and the interior Northwest, but ranged from 5 to 10 degrees F above normal from the central Gulf Coast region into the Mid-Atlantic States. Mid-week readings below -20 degrees F were observed from northeastern Montana to northern Minnesota. Elsewhere, dry weather returned to California, following a month-long barrage of Pacific storms that increased the water content of the Sierra Nevada snow pack from 10 to 24 inches. Generally light rain and snow showers fell elsewhere in the West, including the Rockies and the Pacific Northwest. For much of the week, record-setting warmth in the South and East contrasted with a late-season cold blast across the northern Plains and parts of the West. Daily-record highs above 80 degrees F were common from March 8-11 in Southeastern locations such as Danville, VA (83 degrees F on March 8); Greenville-Spartanburg, SC (85 degrees F on March 9); Vicksburg, MS (84 degrees F on March 9 and 10); and Charlotte, NC (83 degrees F on March 11). In contrast, producers in California's Central Valley monitored the effects of scattered frost (mainly from March 9-12) on blooming fruit and nut trees and other temperature-sensitive crops such as grapes. Daily-record lows were set on March 9 in northwestern California locations such as Crescent City (31 degrees F) and Eureka (32 degrees F). Eureka (30 degrees F) set another daily record on March 10, along with California locations such as Paso Robles (27 degrees F), Salinas (31 degrees F), and Stockton (32 degrees F). Meanwhile, extremely cold conditions overspread the north-central and northwestern U.S. In Bismarck, ND, sub-zero readings persisted throughout March 10-11, with the temperature peaking at -1 degree F both days. Other sub-zero highs for March 10 included -7 degrees F in Cut Bank, MT, and -4 degrees F in Williston, ND. The following day, record lows for March 11 dipped to -3 degrees F in Winchester, ID, and 2 degrees F in Spokane, WA. Elsewhere in Idaho, Stanley reported consecutive daily-record lows of -22 and -18 degrees F on March 11 and 12, respectively. Bitterly cold conditions peaked across the north-central U.S. on March 12, when daily-record lows plunged to -35 degrees F in Babbitt, MN, -21 degrees F in Jamestown, ND, and -14 degrees F in Sisseton, SD. In Washington, Whitman Mission (19, 16, 16, and 21 degrees F) closed the week with four consecutive daily-record lows from March 11-14. Early in the week, snow blanketed the upper Great Lakes region, where Green Bay, WI, received 6.0 inches on March 8. Green Bay's July 1 - March 14 snowfall reached 84.2 inches, marking the first time since 1886-87 and 1887- 88 that the seasonal total exceeded 80 inches in consecutive years. Farther west, 3.1 inches of snow fell in Spokane, WA, from March 8-10, boosting its season-to-date total to 88.9 inches. Only 1949-50 (93.5 inches), 2007- 08(92.6 inches), and 1974-75 (89.0 inches), featured larger seasonal accumulations in Spokane. Elsewhere in Washington, Seattle's season-to-date snowfall through March 14 reached 22.8 inches, marking its snowiest winter since 1971-72. Meanwhile, early-week thunderstorms spawned about two dozen tornadoes on March 8 from the middle Mississippi Valley into Indiana and northwestern Ohio. Injuries were reported in association with at least two tornadoes in Illinois, and winds (not associated with the tornadoes) gusted as high as 91 m.p.h. in Lawrenceville, IL. Later, a developing storm dumped as much as 1 to 2 feet of snow in Utah's Wasatch Range, mainly on March 9. On March 9-10, blizzard conditions engulfed parts of the northern Plains and upper Great Lakes region. International Falls, MN, received 18.8 inches of snow, including 13.1 inches on March 10. That total represented International Falls' snowiest March day on record, edging 13.0 inches on March 4, 1966. Other March 9-10 snowfall totals reached 14.0 inches in Jamestown, ND, and 8.0 inches in Alexandria, MN, while wind gusts were clocked to 51 m.p.h. in Fergus Falls, MN, and 48 m.p.h. in Grand Forks, ND. Farther south, daily-record rainfall totals for March 10 included 1.67 inches in Peoria, IL, and 1.53 inches in Ft. Wayne, IN. In the rain's wake, crest records were established in locations such as the Kankakee River at Davis, IN (3.80 feet above flood stage on March 11; previously, 3.79 feet on July 19, 1996), and Bean Creek at Powers, OH (5.20 feet above flood stage on March 11; previously, 3.98 feet on February 6, 2008). During the second half of the week, heavy precipitation shifted into the South. Some snow accumulated across the southern Rockies and southern High Plains, with 2.0 inches reported in Dalhart, TX, on March 13. Snow also fell across the interior Southeast, with