We 1 (3-10) Weekly Weather and Crop Bulletin Washington, D.C. Released March 9, 2010, 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 February 28 - March 6, 2010 Highlights: Relatively tranquil weather prevailed during the first week of March, although significant precipitation affected parts of California and the Deep South. Late February and early March precipitation virtually assured California of at least a "normal" wet season, following a 3-year drought. Similarly, rain and snow continued to provide Southwestern drought relief. In contrast, unfavorably dry conditions persisted across the interior Northwest, where drought continued to develop and expand. Farther east, weekly rainfall totaled at least 1 to 2 inches in many locations from Texas into the Southeast, hampering early season fieldwork. Favorably dry weather returned to the Southeast after midweek, although chilly conditions persisted. Weekly temperatures averaged as much as 15 degrees Fahrenheit below normal in Florida, but ranged from 5 to 15 degrees Fahrenheit above normal in New England. Especially cool conditions persisted across Florida's peninsula, where scattered readings near the freezing mark (32 degrees Fahrenheit) were observed late in the week - especially on March 5 - as far south as Lake Okeechobee. Elsewhere, mild, dry weather prevailed for much of the week from the northern and central Plains into the Midwest and Northeast, allowing snow to gradually melt. Toward week's end, light precipitation (mostly rain) spread across the central Plains and parts of the Midwest. Early in the week, snow finally subsided across the interior Northeast. From February 25-28 in eastern New York, Hunter Mountain (Greene County) unofficially received 48 inches of snow, while Highmount (Ulster County) netted 36 inches. Farther south, chilly conditions persisted for the entire week in Florida, where Vero Beach (34 degrees Fahrenheit on March 1) posted a daily-record low. Four days later, Vero Beach (33 degrees Fahrenheit on March 5) collected another record low, along with locations such as Melbourne (35 degrees Fahrenheit), Orlando (37 degrees Fahrenheit), and West Palm Beach (39 degrees Fahrenheit). In northern Florida, Gainesville tallied consecutive daily-record lows of 28 degrees Fahrenheit on March 6 and 7. Meanwhile, scattered daily-record highs were mostly confined to the Northwest, where Walla Walla, Washington, registered 67 degrees Fahrenheit on March 2. Enough warmth reached the Plains to end the longest stretch of sub-60-degree weather on record in Wichita, Kansas. Wichita remained below 60 degrees Fahrenheit from November 29 - March 3, a span of 95 days. Similarly, Grand Island, Nebraska, experienced its longest stretch without reaching 50 degrees Fahrenheit since the winter of 1978-79. Grand Island remained below 50 degrees Fahrenheit for 92 days from December 2 - March 3, compared to 112 days from November 10, 1978 - March 1, 1979. In Iowa, Waterloo reached 40 degrees Fahrenheit on March 6 for the first time since December 1. Waterloo's 94-day streak without a 40-degree reading edged its 1968-69 standard of 93 days. Elsewhere in Iowa, Des Moines had a 7-inch snow depth on the morning of March 7, marking its 90th consecutive observation (December 8 - March 7) with at least 4 inches on the ground. Des Moines's previous record of 61 days had been established in early 1979. During the first half of the week, a storm affected the southern U.S. On February 28, Tucson, Arizona (0.97 inch), netted a daily-record rainfall. Later, rain and snow fell in the Southeast. On March 2, snowfall totals of 3 to 5 inches were common across northern Georgia, with 1.1 inches officially reported in Atlanta. Elsewhere in the Southeast, March 2-3 snowfall totals included 8.8 inches in Asheville, North Carolina; 3.0 inches in Greensboro, North Carolina; and 0.9 inch in Greenville-Spartanburg, South Carolina. Windy conditions accompanied the storm, with a gust to 60 miles per hour reported on March 1 in New Orleans (Lakefront Airport), Louisiana. Meanwhile, unsettled weather continued in the Pacific Coast States, where daily record rainfall totals included 0.27 inch (on March 2) in Burns, Oregon, and 0.88 inch (on March 3) in Sacramento, California. Farther inland, Casper, Wyoming, received precipitation totaling 0.96 inch (7.7 inches of snow) on March 5-6. By March 7, the average water content of the Sierra Nevada snow pack climbed to 28 inches, virtually equal to