mi-crop-weather State Michigan Crop Weather Released November 17, 2008 Week Ending Date November 16, 2008 Issue MI-CW4608 Agricultural Summary Rain and Snow Four days were suitable for fieldwork during the week ending November 16, according to the USDA, NASS, Michigan Field Office. Precipitation varied from 0.34 inches in the east central Lower Peninsula to 1.46 inches in the southeastern Lower Peninsula. Average temperatures ranged from 3 degrees below normal in the western Upper Peninsula and the southwestern Lower Peninsula to normal in the northwestern, northeastern, west central, central, and east central Lower Peninsula. Rain and snow showers fell across the State, which caused soggy fields and delayed the progress of fieldwork. A grower in the northwest exclaimed, "We are out of the fields! Still a lot of work to get ready for winter and the weather has not been good." Some farmers may need to wait for the ground to freeze before getting back into the fields. "Precipitation fell on all seven days this week, either as rain or snow. The ground isn't frozen yet, but it has become saturated with moisture. Harvest has continued slowly, at least up until Saturday when a mix of rain and snow fell," a reporter in the southeast stated. Field Crops Report Field Crops Harvest activities progressed where field conditions allowed. Harvest was wrapping up for most farmers. Corn harvest continued where conditions allowed and was completed in many areas. Alfalfa harvest came to an end in most areas. Winter wheat had all but emerged and was generally in good condition. Wet fields complicated sugarbeet harvest. Vegetables Harvest of most vegetable crops was completed for the year. Growers continued with fall tillage and preparation of farm equipment for winter storage. Soil Moisture and Crop Condition Tables Soil moisture for week ending 11/16/08 --------------------------------------------- : Very : : : Stratum : short : Short :Adequate:Surplus --------------------------------------------- : Percent : Topsoil : 3 2 68 27 Subsoil : 1 6 81 12 --------------------------------------------- Crop condition for week ending 11/16/08 ----------------------------------------------------------- : Very : : : : Crop : poor : Poor : Fair : Good :Excellent ----------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : Winter Wheat : 1 2 25 59 13 ----------------------------------------------------------- Crop progress for week ending 11/16/08 ---------------------------------------------------------------- : This : Last : Last : 5-year Crop : week : week : year :average ---------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : All hay, fourth cutting : 86 84 86 95 Corn, harvested : 83 72 88 80 Sugarbeets, harvested : 99 86 97 97 Winter wheat, emerged : 98 93 98 93 ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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 11/16/08 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 : 41 24 3,029 2,519 0.51 1.27 2.02 19.49 Marquette : 40 24 2,897 2,394 0.65 1.31 2.72 21.45 Stephenson : 41 6 2,364 2,727 0.51 1.27 1.73 19.82 Western UP : 43 6 -3 2,702 2,500 2,048 0.48 1.05 1.70 18.22 23.81 2.54 : Cornell : 46 21 2,235 2,601 0.67 1.17 1.69 18.03 Sault St Marie : 48 28 2,937 2,348 0.88 2.11 2.71 20.31 Eastern UP : 48 20 -1 2,333 2,377 1,790 0.76 1.80 2.59 20.98 22.88 2.65 : Beulah : 50 30 2,603 2,913 0.78 1.19 2.09 23.60 Lake City : 49 27 2,416 2,701 0.60 1.06 2.66 28.08 Old Mission : 50 29 2,488 2,814 0.48 0.71 1.78 15.94 Pellston : 50 28 3,282 2,696 0.58 1.23 2.26 20.02 Northwest : 50 26 0 2,548 2,725 2,361 0.64 1.04 2.27 20.72 22.18 2.69 : Alpena : 52 29 3,390 2,743 0.38 0.54 1.30 20.60 Houghton Lake : 49 25 3,448 2,730 0.32 0.59 1.57 23.28 Rogers City : 50 27 3,303 2,741 0.48 0.84 1.76 22.11 Northeast : 52 25 0 3,209 2,718 2,278 0.47 0.81 1.73 22.52 21.57 2.57 : Fremont : 52 30 2,691 3,040 0.95 2.19 3.48 22.93 Hart : 51 29 2,584 2,908 1.17 2.25 3.06 23.34 Muskegon : 53 33 3,752 3,176 0.92 1.62 3.26 24.60 West Central : 53 26 0 3,040 2,996 2,585 1.07 2.08 3.35 25.41 22.44 2.88 : Alma : 53 31 2,824 3,180 2.37 2.65 4.15 23.60 Big Rapids : 52 29 2,696 2,829 0.29 0.89 2.23 22.01 Central : 53 29 0 2,980 3,004 2,672 0.97 1.43 2.86 21.64 22.77 2.49 : Bad Axe : 54 31 2,709 3,032 0.46 0.69 2.23 25.61 Pigeon : 53 28 2,612 2,920 0.30 0.55 1.58 18.94 Saginaw : 53 31 3,891 3,222 0.25 0.44 1.44 21.63 Standish : 53 28 2,558 2,909 0.54 1.04 2.41 23.56 East Central : 54 27 0 2,999 3,024 2,689 0.34 0.62 1.88 22.52 20.33 2.23 : Fennville : 53 31 2,795 3,136 0.82 1.63 3.45 33.60 Grand Rapids : 53 31 3,136 3,526 0.43 1.02 2.45 29.91 Holland : 55 31 3,174 3,430 0.99 2.31 4.19 32.84 South Bend, IN : 53 22 3,273 3,674 0.70 0.97 2.93 31.04 Watervliet : 53 31 2,995 3,370 0.70 1.46 3.08 29.34 Southwest : 56 22 -3 3,026 3,360 2,956 0.73 1.48 3.38 31.18 23.93 2.79 : Belding : 51 28 2,772 3,071 0.63 1.43 2.73 21.29 Coldwater : 54 23 3,034 3,171 0.06 0.06 1.17 23.17 Lansing : 54 30 3,991 3,278 0.49 0.61 1.91 23.88 South Central : 54 23 -2 3,116 3,204 2,898 0.56 0.86 2.15 25.06 22.64 2.32 : Detroit : 55 26 4,325 3,589 2.00 2.15 2.95 20.41 Flint : 54 27 4,028 3,265 0.76 0.88 1.85 23.87 Romeo : 53 25 2,880 3,222 0.97 1.12 1.88 22.32 Tipton : 55 31 3,032 3,246 1.47 1.68 2.94 25.92 Toledo, OH : 55 30 3,327 3,532 2.40 2.47 2.86 23.92 Southeast : 70 19 -1 3,348 3,322 2,893 1.46 1.61 2.40 24.04 21.73 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.