sc-crop-weather South Carolina Weekly Weather and Crop Progress Report Released: May 31, 2011 Week Ending Date: May 29, 2011 Issue: SC-CW002111 GENERAL Hot, dry weather dominated the beginning of the week ending May 29th, 2011. On Monday, the Columbia Metro AP reported a high of 96 degrees, while Bamberg and Allendale reached 100 degrees. Arid conditions would continue until Wednesday, when coastal areas would receive some relief from sea breezes, allowing temperatures to remain in the low 80's. Unsettled weather began to move into the State from the north on Thursday, culminating in strong afternoon thunderstorms on Friday for much of the central part of the State. These storms brought much needed rain, with a cloudburst at Hartsville measuring 4.25 inches and Darlington measuring 3.10 inches. The storms moved out of the State on Saturday, leaving behind high humidity levels and rising temperatures. Sunny skies brought temperatures back into the 90's on Sunday. There was an average of 6.2 days suitable for fieldwork, and the State average temperature was seven degrees above normal. Soil moisture levels were reported as 14% very short, 42% short, 43% adequate, and 1% surplus. The State average rainfall for the period was 0.7 inches which lead to many stressed crops wilting in the high heat and lack of consistent rainfall. FIELD CROPS Ten percent of the CORN had silked with conditions deteriorating to 4% very poor, 7% poor, 37% fair, 48% good, and 4% excellent. COTTON planting was 86% complete, falling slightly behind the five year average and five points behind last year. PEANUT planting was 75% complete, slipping behind both last year's pace and the five year average. SOYBEAN planting slowed considerably with 57% planted, gaining only three points since the previous week. Forty three percent of the crop had emerged, 12 points ahead of the five year average. WINTER WHEAT completely turned color, finishing well ahead of the five year average due to warmer temperatures. The continued hot, arid conditions pushed the crop to 55% ripe, allowed harvest to get 11% underway. Conditions were 1% poor, 15% fair, 73% good, and 11% excellent. One hundred percent of the OATS had turned color, and harvest was well underway with 25% of the crop harvested. Conditions were 2% very poor, 3% poor, 12% fair, 76% good, and 7% excellent. OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST LIVESTOCK conditions dropped to 4% poor, 27% fair, 66% good, and 3% excellent. PASTURES were 5% very poor, 7% poor, 44% fair, 43% good, and 1% excellent, also dropping in condition from last week. Twenty percent of CUCUMBERS had been harvested, continuing to outpace last year. Conditions were 3% poor, 32% fair, 63% good, and 2% excellent. PEANUT conditions were 2% poor, 44% fair, 50% good, and 4% excellent. SNAPBEAN planting was completed, back on schedule with the five year average, with conditions set at 4% poor, 52% fair, 38% good, and 6% excellent. TOMATO conditions were 29% fair, 62% good, and 9% excellent. WATERMELON conditions were 3% poor, 34% fair, 53% good, and 10% excellent. PEACH conditions were 9% fair, 86% good, and 5% excellent. CANTALOUP conditions were 3% poor, 33% fair, 55% good, and 9% excellent. Crop Progress for Week Ending May 29, 2011 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop and Stage : 2011 : 2010 :5-Yr Avg :: Crop and Stage : 2011 : 2010 :5-Yr Avg ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent :: : Percent : :: : Corn, Silked : 10 6 3 :: Peanuts, Planted : 75 77 77 Cotton, Planted : 86 91 87 :: Snapbeans, Fresh, Planted : 100 100 100 Cucumbers, Fresh, Harvested : 20 14 6 :: Snapbeans, Fresh, Harvested : 5 2 3 Hay, Grain Hay, Harvested : 85 87 91 :: Soybeans, Planted : 57 57 49 Oats, Turned Color : 100 97 92 :: Soybeans, Emerged : 43 42 31 Oats, Ripe : 70 51 