sc-crop-weather South Carolina Weekly Weather and Crop Progress Report Released: June 20, 2011 Week Ending Date: June 19, 2011 Issue: SC-CW002411 GENERAL The week ending June 19th, 2011 brought desperately needed rain to much of the State. On Friday, the South Carolina State Climatology Office upgraded drought conditions for 26 counties to moderate status, while the rest of the State remained in the incipient phase. The counties that were upgraded to moderate status were located mainly along the coast and in the Lowcountry of South Carolina. Many producers reported a continued need for significant rainfall in order to preserve the non-irrigated corn crop. Intense heat led to severe weather on Wednesday and Saturday. Rain showered on much of the State but brought damaging hail and winds gusting up to 61 miles per hour. The highest temperature for the week was recorded in Beaufort at 102 degrees. The State average temperature for the period was four degrees above normal. Charleston received 1.22 inches of rain in their heaviest rainfall event since late April. The State average rainfall for the period was 0.7 inches. Soil moisture conditions were listed as 25% very short, 58% short and 17% adequate. There was an average of 6.6 days suitable for field work. FIELD CROPS WINTER WHEAT harvest was 80% complete, eight points ahead of last year and nine ahead of the five year average. Conditions were 2% poor, 15% fair, 66% good and 17% excellent. OAT harvest continued with 85% completed. Conditions were 1% very poor, 3% poor, 18% fair, 72% good and 6% excellent. Seventy three percent of CORN had silked whiled 10% had started to dough, three points behind last year's pace but one point ahead of the five year average. Conditions continued to decline to 21% very poor, 39% poor, 28% fair and 12% good. COTTON planting was 98% complete, remaining one point behind the five year average and two points behind last year. PEANUT planting was completed with conditions at 1% very poor, 9% poor, 47% fair, 41% good and 2% excellent. Three percent of the crop had begun to peg, seven points behind the five year average. SOYBEAN planting picked up with 87% planted, five points ahead of the five year average. Seventy one percent of the crop had emerged, with conditions set at 7% very poor, 30% poor, 45% fair and 18% good. OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST Sixty eight percent of CUCUMBERS had been harvested, six points behind last year. SNAPBEANS harvested increased to 50%, with conditions deteriorating to 9% very poor, 16% poor, 54% fair, 20% good and 1% excellent. PEACH conditions were 27% fair, 71% good and 2% excellent. CANTALOUP conditions fell to 3% very poor, 13% poor, 51% fair, 32% good and 1% excellent. WATERMELON harvest continued and was 28% completed by the end of the week. Conditions dropped to 2% very poor, 12% poor, 52% fair and 34% good. TOMATO harvest was 40% completed, with conditions at 3% very poor, 6% poor, 54% fair, 34% good and 3% excellent. TOBACCO conditions declined to 3% very poor, 15% poor, 52% fair, 29% good and 1% excellent. LIVESTOCK conditions dropped to 2% very poor, 12% poor, 37% fair, 48% good and 1% excellent. PASTURE conditions improved slightly to 16% very poor, 32% poor, 43% fair and 9% good. Crop Progress for Week Ending June 19, 2011 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop and Stage : 2011 : 2010 :5-Yr Avg :: Crop and Stage : 2011 : 2010 :5-Yr Avg ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent :: : Percent : :: : Cantaloup, Harvested : 33 17 19 :: Peanuts, Planted : 100 100 100 Corn, Silked : 73 72 62 :: Peanuts, Pegged : 3 10 10 Corn, Doughed : 10 13 9 :: Snapbeans, Fresh, Harvested : 50 39 53 Cotton, Planted : 98 100 99 :: Soybeans, Planted : 87 89 82 Cotton, Squared : 10 14 16 :: Soybeans, Emerged : 71 71 67 Cucumbers, Fresh, Harvested : 68 74 72 :: Tobacco, Topped : 35 45 25 Hay, Grain Hay, Harvested : 99 99 99 :: Tomatoes, Fresh, Harvested : 40 32 30 Oats, Harvested : 85 86 78 :: Watermelons, Harvested : 28 20 12 Peaches, Harvested : 35 20 20 :: Winter Wheat, Harvested : 80 72 71 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Condition for Week Ending June 19, 2011 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop :Very Poor: Poor : Fair : Good : Excellent :: Crop :Very Poor: Poor : Fair : Good : Excellent --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent :: : Percent : :: : Cantaloup : 3 13 51 32 1 :: Peanuts : 1 9 47 41 2 Corn : 21 39 28 12 0 :: Snapbeans : 9 16 54 20 1 Cotton : 4 19 43 34 0 :: Soybeans : 7 30 45 18 0 Livestock : 2 12 37 48 1 :: Tobacco : 3 15 52 29 1 Oats : 1 3 18 72 6 :: Tomatoes : 3 6 54 34 3 Pasture : 16 32 43 9 0 :: Watermelons : 2 12 52 34 0 Peaches : 0 0 27 71 2 :: Winter Wheat : 0 2 15 66 17 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- South Carolina Weekly Weather Summary for the Week Ending June 19, 2011 Drying heat was observed on Monday for much of the Lowcountry. At 4:00 p.m., the Beaufort Marine Corps Air Station recorded 101 degrees with just 19 percent relative humidity. A weak thermal boundary passed through the State overnight with scattered storms and cooling temperatures. Socastee measured one of the heavier rainfall amounts with 1.07 inches. Pelion reported a Tuesday morning low temperature of 62 degrees. Wednesday's low temperatures included 60 degrees at Eastover, Hartsville and Bennettsville. Late-day thunderstorms formed over the Upstate and traveled southeast. The Greer AP recorded a thunderstorm wind gust of 60 mph and a gust of 61 mph was recorded at the McEntire ANG AP. Hailstones of 1.75 inches in diameter fell within Greenville County and 2-inch hail was observed in Greenwood. At 7:00 p.m., Greenville reported a rain-cooled temperature of 64 degrees, while at the same time; a sunny Orangeburg was at 90 degrees. Summerville received a welcomed 1.85 inches of rain. The Charleston airport's measured 1.22 inches of rain was their heaviest wet weather event since April 22. Building heat began on Thursday and continued through the weekend. Georgetown and Hartsville recorded 96 degrees on Friday as did Cheraw and Sandy Run, on Saturday. At 9:55 p.m. on Saturday night, the Lancaster County McWhirter Field AP recorded thunderstorm winds gusting to 58 mph. The rain gage at Springfield indicated 1.32 inches from a passing storm. On Sunday, the Columbia Metro AP noted a 5:00 p.m. temperature of 98 degrees followed by a 10:00 p.m. temperature of a still hot and humid, 88 degrees. The Charleston AP and Jamestown reached 100 degrees on Sunday. Scattered thunderstorms continued into the late hours. The State average temperature for the seven- day period was four degrees above normal. The highest official temperature reported was 102 degrees at the Beaufort Marine Corps Air Station on June 13. The lowest official temperature reported was 55 degrees at Chesnee on June 15. The heaviest official 24-hour rainfall reported was 2.04 inches at Hardeeville ending at 7:00 a.m. on June 16. The State average rainfall for the period was 0.7 inches. SOIL: 4-inch depth soil temperature: Columbia 81 degrees, Charleston 85 degrees. RIVERS AND SURF: South Carolina river stages were below normal. Ocean water temperatures at Springmaid Pier Myrtle Beach were reported at 82 degrees. Precipitation ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Location : Total : Total : Deviation : for Week : for 2011 : from Average ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Greer : 1.05 22.20 -2.4 Anderson : 0.92 16.68 -6.4 Columbia : 0.73 17.21 -5.0 Orangeburg : 0.76 16.44 -5.8 Charlotte, NC : 0.33 18.02 -2.7 Augusta, GA : 0.78 17.12 -4.7 Florence : 0.00 13.86 -5.9 N Myrtle Beach : 0.52 15.80 -2.5 Charleston : 1.22 11.41 -9.8 Savannah, GA : 1.98 14.38 -6.4 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Weekly rainfall totals this period ending midnight Sunday.