mn-crop-weather State Minnesota Weekly Crop-Weather Week Ending Date Week Ending December 13, 2009 Issue MN-CW-50-09 Agricultural Summary As of Sunday, corn harvest progress was rated 91 percent complete, according to the USDA, NASS, Minnesota Field Office. The last time Minnesota corn acres were less than 95 percent harvested by mid-December was in 1985 when 87 percent of corn was harvested as of December 15th. High grain moisture levels and last week's significant snowfall may prompt producers in some parts of the state to wait until spring to harvest their remaining corn acres. The extended harvest season also prevented the completion of fall tillage in parts of the state. A large winter storm impacted most of southern and eastern Minnesota late Tuesday through Wednesday. Snowfall totals across the southeast ranged from 8 to 16 inches with lesser amounts to the north and west. Unseasonably cold temperatures followed the first major storm of the season. Wednesday's overnight lows ranged from 5 to 15 degrees below zero in most areas. Warmer temperatures returned across southern Minnesota by week's end with Saturday afternoon highs approaching 30 degrees. The northwest remained much cooler as highs in the single digits and teens were common across the region. Days Suitable for Fieldwork Table Days Suitable for Fieldwork: 3.3 Crop Progress Table Crop Progress as of December 13, 2009 Stage of This Last Last 5 Yr Crop Development Week Week Year Avg Percent Corn Harvested 91 87 100 100 Moisture 21 21 18 17 Sunflowers Harvested 97 94 100 100 Weather Information Table Precipitation and Temperature Summary for 12/7/2009 through 12/13/2009 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 16m-17m -3.2m-16.0m 0 -.12 -.35 2.08 Moorhead 16 -10 -1.0 -15.5 .09 -.03 -.23 -2.22 Warroad 21 -24 -4.6 -15.0 .04 -.11 -.20 .04 NC DIST 2 Grand Rapids 23 -12 3.0 -11.2 .10 -.09 -.61 -4.48 Intl. Falls 16 -19 -4.0 -14.7 0 -.16 -.32 -2.78 Itasca 21 -14 1.0 -10.6 .03 -.14 -.36 -2.08 NE DIST 3 Duluth 24 -12 5.4 -10.6 .12 -.10 -.90 -5.95 Grand Marais 30 -3 12.6 -8.6 .02 -.17 -.73 -4.80 Hibbing 22 -20 .8 -12.0 0 -.17 -.47 -6.95 WC DIST 4 Alexandria 22 -12 4.5 -11.3 .16 .04 -.36 -7.03 Browns Valley 24 -10 4.6 -13.0 .15 .04 -.32 4.39 Canby 30 -15 5.4 -15.4 .27 .11 -.69 -2.54 Montevideo 29 -12 5.4 -12.1 .23 .07 -.50 1.05 Morris 23 -14 2.4 -14.3 .13 .01 -.45 -3.99 Wadena 19 -14 3.0 -11.1 .11 -.02 -.40 -3.32m Wheaton 19 -10 3.6 -12.0 0 -.11 -.32 -1.70m CENT DIST 5 Becker 31 -9 9.0 -8.0 .16 -.04 -.86 -5.58 Collegeville 29 -10 11.2 -7.3 .28 .11 -.72 .71 Hutchinson 29 -9 9.6 -8.2 .35 .17 -.42 -2.12 Melrose 25 -11 6.2 -9.8 .16 .02 -.63 -.71 Olivia 29 -13 7.8 -9.5 .38 .25 -.42 -.18 St. Cloud 30 -11 8.1 -8.3 .19 .03 -.67 -2.38 Staples 21 -13 5.2 -9.4 .11 -.02 -.25 -.29 EC DIST 6 Aitkin 24 -11 6.5 -8.6 .12 -.07 -1.02 -1.66 Forest Lake 33 -8 11.0 -7.1 .32 .09 -.86 -7.25 Hinckley 28 -13 6.8 -9.4 .23 -.01 -.78 -1.28 MSP Airport 29 -5 12.5 -8.2 .39 .15 -.76 -4.85 St. Paul - UofM 29 -5 12.0 -9.2 .25 -.00 -1.00 -8.72 SW DIST 7 Lamberton 32 -11 7.5 -11.6 .19 .05 -.32 -1.91 Marshall 32 -7 8.0 -11.5 .32 .13 -.53 -1.58 Pipestone 30 -12 6.0 -12.4 .24 .09 -.40 -1.22 Redwood Falls 32 -8 10.4 -9.5 .22 .07 -.61 -5.18 Worthington 32 -9 7.0 -11.3 .14 -.03 -.13 1.78 SC DIST 8 Faribault 31 -13 11.5 -8.3 .90 .66 -.24 -2.14 Mankato 30 -9 11.2 -8.6 .32 .09 .31 -8.19 Waseca 29 -12 10.1 -8.8 .64 .31 -.38 -7.31 Winnebago 30 -9 10.0 -9.3 .66 .42 .54 -3.18 SE DIST 9 Preston 30 -19 9.6 -10.9 1.15 .83 -.10 -1.94 Red Wing 29 -9 13.0 -7.6 .29 .08 -.66 -1.06 Rochester 30 -7 13.2 -6.0 .77 .52 -.33 -.46 Rosemount 28 -9 10.6 -7.4 .33 .06 -.94 -4.82 Winona 30 -4 15.4 -6.0 1.03 .77 .09 .34 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/