MINNESOTA AG NEWS MONTHLY CROP-WEATHER Released: March 26, 2007 Issue No. CW-12-07 USDA, NASS, Minnesota Field Office MN Dept. Of Agriculture P.O. Box 7068 St Paul, MN 55107 Phone: (651)296-2230 E-Mail: nass-mn@nass.usda.gov Homepage:http://www.nass.usda.gov/m/ USDA, NASS, MINNESOTA FIELD OFFICE, IN COOPERATION WITH THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE - CHANHASSEN MN, UNIV. OF MINN. EXTENSION SERVICE, DNR STATE CLIMATOLOGY OFFICE, USDA-FSA, AND USDA-NRCS The following comments are from Minnesota’s County Extension Educators, FSA (USDA - Farm Service Agency), and NRCS (USDA - Natural Resources Conservation Service) Offices for the Month of March 2007 BROWN: Snow cover is mostly gone. Feed availability is not an issue. Livestock condition is good. Moisture supplies are short. FARIBAULT: Snow is melting rapidly causing some seasonal flooding. This will last a while as tile drainage has not opened up as of yet. Currently we have about 12 inches of frost. Topsoil moisture looks average to start the year. FILLMORE: Very little snow remains. Fields are wet and tops of hills are drying. Frost is still present. Feed availability is good to excellent, no shortages. Moisture is looking OK. Current prediction may draw the frost out, and some will remain in topsoil. HUBBARD: Snow depth is non-existent on cropland. The frost is slowly going out in low areas first due to ponded water. Livestock feed is readily available and livestock condition is good. Beef producers are starting into the calving season. Moisture supplies are questionable at this time. Most producers are making preparation for spring planting season. ITASCA: Snow is mostly gone except where drifting occurred. Calving is going well. The milder temperatures have been a great help. Preparations for spring activities are starting to get under way. KANDIYOHI: Most of the snow is gone except in groves and ditches. With the forecast for weekend rains it will all be gone. Subsoil is still short but most of the melted snow stayed put and should really help the topsoil. If we get weekend rains it should help get the frost out and let the standing water into the topsoil. The talk is about seed fertilizer prices. KITTSON: Snow starting to disappear. Rivers not yet open. Livestock producers are busy with calving. Adequate feed stock supplies exist. Some concerns with lack of subsoil moisture going into spring. Minor flood concerns at this time. KOOCHICHING: March weather brought little snow but some cold. We've had about 7 inches of pretty wet snow, and maybe 1/2 inch of rain. Not much on the ground now as it's been pretty warm the last couple of days. Cattle look good, and the early calves are doing well. My hay supply is more than I'll need the way its going. Winter hasn’t been hard on man or cow. Additional moisture would help the pastures to get started, but what has come helped fill the pond for summer. The ground is still frozen hard, can't break through it yet. LAC QUI PARLE: After no snow cover all winter we accumulated about 2 feet in late February and early March. A quick melt in mid March has caused low land flooding and streams out of bank. Several township and county gravel roads were overtopped and experienced damage. Little of this water went to recharge soil moisture due to frozen ground conditions. There is concern about the amount of subsurface moisture available after last year's dry conditions. LINCOLN: A few building roofs collapsed with the heavy snow received the first few days of March. Fast melting a week later caused some road damage. Snow storm and mud make livestock operations more difficult if they can’t get them on dry high ground. Some calves were lost. Frost is coming out because pond water in fields is going down. Generally good feed supplies but hay still sells well. Higher fertilizer and seed costs are a concern this spring. MARTIN: Most of the snow has left. Moisture supplies are good. MEEKER: The recent snow has given us adequate topsoil moisture. There is concern about inadequate subsoil moisture. MORRISON: After receiving nearly 2 feet of snow in early March we are still dry. Snow melt has helped recharge surface waters but has done little to help recharge subsoil moisture due to the deep frost. There is concern for alfalfa winter-kill and fall-seeded crops. Livestock conditions have been very good with the above average temperatures and feed availability is sufficient. NORMAN: Most of the snow has melted with the exception of areas where the wind has blown drifts along wooded areas and windbreaks. Frost depth is around 4 feet in some areas. Drought conditions may persist into the spring due to little precipitation and snowmelt not adding much subsoil moisture. There is very little flooding or pooling around much of the county. OTTER TAIL: Snowmelt is causing significant runoff due to deep frost. Forage supplies remains ample for most livestock producers. Mild weather for most of the winter has kept livestock in good condition. PENNINGTON: Snow is melting and running off at a reasonable rate. A few fields have standing water due to ditches and culverts