Environmental conditions

The Henry Agaard Wallace Beltsville Agricultural Research Center (BARC) of the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is located in Prince George's County, Maryland, about six miles northeast of the District of Columbia. It comprises about 6,866 acres (2,780 hectares) of level or rolling terrain just east of the Fall Line, a meeting place of the floras of the Atlantic Coastal Plain and Piedmont Provinces. The BARC coordinates are approximately 39º N latitude and 76º 50’ W longitude. The elevation ranges from approximately 40 to 260 feet (12–80 m) above sea level. Data from weather stations on BARC, as collected by George Meyers of the Farm Operations Branch, are as follows for 1995–1998: The annual maximum temperature was 101º F. (38.3º C.) in August 1997; annual minimum temperature 13° F. (-10.6º C.) in February 1996; annual average temperature 55º F. (12.8º C.); average annual total precipitation 37.75 inches (958.9 mm); maximum annual total snow depth 51.2 inches (1.3 m) in 1996; minimum annual total snow depth 1 inch (0.03 m) in 1998; and average annual total snow depth 28.5 inches (0.7 m). Hotchkiss and Stewart (1979) presented climatic data for the adjacent Patuxent Wildlife Research Center (Department of the Interior).

United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service
Send comments or questions about the BARC Flora database to Joseph Kirkbride
Page last updated 9 September 2003