54 :: Winter Wheat, Turning Color : 100 95 92 Oats, Harvested : 25 18 15 :: Winter Wheat, Ripe : 55 47 45 Peaches, Harvested : 10 7 6 :: Winter Wheat, Harvested : 11 4 5 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Condition for Week Ending May 29, 2011 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop :Very Poor: Poor : Fair : Good : Excellent :: Crop :Very Poor: Poor : Fair : Good : Excellent --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent :: : Percent : :: : Cantaloup : 0 3 33 55 9 :: Peanuts : 0 2 44 50 4 Corn : 4 7 37 48 4 :: Snapbeans : 0 4 52 38 6 Cotton : 3 5 41 48 3 :: Soybeans : 0 4 43 51 2 Cucumbers : 0 3 32 63 2 :: Tobacco : 0 7 41 47 5 Livestock : 0 4 27 66 3 :: Tomatoes : 0 0 29 62 9 Oats : 2 3 12 76 7 :: Watermelons : 0 3 34 53 10 Pasture : 5 7 44 43 1 :: Winter Wheat : 0 1 15 73 11 Peaches : 0 0 9 86 5 :: : --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- South Carolina Weekly Weather Summary for the Week Ending May 29, 2011 Hot, dry weather was observed early in the week. At 4:00 p.m. on Monday, the Columbia Metro AP reported 96 degrees with a relative humidity value of just 21 percent. The Sandhill site measured a 24-hour open pan evaporation water loss of 0.44 inches. Both Bamberg and Allendale recorded a Monday afternoon high temperature of 100 degrees. The Beaufort Marine Corps Air Station and Hardeeville reached 98 degrees on Tuesday and the Marlboro County Jetport noted 99 degrees on Wednesday. Low dewpoints, on Wednesday morning, allowed Chester, Greenwood and the McEntire ANG AP to cool down to 65 degrees. Some relief to the afternoon heat was evident along the beaches with a developing seabreeze. Edisto Beach reported a Wednesday high temperature of just 83 degrees. Unstable weather arrived from the west and into the Upstate on Thursday, in the form of thunderstorms. Stronger storms on Friday afternoon were concentrated across the central and north Midlands. A cloudburst at Hartsville produced intense rainfall measuring 4.25 inches. Darlington received 3.10 inches and nearby Pageland received 3.01 inches. The Columbia Hamilton-Owens AP reported at 14-degree temperature drop from 84 degrees in just over an hour, following a thunderstorm. The last of the storms departed on Saturday, but not before leaving 3.00 inches of rain at Dillon and hail up to golf ball-size in parts of Dillon County. With mid-day humidity reaching 70 percent, Florence, Pelion and Charleston noted a "steamy" 88 degrees for a Saturday high temperature. Under mostly sunny skies on Sunday, Clarks Hill warmed up to 94 degrees. The State average temperature for the seven-day period was seven degrees above normal. The highest official temperature reported was 101 degrees at Barnwell on May 23. The lowest official temperature reported was 56 degrees at Walhalla on May 25. The heaviest official 24-hour rainfall reported was 4.33 inches at Bishopville ending at 7:00 a.m. on May 28. The State average rainfall for the period was 0.7 inches. SOIL: 4-inch depth soil temperature: Columbia 79 degrees, Charleston 83 degrees. RIVERS AND SURF: South Carolina river stages were near to below normal. Ocean water temperatures at Springmaid Pier Myrtle Beach were reported at 79 degrees. Precipitation ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Location : Total : Total : Deviation : for Week : for 2011 : from Average ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Greer : 1.66 20.05 -1.8 Anderson : 0.63 15.24 -5.5 Columbia : 0.57 15.41 -3.6 Orangeburg : 0.63 15.17 -3.8 Charlotte, NC : 1.01 17.37 -0.9 Augusta, GA : 1.37 16.30 -2.7 Florence : 0.10 13.86 -3.1 N Myrtle Beach : 0.00 15.28 -0.6 Charleston : 0.01 10.19 -7.1 Savannah, GA : 0.57 12.30 -4.8 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Weekly rainfall totals this period ending midnight Sunday.