628 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



winter normal, and the least amount recorded since State-wide records 

 have been kept. The least amount recorded in any previous winter was 

 1.65 inches in the winter of 1898-1899. The precipitation was almost en- 

 tirely in the form of snow and the greater portion of the State was con- 

 tinuously snow covered throughout the winter. The average total snow- 

 fall, unmelted, was 14.5 inches, or 6.0 inches less than the normal and 

 3.4 inches less than the average for the winter of 1918-1919. 



The total number of days with .01 inch or more of precipitation was 

 13, or 5 less than the average for the winter of 1918-1919. The average 

 number of clear days was 32, partly cloudy 21, cloudy 38, as compared 

 with 40 clear, 18 partly cloudy, 32 cloudy days during the winter of 

 1918-1919. 



MARCH. 



March was warm, wet and windy. The month opened with the temper- 

 ature above normal but this was followed by a cold spell that continued 

 from the 4th to the 7th, inclusive, and during this period temperatures 

 of zero, or lower, were recorded throughout the State. The rest of the 

 month was warm but an occasional day with the temperature below 

 normal. The ground thawed rapidly after the first week and by the end 

 of the third week the frost was generally out of the ground. 



For the state as a whole, this was the wettest March of record. Only 

 a small area in the southwestern portion had a deficiency. The distribu- 

 tion both as to time and amount was uniform, and except a few points in 

 the northwestern portion, the precipitation was mostly rain. The heaviest 

 amounts were recorded in the south-central portion. 



The snow cover remained on the ground over the northern portion until 

 about the middle of the second week and over a large portion of the 

 northern section the ground was continuously snow covered since the 

 last week in November. As a result of this heavy snow blanket some 

 stations reported that there was no. frost in the ground during the entire 

 winter. The snow that occurred later in the month remained on the 

 ground for only short periods. 



Stormy weather was the outstanding feature, due to the passage of 

 an unusual number of energetic general storm centers through, or near 

 the boundaries of the State. The highest wind velocity and lowest ba- 

 rometer reading ever recorded in the State in March occurred at Sioux 

 City, and the total wind movement was high for the entire State. Much 

 damage resulted from the wind which in many cases blew in violent gusts. 

 Many barns, wind mills, silos and telephone poles were blown down and 

 in the cities many plate glass windows were broken. The greatest damage 

 from the wind occurred in the northeast portion where the property loss 

 was between $75,000 and $100,000. (See page 33). 



Conditions were not favorable for farm work over most of the State, 

 being too wet, but at the close of the month some progress had been 

 made and considerable seeding of small grain had been accomplished. 

 Roads were muddy and in poor condition the greater portion of the month. 



