mi-crop-weather State Michigan Crop Weather Released November 24, 2008 Week Ending Date November 23, 2008 Issue MI-CW4708 Agricultural Summary Cold Temperatures Four days were suitable for fieldwork during the week ending November 23, according to the USDA, NASS, Michigan Field Office. Precipitation varied from 0.03 inches in the central Lower Peninsula to 1.09 inches in the eastern Upper Peninsula. Average temperatures ranged from 13 degrees below normal in the southwestern Lower Peninsula to 10 degrees below normal in the eastern Upper Peninsula and the northwestern and west central Lower Peninsula. Snow fell in the north, and "lake effect" snow accumulated along Lake Michigan. A grower in the west central reported, "We have had about 12 inches of snow this week so farming has been on hold. There is still some corn to harvest when good weather returns. It has been a relatively good season this year despite an early frost, a flood in June and dry weather in August." The ground in some areas was soggy but has become frozen in others. "Light snow on and off hasn't slowed our corn harvesting, cold enough to blow the snow through the combine. We've got enough frozen ground to help float the combine over most fields," a reporter in the south central stated. Field Crops Report Field Crops Snow limited harvest and other fieldwork. Corn harvest continued where conditions allowed and was completed in many areas. Winter wheat stands were generally in good condition. Sugarbeet harvest was completed. Last Issue for 2008 This concludes the 2008 Crop Weather season. Reports will resume in late April 2009. Monthly weather comments for the winter months, plus some weekly statistics for April will be available at www.nass.usda.gov. A special thanks to all of the regular Crop Weather reporters. Your time and effort made this publication possible and ensured an up-to-date and accurate representation of Michigan agriculture. Thanks again. Soil Moisture and Crop Condition Tables Soil moisture for week ending 11/23/08 --------------------------------------------- : Very : : : Stratum : short : Short :Adequate:Surplus --------------------------------------------- : Percent : Topsoil : 1 5 79 15 Subsoil : 2 9 83 6 --------------------------------------------- Crop condition for week ending 11/23/08 ----------------------------------------------------------- : Very : : : : Crop : poor : Poor : Fair : Good :Excellent ----------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : Winter Wheat : 1 2 19 58 20 ----------------------------------------------------------- Crop progress for week ending 11/23/08 ---------------------------------------------------------------- : This : Last : Last : 5-year Crop : week : week : year :average ---------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent : Corn, harvested : 89 83 95 87 ---------------------------------------------------------------- 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 11/23/08 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 : 30 -9 3,029 2,519 0.68 1.19 2.02 20.17 Marquette : 35 12 2,897 2,394 1.74 2.39 3.22 23.19 Stephenson : 40 2 2,364 2,727 0.00 0.51 1.30 19.82 Western UP : 40 -9 -11 2,702 2,500 2,050 0.59 1.07 1.70 18.81 24.46 2.54 : Cornell : 34 3 2,235 2,601 0.68 1.29 1.80 18.65 Sault St Marie : 34 15 2,937 2,348 0.60 1.48 2.86 20.91 Eastern UP : 34 3 -10 2,333 2,377 1,790 1.09 1.95 3.18 22.17 23.59 2.65 : Beulah : 37 14 2,603 2,913 0.80 1.63 2.16 24.45 Lake City : 37 7 2,416 2,701 0.75 1.35 2.01 28.83 Old Mission : 37 13 2,488 2,814 0.06 0.54 1.21 16.00 Pellston : 35 6 3,282 2,696 0.09 0.67 1.44 20.11 Northwest : 37 6 -10 2,548 2,725 2,364 0.41 1.11 1.81 21.18 22.86 2.69 : Alpena : 36 9 3,390 2,743 0.11 0.49 0.86 20.71 Houghton Lake : 35 6 3,448 2,730 0.15 0.47 0.85 23.43 Rogers City : 35 8 3,303 2,741 0.15 0.63 1.18 22.26 Northeast : 36 6 -12 3,209 2,718 2,282 0.15 0.62 1.13 22.66 22.21 2.57 : Fremont : 36 13 2,691 3,042 0.04 0.99 2.38 22.97 Hart : 40 4 2,584 2,908 0.31 1.48 2.71 23.65 Muskegon : 42 20 3,752 3,177 0.30 1.22 2.10 24.90 West Central : 48 4 -10 3,040 2,997 2,591 0.21 1.29 2.44 25.63 23.16 2.88 : Alma : 35 13 2,824 3,182 0.07 2.47 3.44 23.70 Big Rapids : 34 5 2,696 2,829 0.02 0.31 0.97 22.03 Central : 36 5 -11 2,980 3,005 2,679 0.03 1.01 1.82 21.67 23.39 2.49 : Bad Axe : 36 14 2,709 3,032 0.10 0.56 1.56 25.71 Pigeon : 36 16 2,612 2,920 0.02 0.32 0.86 18.96 Saginaw : 38 16 3,891 3,222 0.00 0.25 0.78 21.63 Standish : 38 12 2,558 2,909 0.06 0.60 1.28 23.62 East Central : 41 12 -11 2,999 3,025 2,698 0.06 0.40 1.20 22.58 20.89 2.23 : Fennville : 39 12 2,795 3,144 0.29 1.11 2.52 33.89 Grand Rapids : 38 17 3,136 3,531 0.01 0.44 1.16 29.92 Holland : 41 17 3,175 3,439 0.21 1.47 3.02 33.32 South Bend, IN : 39 7 3,273 3,691 0.70 1.40 2.37 31.74 Watervliet : 39 14 2,995 3,379 0.23 0.93 2.24 29.57 Southwest : 41 6 -13 3,026 3,368 2,966 0.24 0.99 2.16 31.44 24.51 2.79 : Belding : 37 15 2,772 3,073 0.01 0.64 1.66 21.30 Coldwater : 39 10 3,034 3,179 0.00 0.06 0.38 23.17 Lansing : 37 16 3,991 3,286 0.04 0.53 1.11 23.92 South Central : 39 10 -12 3,116 3,210 2,908 0.06 0.62 1.26 25.11 23.18 2.32 : Detroit : 38 15 4,325 3,599 0.01 2.01 2.65 20.42 Flint : 36 15 4,028 3,273 0.04 0.80 1.48 23.91 Romeo : 37 14 2,880 3,228 0.00 0.91 1.60 22.26 Tipton : 37 13 3,032 3,254 0.04 1.52 2.24 25.97 Toledo, OH : 39 11 3,327 3,543 0.06 2.45 2.52 23.97 Southeast : 39 8 -12 3,348 3,331 2,902 0.04 1.51 2.00 24.09 22.31 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.