the normal spring peak accumulation. Very cold weather in western Alaska contrasted with mild conditions across the remainder of the State. Weekly temperatures averaged more than 10 degrees Fahrenheit below normal in parts of western Alaska, where St. Paul Island posted a trio of daily-record lows (-5, -9, and -5 degrees Fahrenheit) from March 4-6. In southern Alaska, March 1-6 precipitation totals included 1.21 inches (14.5 inches of snow) in Cold Bay; 2.20 inches (26.3 inches of snow) in Valdez; and 2.36 inches (0.6 inch of snow) in Juneau. Farther south, beneficial showers dotted drought-stricken Hawaii. During the first 6 days of March, rainfall totaled 2.18 inches (89 percent of normal) in Hilo, on the Big Island. However, Hilo's year-to-date rainfall through March 6 stood at just 4.50 inches (21 percent of normal). Elsewhere on the Big Island, weekly rainfall totals reached 8.49 inches in Laupahoehoe, 8.38 inches in Honokaa, and 5.75 inches in Mountain View. Hawaiian trade winds frequently topped 40 miles per hour in late February and early March, with a gust to 53 miles per hour clocked at the Lanai Airport. National Weather Summary provided by USDA's World Agricultural Outlook Board. For more information, call (202) 720-2397. Agricultural Summary March 1 - 7, 2010 Highlights: Cooler than normal temperatures continued throughout the Delta and Southeast, with recordings across much of the region 10 degrees or more below average. Abnormally warm weather persisted in the Pacific Northwest, northern Rocky Mountains, Great Lakes, and New England. Dry conditions dominated much of the Nation during the week. The majority of the Corn Belt, Great Lakes, and Ohio Valley received less than 2 percent of their normal precipitation. Conversely, isolated locations in California and the Delta received 2 or more inches of precipitation. Below average temperatures prevailed for a third consecutive week across much of Florida, with subfreezing temperatures recorded in many areas of the State. The continued cold temperatures have hampered vegetable growth in many regions. Watermelons in Volusia County have been planted for several weeks without any growth while production has been below normal for a variety of winter crops. Citrus producers spent the week performing a variety of grove maintenance activities. Where conditions allowed, row crop producers completed fieldwork in preparation for cotton and peanut planting. Wet conditions across much of Louisiana hampered spring tillage operations for many row crop producers. Emergence of newly planted sugarcane acreage has been slow due to mostly below average temperatures and wet conditions during the winter. Vegetable growers prepared their fields for spring planting, while strawberry producers continued spraying and harvesting their crop. In Oklahoma, soil moisture levels were reported as mostly adequate, with 5 days suitable for fieldwork. Row crop seedbed preparation was underway as fields began to dry out following an abundance of moisture during February. The majority of the wheat and rye crops were reported in good to excellent condition. The winter wheat crop in the Northern High Plains of Texas benefitted from warmer temperatures, while additional rainfall during the week left water standing in fields in the Cross Timbers. Excessively wet conditions in the Southern Low Plains slowed fieldwork and herbicide applications for cotton producers. Although, corn and sorghum producers planted a limited amount of acreage during the week, planting progress for both crops remained behind both the previous year and 5-year average. Citrus, sugarcane, and a variety of vegetables continued to be harvested in the Lower Valley. For a second week, a series of storms dumped widespread precipitation on California, benefitting many dryland crops and improving soil moisture levels. Where conditions allowed, row crop producers completed fieldwork in preparation for spring planting. Garbanzo beans and potatoes had emerged, and were growing well. The strawberry and blueberry crops were blooming, and out-of-State raspberry bushes arrived for planting. Bed preparation continued for melons. Asparagus spears emerged in some fields, while harvest began in others. Beets, cabbage, cauliflower, green onions, herbs, and turnips were harvested. 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. For free 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. 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