mn-crop-weather State Minnesota Weekly Crop-Weather Week Ending Date Week Ending December 20, 2009 Issue MN-CW-51-09 Agricultural Summary As of Sunday, corn harvest progress was rated 93 percent complete, according to the USDA, NASS, Minnesota Field Office. Some producers with corn remaining in the field continue to harvest as conditions allow while others will wait until spring to finish. The remaining corn acres are generally high in moisture or inaccessible due to snow. Frigid temperatures across most of Minnesota early in the week gave way to more typical late December temperatures by week's end. Tuesday afternoon highs were below zero across the north, while highs in the south ranged from zero to 5 degrees above. West winds between 5 and 15 miles per hour resulted in wind chills ranging from 20 to 35 degrees below zero across the state. Wednesday's highs were warmer, but still below normal with afternoon readings ranging from 5 to 15 degrees above zero in most areas. By Saturday, daytime highs ranged from the low teens across the north to the low 20s in the south. Precipitation was minimal last week. Snowfall amounts of 1 to 2 inches were reported over southeast and south central Minnesota. Days Suitable for Fieldwork Table Days Suitable for Fieldwork: 3.5 Crop Progress Table Crop Progress as of December 20, 2009 Stage of This Last Last 5 Yr Crop Development Week Week Year Avg Percent Corn Harvested 93 91 100 100 Moisture 20 21 NA NA Weather Information Table Precipitation and Temperature Summary for 12/14/2009 through 12/20/2009 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 21 -17 2.5 -7.5 .02 -.08 -.22 1.71 Moorhead 23 -13 8.2 -3.6 .12 .00 -.01 -2.21 Warroad 21 -24 1.2 -6.1 .07 -.06 .00 -.88m NC DIST 2 Grand Rapids 26 -11 7.7 -2.9 .05 -.13 -.40 -6.31m Intl. Falls 21 -19 4.2 -3.5 .13 -.01 -.02 -2.63 Itasca 25 -13 4.5 -4.2 .04 -.11 -.17 -4.65m NE DIST 3 Duluth 22 -9 6.5 -6.8 .08 -.10 -.70 -5.56 Grand Marais 30 -7 14.2 -4.6 .09 -.07 -.45 -7.76m Hibbing 22 -11 6.8 -3.3 .02 -.13 -.31 -7.04 WC DIST 4 Alexandria 23 -10 8.2 -4.8 .15 .04 -.06 -6.84 Browns Valley 23 -9 5.2 -9.6 .20 .10 .04 4.04m Canby 22 -10 6.4 -11.9 .19 .06 -.25 -2.18 Montevideo 26 -11 5.8 -9.0 .22 .08 -.09 -.52m Morris 21 -10 5.5 -8.4 .21 .09 -.11 -5.75m Wadena 24 -11 4.4 -6.8 .17 .06 -.04 -5.17m Wheaton 22 -11 4.8 -8.0 .34 .24 .17 -.25m CENT DIST 5 Becker 23 -7 7.6 -6.7 .18 .02 -.40 -5.56 Collegeville 24 -7 11.1 -4.7 .23 .09 -.25 -.58m Hutchinson 23 -10 8.4 -6.5 .29 .14 .10 -2.76m Melrose 22 -14 6.5 -8.8 .11 -.01 -.32 -2.25m Olivia 22 -11 6.9 -7.7 .35 .26 .16 .07m St. Cloud 24 -7 9.2 -4.5 .15 .01 -.34 -2.46 Staples 23m -9m 8.6m -3.3m .05m -.06m -.01m -.36m EC DIST 6 Aitkin 22 -9 4.4 -7.8 .15 -.01 -.62 -5.39m Forest Lake 28 -9 9.6 -5.6 .22 .03 -.38 -9.32m Hinckley 24 -11 6.9 -6.3 .13 -.07 -.38 -7.75m MSP Airport 27 -5 12.6 -5.5 .17 -.03 -.37 -4.88 St. Paul - UofM 25 -5 9.7 -7.9 .19 -.02 -.56 -11.63m SW DIST 7 Lamberton 25 -10 8.0 -8.5 .09 -.02 -.02 -2.77 Marshall 23 -11 6.4 -11.3 .15 -.01 -.16 -3.29m Pipestone 28 -13 7.8 -8.1 .03 -.08 -.15 -2.74m Redwood Falls 23 -8 10.2 -7.1 .10 -.01 -.25 -6.41m Worthington 24 -11 8.0 -7.8 .11 -.02 .21 -.30m SC DIST 8 Faribault 24 -8 9.0 -8.0 .11 -.09 .10 -2.28 Mankato 27 -8 11.0 -6.2 .08 -.11 .65 -8.85m Waseca 24 -14 8.8 -7.3 .20 -.09 .02 -8.71m Winnebago 24 -8 10.1 -6.4 .15 -.06 .89 -3.99m SE DIST 9 Preston 27 -14 12.2 -5.6 .03 -.24 .16 -3.34m Red Wing 27 -3 12.2 -5.7 0 -.17 -.44 -2.50m Rochester 25 -8 12.0 -4.6 .08 -.12 -.10 -.50 Rosemount 25 -9 10.0 -5.2 .17 -.05 -.53 -7.55m Winona 29 -3 14.6 -4.1 0 -.20 .34 -2.65m 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/