ELEVENTH ANNUAL YEAR BOOK PART 1 7 



servations began. The temperature was uniformly high, and above the 

 normal every day of the month, with the warmest period between ttu< 

 22d and 29th. The maximum occurred generally on the 23d and ranged 

 from 81° to 87° over the Northern, 81° to 90° over the Central, and from 

 82° to 92° over the Southern districts. The monthly minimum tempera- 

 tures occurred on various dates between the 1st and 15th. 



There was no snowfall in excess of a trace at any station and the 

 rainfall was abnormally light in all sections of the state. There were 

 S' stations that had no precipitation, and 34 that had only a trace. 

 Rainfall was practically nil until the 26th, and the only days on which 

 showers were at all general were the 26th and 29th. On the 1st of 

 March there was from 6 to 8 inches of snow on the ground in the 

 northern part of the State, but it had all melted by the 9th, and as there 

 was practically no frost in the ground, the soil dried rapidly, and 

 farmers were in the field early in the month gathering the remainder 

 of last year's corn crop, plowing and seeding small grain. The larger 

 part of the corn had been gathered by the 15th, and by the end of the 

 month nearly all of the wheat and about 50 per cent of the oats had 

 been seeded, and considerable ground had been prepared for corn. The 

 season at the close of the month was nearly a month in advance of the 

 normal and from five to six weeks ahead of last year. Spring flowers 

 were in bloom: elms, soft maples, and box elders were green or becom- 

 ing so, even in the extreme northern part of the State. Plum, cherry 

 and apple trees were in bloom in the southern, and plums in the central 

 districts. Pastures and meadows were green, and some of the early 

 sown grain was up before the end of the month. Fall grain, clover and 

 alfalfa were generally in good condition, but reports indicate much 

 damage by winter killing in the western and southern counties. 



Temperature. — The monthly mean temperature for the State, as 

 shown by the records of 118 stations, was 48.9°, which is 14.9° above 

 the normal for Iowa. By sections the mean temperatures were as^ 

 follows: Northern section 46.3°, which is 15.1° above the normal; 

 Central section 49.2°, which is 13.1° above the normal; Southern 

 section 51.2°, which is 14.5° above the normal. The highest monthly mean 

 was 53.8°, at Ottumwa, Wapello County, and the lowest monthly mean 

 43.7°, at Elma, Howard County. The highest temperature reported was 

 92 u at Clarinda, Page County, on the 22d; the lowest temperature reported 

 was 10°, at Rock Rapids, Lyon County, on the 1st. The average monthly 

 maximum was 85°, and the average monthly minimum was 20°. The 

 greatest daily range was 61°, at Elkader, Clayton County. The average 

 of the greatest daily ranges was 44°. 



Precipitation. — The average precipitation for the State, as shown 

 by the records of 126 stations, was 0.17 inch, which is 1. 75 inches be- 

 low the normal. By sections the averages were as follows: Northern 

 section, 009 inch, which is 1.64 inches below the normal; Central sec- 

 tion, 0.17 inch, which is 1.81 inches below the normal; Southern section, 

 0.26 inch, which is 1.79 inches below the normal. The greatest amount, 

 1.32 inches, occurred at Ames, Story County, and the least, 0.01 at eight 



