mi-crop-weather State Michigan Crop Weather Released November 3, 2008 Week Ending Date November 2, 2008 Issue MI-CW4408 Agricultural Summary Cool and Dry Six days were suitable for fieldwork during the week ending November 2, according to the USDA, NASS, Michigan Field Office. Precipitation varied from 0.07 inches in the western Upper Peninsula to 0.50 inches in the east central Lower Peninsula. Average temperatures ranged from 4 degrees below normal in the northeastern, central, east central, south central, and southeastern Lower Peninsula to 2 degrees below normal in the eastern Upper Peninsula. Temperatures were very cold at the beginning of the week, with some locations experiencing sleet or snow. The weather became clear and mild later in the week, drying fields and creating better conditions for fieldwork. A grower in the west central reported, "What a beautiful fall week. We had our first touch of snow Monday night which didn't last and the rest of the week was clear and cool." Farmers in some areas were waiting for crops and fields to dry. "Pastures have quit growing with the cool temperatures, and the steers are thinning it down. The fields are still wet enough to keep the trucks out, but no rain for a week helps," a reporter in the south central stated. Field Crops Report Field Crops The weather was excellent for harvesting this week. Corn harvest continued slightly behind the normal pace. Growers continued to monitor the crop's moisture level. Soybean harvest neared completion. Alfalfa cutting neared completion with some growers getting a fourth cutting. The haying season has come to an end for most farmers. Dry bean harvest has been completed. Winter wheat planting was all but complete. The crop continued to emerge at a pace slightly slower than normal. Sugarbeet harvest continued rapidly. Fruit, Vegetable, and Specialty Crops Report Fruit Fruit harvest was completed. Fall clean-up activities continued in orchards and vineyards across the State. Vegetables Seasonal temperatures and little rain allowed for a productive week, with most farmers taking advantage of the calm weather to complete the harvest of late planted crops around the State. Carrot and onion harvest continued on schedule. Winter squash was still being harvested with no major problems reported. Heavy frost on Thursday damaged some of the remaining tomato fields but the extent has not yet been determined. Celery harvest was completed. Growers began cleaning equipment and getting ready for the winter. Soil Moisture and Crop Condition Tables Soil moisture for week ending 11/02/08 --------------------------------------------- : Very : : : Stratum : short : Short :Adequate:Surplus --------------------------------------------- : Percent : Topsoil : 2 11 78 9 Subsoil : 5 11 80 4 --------------------------------------------- Crop condition for week ending 11/02/08 ----------------------------------------------------------- : Very : : : : Crop : poor : Poor : Fair : Good :Excellent ----------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : Corn : 5 11 30 42 12 Pasture : 14 19 35 29 3 Winter Wheat : 0 4 26 54 16 ----------------------------------------------------------- Crop progress for week ending 11/02/08 ---------------------------------------------------------------- : This : Last : Last : 5-year Crop : week : week : year :average ---------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : All hay, fourth cutting : 71 62 81 85 Apples, harvested : 96 91 99 NA Corn, harvested : 52 35 64 57 Potatoes, harvested : 98 92 99 NA Soybeans, harvested : 94 88 87 83 Sugarbeets, harvested : 75 41 64 72 Winter wheat, planted : 99 92 98 95 Winter wheat, emerged : 71 59 90 78 ---------------------------------------------------------------- Contact Information U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service Michigan Field Office P.O. Box 26248 Lansing, MI 48909-6248 517-324-5300; or 800-453-7501 Fax 517-324-5299 email: nass-mi@nass.usda.gov Web Page: http:/www.nass.usda.gov/mi Weather Information Table Michigan Weather Summary for Week Ending 11/02/08 1/ ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : :Cumulative growing: : Temperature : degree days 2/ : Precipitation :------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : : : : : : : : : : Normal Station : : :Departure: : : :This:Last :Last : Since :------------- :Maximum :Minimum : from :2008 :2007 :Normal:week: two :four :April 1: Since : For : : : normal : : : : :weeks:weeks: :April 1:month ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ironwood : 66 19 2,008 2,515 0.07 0.75 1.35 18.22 Marquette : 64 25 1,878 2,394 0.17 1.41 2.21 20.14 Stephenson : 67 22 2,345 2,721 0.03 0.46 1.12 18.55 Western UP : 68 13 -3 2,017 2,496 2,039 0.07 0.65 1.22 17.17 22.74 2.54 : Cornell : 61 26 2,190 2,598 0.08 0.66 1.34 16.80 Sault St Marie : 57 29 1,918 2,346 0.15 0.60 1.46 18.20 Eastern UP : 61 26 -2 1,903 2,376 1,787 0.22 0.84 1.57 19.18 21.79 2.65 : Beulah : 60 30 2,555 2,906 0.12 0.90 1.48 22.41 Lake City : 65 23 2,373 2,694 0.20 1.60 2.34 27.02 Old Mission : 60 26 2,441 2,809 0.44 1.07 1.55 15.23 Pellston : 59 19 2,251 2,687 0.12 1.03 1.70 18.79 Northwest : 65 19 -3 2,339 2,718 2,344 0.30 1.23 1.73 19.67 21.05 2.69 : Alpena : 65 20 2,361 2,733 0.21 0.76 1.31 20.06 Houghton Lake : 64 21 2,419 2,725 0.11 0.98 1.39 22.69 Rogers City : 64 22 2,272 2,733 0.19 0.92 1.45 21.27 Northeast : 67 20 -4 2,344 2,710 2,263 0.18 0.92 1.48 21.71 20.54 2.57 : Fremont : 64 25 2,651 3,024 0.15 1.29 2.80 20.74 Hart : 61 26 2,542 2,896 0.15 0.81 1.64 21.09 Muskegon : 59 28 2,717 3,163 0.18 1.64 3.17 22.98 West Central : 64 21 -3 2,601 2,980 2,565 0.15 1.27 2.54 23.34 21.26 2.88 : Alma : 66 26 2,775 3,158 0.28 1.09 2.02 20.54 Big Rapids : 67 25 2,642 2,819 0.06 1.34 2.14 21.12 Central : 67 24 -4 2,683 2,988 2,652 0.25 1.32 2.24 20.11 21.73 2.49 : Bad Axe : 65 26 2,660 3,018 0.60 1.37 2.41 24.75 Pigeon : 66 24 2,565 2,906 0.29 1.03 1.80 18.39 Saginaw : 68 26 2,850 3,202 0.34 1.00 1.96 21.19 Standish : 68 23 2,510 2,891 0.18 1.37 2.36 22.52 East Central : 68 22 -4 2,621 3,004 2,667 0.50 1.25 2.12 21.88 19.38 2.23 : Fennville : 61 27 2,744 3,119 0.60 1.82 3.20 31.97 Grand Rapids : 65 27 3,082 3,502 0.13 1.43 2.56 28.89 Holland : 63 29 3,118 3,406 0.16 1.81 3.55 30.46 South Bend, IN : 67 27 3,216 3,653 0.70 1.96 3.02 30.07 Watervliet : 67 27 2,944 3,350 0.55 1.62 2.63 27.88 Southwest : 69 25 -3 2,973 3,338 2,924 0.43 1.90 2.99 29.70 22.72 2.79 : Belding : 65 24 2,723 3,052 0.22 1.30 2.56 19.86 Coldwater : 70 23 2,976 3,157 0.32 1.11 1.86 23.11 Lansing : 68 25 2,948 3,260 0.46 1.30 2.26 23.27 South Central : 71 23 -4 2,864 3,185 2,868 0.33 1.28 2.16 24.18 21.62 2.32 : Detroit : 70 26 3,287 3,566 0.49 0.80 1.49 18.26 Flint : 68 22 2,987 3,244 0.56 0.97 1.66 22.99 Romeo : 72 25 2,839 3,200 0.28 0.50 1.32 20.94 Tipton : 71 25 2,977 3,220 0.51 1.26 1.69 24.24 Toledo, OH : 70 24 3,272 3,505 0.00 0.39 1.29 21.45 Southeast : 72 21 -4 2,982 3,297 2,865 0.30 0.76 1.44 22.40 20.63 2.44 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1/ Issued by the USDA, NASS, Michigan Field Office in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Commerce, Michigan State University's Cooperative Extension Service, Agricultural Meteorologist, Department of Geography, and Crop Advisory Team ALERTS. 2/ Growing degree days (GDD) is the sum of daily mean temperatures minus 50 per day, 86 maximum and 50 minimum. The GDD is accumulative from April 1.