AgWeb.com Editors

Following are weather forecast highlights from Weather Trends International:

FEBRUARY SUMMARY: It was the coldest February since at least 1989 (18 years) and possibly 1979 for the nation as a whole, and the month is expected to rank between the 8th and 15th coldest in 113 years of national records. National precipitation trended up 134% over last year with snowfall up 60% over last year. Tornadoes and severe weather were also up with 89 during the month vs only 12 last year. Gasoline prices trended up 6% vs last year and were at the highest levels since middle September.

The frigid month has negatively impacted livestock operations and curtailed movement about the farmstead in the Corn Belt interrupting hurried pre-planting planning. Although the winter wheat belt has better moisture than recent years, the storm systems in February concentrated beneficial moisture to the north and east. The discovery of active soybean rust in Texas was worrisome, and some early indications of cooling Pacific waters (La Nina) triggered some premature concern about summer rains in the Corn Belt.

LAST Weeks Weather Trend (25 FEB - 3 MAR): It was the seventh straight week with below average temperatures for the nation as a whole. Where is that ground hog when you need him? It was also the snowiest last week of February in at least 14 years with another blizzard impacting the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes. The bright spot was the East Coast as temperatures surged to the low 60°s as far north as New York City late in the week but nationally it was the wettest week in nine weeks. Energy use was accelerated, and while the early winter period was unusually warm, this late period has been unusually cold making the winter’s accumulated energy demand close to normal.

THIS WEEK (4-10 MAR): A strong cold front has swept the milder weather off the East Coast with frigid Arctic air moving back into the Northeast. The West is best for Spring fever, even as another storm system, a much weaker storm system, will impact the Upper Midwest and Northeast midweek. Look for more light snow – although, again, much less than the last system. Hot weather will begin to build in the Southwest from interior Southwest California to West Texas by the weekend and even the Northeast will begin to moderate with 50s by the weekend.

NEXT WEEK (11-17 MAR): Milder weather will surge into the Western 2/3rds of the U.S. with hot weather in the Southwest. Growers will be able to begin early spring work from California to Missouri with warm and dry weather, although soils moisture will keep growers from the fields in the Corn Belt. This warmth will spread East with 60s possible by Friday (16th) as far North as New York City. This middle March period (through the 24th) is the week that will show the greatest year-over-year change toward much warmer weather in the nation. This may be an ideal time to ready equipment to take advantage of every open period ahead as after March 24th, there is more risk for another prolonged 5-week stretch of much colder year-over-year conditions. Al Peterlin, Weather Trends International VP, added, “Soil temperatures will be especially important to watch this year. Wet soils and slow warming might punish rather than reward early seeding.”