570 TWENTY-THIRD ANNUAL YEAR BOOK— PART VIII 



MARCH 



The mild weather that prevailed throughout the winter continued 

 during March and the usual features that characterize this month were 

 lacking. Several storms of more than ordinary severity passed near the 

 limits of the State, but they were generally accompanied by very little 

 wind and less rain and snow than usual. The exception was the storm 

 that passed immediately south of the State on the 19th, and the only 

 damage of consequence reported occurred during the passage of this 

 storm, which crippled telephone and telegraph service in the central and 

 west-central portions' of the State. It was necessary to route telegrams 

 between Des Moines and Omaha in a roundabout way and telephone serv- 

 ice was entirely suspended until the broken poles and wires could be re- 

 placed. 



The temperature averaged 5.0° above normal, which is the greatest 

 excess since the present series of months with the temperature above 

 normal began in December. The month opened cold and the lowest tem- 

 perature generally occurred en the 2d, with a minimum of zero, or lower, 

 over most of the northern division and slightly above zero over the cen- 

 tral and southern divisions. The temperature rose above normal on the 

 3d, and except on an occassional day, continued above normal till the 26th, 

 when a moderately cold period set in and the rest of the month was 

 slightly below normal. 



The precipitation for the State was slightly above normal and was more 

 uniform both as to distribution and the time of occurrence than usual, but 

 over the greater portion of the State more than half of the monthly total 

 occurred during the storm of the 18th-19th. 



The general weather conditions were favorable for plant development, 

 but farm work was somewhat retarded on account of the soil being too 

 wet to work and at the end of the month no spring seeding had been done 

 except in a few small, scattered areas. Fruit buds had not developed as 

 far as usual and at the end of the month all buds were apparently un- 

 injured. Winter wheat and grass were making good growth and it will 

 be necessary to plow up very little winter wheat. Building operations 

 made an active start under very favorable conditions. 



Pressure. The mean pressure (reduced to sea level) for the State was 

 30.04 inches. The highest recorded was 30.81 inches, at Sioux City on the 

 1st, and the lowest 29.26 inches, at Charles City, on the 6th. 



Temperature. The mean temperature for the State, as shown by the 

 records of 98 stations, was 38.3°, or 5.0° above the normal. By divisions, 

 three tiers of counties to the division, the means were as follows: North- 

 ern, 35.8°, or 5.3° higher than normal; Central, 38.8°, or 5.3° higher than 

 normal; Southern, 40.4°, or 4.5° higher than the normal. The highest 

 monthly mean was 43.6°, at Fairport, and the lowest monthly mean was 

 33.6°, at Milford. The highest temperature reported was 74°, at Burling- 

 ton, on the 23d, and the lowest was -5°, at Fayette, on the 2d. The tem- 

 perature range for the State was 79°. 



Humidity. The average relative humidity for the State at 7. a. m. 

 was 81 per cent, and at 7 p. m. it was 68 per cent. The mean for the 

 month was 74 per cent, which is practically normal. The highest monthly 



