Blizzard Delays Spring Planting in North Dakota

FARGO, N.D. (AP) — Last week's spring blizzard that dumped up to 20 inches of snow in parts of North Dakota will delay spring planting.

The Agriculture Department says in its weekly crop and weather report that farmers on average now intend to start fieldwork by April 26 — later than the typical mid-April start.

The precipitation is welcome, though. The report says both topsoil and subsoil moisture in the state is rated 97 percent adequate to surplus — up slightly from last week. The U.S. Drought Monitor map shows only the far northeastern corner of the state as being dry.