that are still froze up. Cattle producers are faring well with good calving conditions. PINE: Fields are starting to show, with 2 inches of snow left. Fields are starting to show. Frost is 5 to 10 feet deep. Many water and sewer lines have frozen. Livestock are doing well. Calving is underway. Subsoil moisture very short. Some farmers are buying hay and corn, and a few operations are out of silage. PIPESTONE: Snow cover is gone, and moisture supplies are excellent. Livestock conditions are good to excellent and feed availability is good. There have been favorable calving conditions this past week with the cleaning, drying and hauling out of yards. Temperatures have been 40-50 degrees daytime and 30’s at night. Feed supplies not critical but livestock producers are actively purchasing hay stocks as hay inventory are decreasing. Frost levels are not very deep. Producers will be increasing preparation to begin spring planting as a result of the warmer weather forecast. There is little overland pasture flooding with melt from February snowfalls. Soil moisture levels are low but not critical. ROSEAU: The snow cover is fast disappearing, leaving behind a dry soil that is still frozen to depths of 3 to 4 feet. Livestock are in excellent condition. Feed supplies will be at a premium if adequate moisture is not received this spring and early summer. ST LOUIS: Lack of snow will greatly affect ground water and spring run off. STEARNS: The large snow fall in March really helped with ground moisture and we seem to be in a nice slow warm-up for getting the frost out of the ground in Stearns County. We still need more moisture and hope it doesn't come until the ground is thawed so it does not run off. SWIFT: No snow left. Chippewa River is opening, some ice left. A 1/2 inch rain wouldn't hurt. But would rather it come later. Livestock is doing well, but yards are getting very muddy and sloppy. Tile is running some places, but not all. Feed availability is adequate. TRAVERSE: Warm temperatures have melted almost all the snow. Localized flooding is occurring on a smaller scale this year (with the exception of Browns Valley). Many wetlands are still far from being full, a result of last years extremely dry conditions. WABASHA: Very little snow on the ground. Surplus feed available. Feedlots are muddy, yet livestock conditions are good. Moisture supplies are adequate. PRECIPITATION AND TEMPERATURE SUMMARY FOR MARCH 1 TO MARCH 25, 2007: Temperatures averaged 1.6 degrees above normal in the Southeast District to 4.5 degrees above normal in the East Central District. Temperature extremes included a low of -16 at Warroad, and a high of 75 degrees at Rochester. Precipitation averaged from .37 inches below normal in the Southeast District to .17 inches above normal in the East Central District. Greatest precipitation of 2.25 inches was recorded at Waseca, with a statewide average of 1.13 inches for the three week period. Precipitation and Temperature Summary for March 1 to March 25, 2007 Temperature Precipitation High Low Month Dept. Week Depart From Norm Ave from Total Past Three Since Norm Week Weeks 11/1 NW DIST 1 Moorhead 66 -9 29.4 3.8 .77 -.15 -.06 -.99 Warroad 50 -16 21.0 1.2 .34 -.19 -.07 -.77 Grand Rapids 67 -9 28.8 3.8 1.41 .46 .58 -.06 NC DIST 2 Intl. Falls 58 -13 23.6 1.5 .58 -.16 -.19 -.79 Itasca 64 -9 25.7 4.3 .97 -.07 .01 -.62 Duluth 60 -10 27.0 2.9 1.79 .48 .61 -.44 NE DIST 3 Grand Marais 63 -6 27.0 .6 .91 .02 .04 -.28 Hibbing 66 -9 27.2 3.7 .58 -.20 -.05 -1.73 Alexandria 62 -1 29.8 4.0 .91 -.25 -.30 -2.34 WC DIST 4 Browns Valley 62 -5 29.4 1.8 1.40 .15 .15 -.37 Canby 62 -3 33.0 2.9 2.00 .63 .60 -.11 Fergus Falls 63 -6 27.3 2.8 1.07 -.07 -.09 -.63 Montevideo 68 -3 31.4 3.5 1.18 -.08 -.02 -1.64 Morris 61 -3 28.1 1.5 .73 -.44 -.38 -.21 Becker 63 1 30.6 3.7 .78 -.55 -.33 -.56 CENT DIST 5 Collegeville 66 3 33.5 4.8 1.45 .05 -.03 -.13 Hutchinson 62 3 31.3 3.0 1.36 .12 .12 -.00 Olivia 61 -1 29.6 1.7 1.10 -.02 .08 1.18 St. Cloud 67 1 31.0 4.1 1.05 -.09 -.10 .24 Staples 64 -4 27.2 2.5 .61 -.63 -.70 -1.63 Willmar 66 2 31.0 3.9 1.14 -.03 -.02 -.03 Aitkin 63 4 30.2 5.1 1.62 .46 .57 .06 EC DIST 6 Forest Lake 65 3 32.2 4.5 1.70 .48 .43 .03 MSP Airport 73 4 35.1 4.4 1.32 -.12 .01 -.18 St. Paul - UofM 72 4 36.0 4.0 1.32 -.16 -.24 -.97 Lamberton 65 -5 32.6 3.2 .82 -.49 -.50 .03 SW DIST 7 Pipestone 65 -4 30.6 1.8 1.82 .51 .49 1.64 Redwood Falls 68 1 32.6 1.8 .36 -.88 -.80 -.66 Faribault 64 -2 31.2 2.9 1.42 -.04 .01 .83 SC DIST 8 Mankato 60 0 31.2 1.2 1.27 -.29 -.22 1.67 Waseca 62 -7 30.8 1.9 2.25 .34 .45 .96 Winnebago 63 -1 31.0 1.4 1.75 .38 .51 3.72 SE DIST 9 Red Wing 65 2 32.0 2.4 1.27 -.01 -.00 1.22 Rochester 75 -2 31.8 2.5 1.21 -.19 -.19 2.11 Rosemount 63 -4 31.7 2.9 1.07 -.66 -.55 -.50 Winona 65 -1 32.2 -.2 .97 -.41 -.14 .65 m=some data missing ================================================================================ USDA, NASS, Minnesota Field Office MN Dept. Of Agriculture P.O. Box 7068 St Paul, MN 55107 Phone: (651)296-2230 E-Mail: nass-mn@nass.usda.gov Homepage:http://www.nass.usda.gov/mn/ MONTHLY NEWS REPORT Minnesota Crop-Weather Report Publication No. 387190