March 12 totals reaching 3.0 inches in Bowling Green, KY, and 2.3 inches in Charleston, WV. In Texas, daily-record rainfall totals for March 11 included 3.60 inches in Dallas-Ft. Worth and 2.66 inches in Waco. Two days later, rainfall records for March 13 included 3.06 inches in Jackson, MS, and 2.90 inches in Monroe, LA. For much of the week, cold weather in southeastern Alaska contrasted with mild, stormy conditions across the western and interior parts of the state. On March 8, Nome (15.5 inches) reported its snowiest day on record, surpassing the 14.0-inch total observed on February 19, 1920, and December 31, 1997. Farther inland, Fairbanks' snow depth peaked at 30 inches from March 6-8, representing its greatest depth since January 2000 (32 inches). By week's end, temperatures dipped below -40 degrees F at a few locations across interior Alaska, where a March 14 low of -47 degrees F was reported on the Taylor Highway at O'Brien Creek. Farther south, torrential rain subsided in Hawaii, followed by a period of unusually cool, occasionally showery weather. On the Big Island, Hilo netted 22.08 inches of rain during the first 2 weeks of the month, aided by a 17.33-inch total on March 7-8. Later, a 24-hour rainfall of 9.73 inches drenched the Oahu Forest National Wildlife Refuge on March 9-10. Lihue, Kauai, posted a daily-record low of 55 degrees F on March 13, followed the next day by a daily record of 56 degrees F in Hilo. National Weather Summary provided by USDA's World Agricultural Outlook Board. For more information, call (202) 720-2397. Agricultural Summary March 9 - 15, 2009 A cold front pushed through the country late in the week dumping precipitation totaling 4 inches or more in areas of central and East Texas, western Louisiana, and western Mississippi. Much of the eastern side of the United States received at least an inch of precipitation during the week, with several locations in the Corn Belt, Delta, and Southeast receiving between 2 and 4 inches of rain. Florida and the southeastern portions of Georgia and South Carolina were virtually dry. The Pacific Coast, Intermountain Region, and northern and central Great Plains received scattered rainfall with total accumulations between 0.1 and 2 inches. Temperatures in most areas west of the Great Plains were below normal, with locations in the northern Rocky Mountains as many as 20 degrees below the average. In contrast, the eastern part of the country was warmer than normal with temperatures of 12 degrees above average recorded. A few locations in South Texas had temperature readings over 90 degrees. California producers continued field preparations for spring planting and applied herbicides to wheat, oat, and sorghum crops. Cherry, prune, pear, and peach trees began to bloom, while the spring strawberry crop started to form berries. Due to cold overnight temperatures, citrus producers ran wind machines to protect orchards that were still producing fruit. The cooler temperatures helped extend the almond bloom in parts of the Sacramento Valley. The vegetable harvest progressed well, while producers prepared fields for tomato transplants. Temperatures in Arizona were mostly above average for the week, keeping cotton producers across the state busy planting. While heavy rains in central and eastern Texas hindered sorghum planting, irrigation was still needed in other portions of the State. Cotton fields in the Trans-Pecos were being irrigated, corn fields in the Northern High Plains were being irrigated prior to planting, and wheat producers continued irrigation practices on their crop due to severely dry conditions. Producers in the Northern Low Plains were busy making field preparations. However, dry conditions and hardened soils limited the amount of cultivation that was completed. Peach trees in the Cross Timbers were in full bloom. As a result of weekend rainfall, locations in Georgia reported standing water in low areas and creeks running full. Nevertheless, the drought continued to be a concern across most of the state. Corn producers were busy applying herbicides, and vegetable growers spent the week transplanting their spring crops. Florida's small grain crops progressed well, as growers made preparations for row crops. The sugarcane harvest was nearly complete. Vegetable producers irrigated their fields due to the lack of available moisture. Increased amounts of salt were reported in vegetable fields in several counties in the southwestern part of the State. New limb growth was reported on citrus trees as they began to recover from the late January and early February freezes. 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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