mn-crop-weather State Minnesota Weekly Crop-Weather Week Ending Date Week Ending December 6, 2009 Issue MN-CW-49-09 Agricultural Summary Sunflower harvest neared completion as winter like conditions returned to the state, according to the USDA, NASS, Minnesota Field Office. As of Sunday, sunflowers were 94 percent harvested, statewide. Corn was 87 percent complete. Corn remains un-harvested in some locations due to high grain moisture levels. Wet field conditions were also an issue; however, the colder temperatures firmed up soils allowing producers access in some areas. Most of Minnesota experienced a cold, snowy start to December. Afternoon highs in southern Minnesota ranged from the mid-40s to low 50s on Monday as one of the warmest November's, statewide came to a close. By Wednesday, however, daytime highs ranged from the teens north to 20s south. Snow fell across many northern counties December 1st and 2nd. Snowfall totals for the two-day period ranged from 2.9 inches in Ely to 8.5 inches in International Falls. More snow fell across southwestern and southern Minnesota late Wednesday into Thursday. Snow amounts were generally confined to one-half to two inches throughout the region; however, heavier amounts ranging from 2 to 5 inches were recorded across Redwood, Brown, Cottonwood and Watonwan counties. Subsoil moisture supplies were rated 95 percent adequate to surplus as winter sets in. Days Suitable for Fieldwork Table Days Suitable for Fieldwork: 4.6 Soil Moisture Table Very Short Short Adequate Surplus Topsoil Moisture (%) 0 2 70 28 Subsoil Moisture (%) 0 5 83 12 Crop Progress Table Crop Progress as of December 6, 2009 Stage of This Last Last 5 Yr Crop Development Week Week Year Avg Percent Corn Harvested 87 78 100 99 Moisture 21 21 18 17 Sunflowers Harvested 94 85 99 99 Crop Condition Table Condition as of December 6, 2009 in % Very Poor Poor Fair Good Exc Pasture 14 16 32 35 3 Weather Information Table Precipitation and Temperature Summary for 11/30/2009 through 12/6/2009 Temperature Precipitation High Low Week Depart Week Depart From Norm Ave from Total Past Four Since Norm Week Weeks 4/1 NW DIST 1 Crookston 47 -3 19.6 3.6 .13 -.01 -.42 2.20 Moorhead 45 0 18.4 .9 .05 -.10 -.43 -2.18 Warroad 40 -3 18.0 4.1 .36 .17 -.24 .15 NC DIST 2 Grand Rapids 38 -1 19.2 1.8 .12 -.11 -.14 -4.38 Intl. Falls 33 3 17.3 3.0 .41 .20 .14 -2.62 Itasca 39 0 21.4 6.6 .07 -.13 .05 -1.94 NE DIST 3 Duluth 37 0 20.2 1.1 .05 -.26 -.84 -5.84 Grand Marais 37 15 25.6 1.6 .10 -.15 .27 -4.62 Hibbing 39 -5 17.8 1.7 .03 -.17 .05 -6.78 WC DIST 4 Alexandria 44 5 20.8 1.9 .05 -.10 -.51 -7.07 Browns Valley 48 4 23.4 2.7 .15 -.00 -.46 4.35 Canby 51 3 25.4 1.8 .12 -.11 -1.20 -2.64 Montevideo 51 2 23.7 3.0 .03 -.18 -.93 .98 Morris 46 0 22.2 2.4 .05 -.10 -.58 -4.00 Wadena 40 1 22.0 4.7 .02 -.15 -.33 -3.31m Wheaton 47 2 22.8 4.0 .04 -.11 -.23 -1.59m CENT DIST 5 Becker 45 6 26.2 6.0 .02 -.26 -1.27 -5.54 Collegeville 46 7 25.0 3.4 .02 -.21 -1.14 .60 Hutchinson 47 9 26.1 5.0 .01 -.23 -.94 -2.29 Melrose 44 5 24.3 4.9 .01 -.18 -.82 -.73 Olivia 49 5 24.6 4.1 0 -.19 -1.03 -.44 St. Cloud 45 6 23.6 4.0 0 -.22 -1.04 -2.41 Staples 42 1 20.6 2.9 .03 -.14 -.16 -.28 EC DIST 6 Aitkin 40 6 22.6 4.1 0 -.25 -.62 -1.59 Forest Lake 47 8 26.4 4.9 0 -.30 -1.33 -7.33 Hinckley 44 6 22.6 3.0 .01 -.30 -1.11 -1.27 MSP Airport 47 12 26.2 2.5 0 -.31 -1.34 -5.01 St. Paul - UofM 44 10 26.6 2.3 0 -.32 -1.45 -8.72 SW DIST 7 St. Paul - UofM 44 10 26.6 2.3 0 -.32 -1.45 -8.72 Lamberton 50 4 24.9 2.8 .07 -.12 -.71 -1.96 Marshall 52 2 24.7 2.3 .07 -.17 -1.07 -1.71 Redwood Falls 52 5 23.6 .7 0 -.22 -1.05 -5.25 Worthington 49 4 24.7 3.4 .03 -.21 -.45 1.81 SC DIST 8 Faribault 47 11 26.2 3.2 .03 -.29 -1.40 -2.80 Mankato 49 7 26.4 3.5 .05 -.25 -.26 -8.28 Waseca 47 4 26.5 4.4 .02 -.38 -1.22 -7.62 Winnebago 50 6 26.7 4.0 .11 -.19 -.29 -3.60 SE DIST 9 Preston 50 9 27.6 4.0 .03 -.35 -1.46 -2.77 Red Wing 51 15 28.5 4.9 0 -.28 -1.15 -1.14 Rochester 48 8 26.4 4.1 .02 -.30 -1.35 -.98 Rosemount 49 12 27.0 5.8 .06 -.30 -1.59 -4.88 Winona 49 16 30.2 5.6 0 -.35 -1.23 -.43 m=some data missing Contact Information USDA, NASS MINNESOTA FIELD OFFICE IN COOPERATION WITH THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE- CHANHASSEN MN, UNIV. OF MINN. EXTENSION SERVICE, DNR STATE CLIMATOLOGY OFFICE, USDA-FSA, AND USDA-NRCS USDA-NASS MINNESOTA FIELD OFFICE Minnesota Department of Agriculture PO Box 7068, St. Paul, MN 55107 Phone: (651) 296-2230 E-mail: nass-mn@nass.usda.gov Homepage: http://www.nass.usda.gov/mn/