REVIEWING MARCH 2007 WEATHER &
PHENOLOGY
From North Shores of Little Rock
Lake
Jim Hovda, Rice, MN 56367-0265
LAST MARCH
IN REVIEW: Temperature wise the lows averaged about the same but the highs
were cooler by almost three degrees. No 60's or 70's like this
year. Coldest day was on the 14th with a 6.6 degree reading and the
warmest was a 54.5 degree day on the 29th. A lot less snow and
rain. Only 2.6' of snow for the entire month equaled only .91" of
precipitation compared to 3.49" this year. It was a mundane month.
WEATHER:
Started cold and wet, got warm, and
ended cold and wet. The first part of the month flirted with the
"zero" reading. The lows never made it up to 40
degrees. Mostly in the teens and twenties. The coldest days
were the 4th/5th with 1.2 degree readings. It warmed up from the
23rd to the 27th with readings in the 60's and 70's with the warmest day on the
26th when my thermometer hit 72 degrees. I'm told that in Rice
which was away from a frozen lake the temp hit 78 degrees. Some records
in MN were set that day. For the month the average low was 21.52 and
the high was 43.99 degrees.
We started the month with 14" of snow on the ground. That was a
result of the big storm that started at the end of February.
Measurable snow was on the ground until the 13th. The snow except for
places in the shade and north sides of buildings lasted until the 22nd.
Then, at the end of the month, came the rains. From the 27th until the
31st it rained every day totaling no less than 2.27" of rain. We
ended the month with 3.49" giving us a total for the year of
5.45" of precipitation. Last year we only had 1.72" in
March. In the snowfall department we received 10.8" of the
white stuff in March giving us a total of 32" for the
year. Four inches more than last year. Here in Central MN we
could use a lot more rain. Northern MN is still in a drought
with lakes very low. The most rain fell on the 31st with .94" in the
rain gage.
WEATHER
RECORDS: March is a month of extremes. Our
area coldest March temp was a -32 degree reading in 1948 while in out
state MN it dipped to a chilling -49 degrees in Pokegama. On the pleasant
side of things, the warm temp record for our area was this year at, I
believe, 82 degrees in St. Cloud where the weather records are
measured. While in greater MN the warm record was 88 degrees
in 1910 in Montevideo. Record snowfall occurred in 1965 when 51.7"
of snow fell in the month. (The year of the big flood on Little Rock Lake)
PHENOLOGY:
Lot's of spring things starting to
happen. So you folks will not be kept in the dark, THE ICE WENT
OUT OF LRL ON THE 1ST OF APRIL... The last few floating patches
of slush ice left on the 2nd.....
My
seven Mourning Doves still came to the feeder all month. On the
5th the garden solar lights stayed on all night telling me that the sun
is getting higher in the sky and the days are getting longer. On the
10th, the first running water in Zuleger Creek demonstrating that
things are starting to thaw. On the 12th the first spring song of the
Chickadee. The 13th ushered in the first 24 hour
above freezing temps. More were to follow. The 17th saw
the arrival of four Tundra or Trumpeter Swans swimming in the open water at the
mouth of Little Rock Creek. The Sharp-shinned Hawk made its
appearance at the feeder and now there is one less Junco. I'm amazed at
the speed of this hawk and its ability to maneuver so quickly to catch these
small birds that are, themselves, so fast. On the 26th buds on the
Service Berry Tree, Maple Trees and some small shrubs appeared. The tulips
started poking their sprouts up on the 28th along with the Blue Flag Iris and
Chives. Yes, spring is just around the corner.
RESIDENT
OBSERVATIONS: Lot's of them. In order by date - On the 3rd Dr Ray Merritt
PhD called from Hulbert Air Force Base in FL to tell me that the Monarchs were
heading north flying over him while he was on the golf course!!! On the
7th, resident agricultural expert Harvey Meinert observed ice
pressure ridges at the mouth of Little Rock Creek that he estimated to be
between 18" and 24" high. This is the first time he has ever
seen them in this location. Jim Wainright
observed no less than ten deer in the woods next to his house just off
Benton Co. #2. On the 18th Steve Bogie heard his first
Sand Hill Cranes and on the 19th Jan Hovda saw our first two
wild turkeys enter the woods just behind out cabin. Jerry
Perske and Jim Wainright spotted a pair of Pine
Grosbeaks. Their first observation of these birds
here. On the 22nd, the Blue Birds arrived when Roxie
Saldana, Emil Williams, Harvey Meinert and Duane Cekalla all called to
report their arrival. Roxie Saldana also reported
the arrival of one Great Blue Heron that graced her yard allowing for some
pictures. Dr. Merritt also noted that he observed
his first jack rabbit in many years near his home in Rice. (Yes, he did
come back to MN) And his woodchuck "Oscar" that winters under
his deck came out to sun himself. "Storm'n"
Norman Meinert reports seeing the first pocket gophers digging on the
24th. In years past he had quite the reputation of being an
expert PG trapper. On the 29th Jerry Perske reports
the arrival of Common Mergansers along with several Common Loons navigating the
water between the ice and shore. Loranne Mendel reports
that she has had no less than 24 Mourning Doves at her feeder
all winter. A first.
W & P
FROM IRAQ: An e-mail from our secret reporter, Staff Sergeant Sam Williams
gets the long distance reporter award. A capsule of his e-mail -
pigeons are arriving in large numbers and are building nests along
with house sparrows. The flowers are starting to go to
seed as the temps climb and rain decreases. Still blooming are
purple thistle. The troops welcome the flowers and
green. As of 30 March the weather is ideal. Lows in the 50's and highs
in the 80's, low 90's. For all you good citizens who know folks in Iraq,
that is what is happening where SSG Sam is stationed.
ODDS AND
ENDS: My snow plow only saw four combat operations this
winter. That's the reason our current B.C. Commissioner and
used to be hardware store owner Joe Wollak said, "I'd
rather sell lawn mowers than snow plows." Makes sense to
me. WATER FACT- Minnesota has 90,000 miles of shoreline - more
than California, Florida and Hawaii combined. 2007 Weatherguide
Calender.