sc-crop-weather South Carolina Weekly Weather and Crop Progress Report Released: June 27, 2011 Week Ending Date: June 26, 2011 Issue: SC-CW002511 GENERAL High temperatures and scattered thunderstorms characterized the week ending June 26th, 2011. The week began with temperatures in the triple digits for much of the State, including a three day stretch of one hundred degree or greater weather in Charleston. On Tuesday, the first official day of summer, severe weather swept into the State bringing high wind gusts, numerous lightning strikes, and much needed rain. Typical summer weather prevailed for much of the week, with high temperatures during the day and scattered storms at night brought on by instability caused by the intense heat. While most areas were grateful for the rain, some minor hail and wind damage was reported in several counties. The State average temperature for the period was four degrees above normal. Soil moisture conditions were listed as 32% very short, 50% short and 18% adequate. The State average rainfall for the period was 0.6 inches. There were 6.5 days suitable for fieldwork. FIELD CROPS Eighty six percent of CORN had silked while 17% had started to dough, well behind last year and the five year average due to lack of consistent rainfall. Conditions declined further to 25% very poor, 41% poor, 25% fair, 8% good and 1% excellent. COTTON planting completed for the season, finishing on schedule with the five year average. Eighteen percent of PEANUTS had pegged with conditions declining to 8% poor, 55% fair, 36% good and 1% excellent. SOYBEAN planting was nearing completion with 94% planted, one point ahead of the five year average. Seventy eight percent of the crop had emerged with conditions remaining stable at 6% very poor, 31% poor, 43% fair and 20% good. WINTER WHEAT harvest was 100% completed, nine points ahead of last year and ten ahead of the five year average. OAT harvest also was finished for the year. OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST LIVESTOCK conditions dropped slightly to 2% very poor, 14% poor, 37% fair, 46% good and 1% excellent. PASTURE conditions declined to 12% very poor, 40% poor, 36% fair and 12% good. Eighty four percent of CUCUMBERS had been harvested, three points behind last year. SNAPBEANS harvested increased to 63%, surpassing last year's pace but still nine points behind the five year average. PEACH harvest moved to 40% complete, 11 points ahead of last year and 12 points ahead of the five year average. Conditions dropped to 4% poor, 31% fair, 62% good and 3% excellent. CANTALOUP conditions improved to 3% very poor, 8% poor, 47% fair and 42% good. WATERMELON harvest continued and was 38% completed by the end of the week, one point behind last year's mark. Conditions improved to 2% very poor, 6% poor, 49% fair and 43% good. TOMATO harvest was 60% completed with conditions at 3% very poor, 9% poor, 54% fair, 32% good and 2% excellent. TOBACCO conditions remained stable at 4% very poor, 14% poor, 47% fair, 34% good and 1% excellent. Crop Progress for Week Ending June 26, 2011 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop and Stage : 2011 : 2010 :5-Yr Avg :: Crop and Stage : 2011 : 2010 :5-Yr Avg ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent :: : Percent : :: : Cantaloup, Harvested : 40 36 41 :: Peaches, Harvested : 40 29 28 Corn, Silked : 86 92 81 :: Peanuts, Pegged : 18 24 22 Corn, Doughed : 17 31 22 :: Snapbeans, Fresh, Harvested : 63 57 72 Cotton, Planted : 100 100 100 :: Soybeans, Planted : 94 97 93 Cotton, Squared : 25 32 29 :: Soybeans, Emerged : 78 85 82 Cotton, Bolls Set : 0 0 1 :: Tobacco, Topped : 55 66 43 Cucumbers, Fresh, Harvested : 84 87 89 :: Tomatoes, Fresh, Harvested : 60 52 50 Hay, Grain Hay, Harvested : 100 100 100 :: Watermelons, Harvested : 38 39 27 Oats, Harvested : 100 96 93 :: Winter Wheat, Harvested : 100 91 90 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Condition for Week Ending June 26, 2011 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop :Very Poor: Poor : Fair : Good : Excellent :: Crop :Very Poor: Poor : Fair : Good : Excellent --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent :: : Percent : :: : Cantaloup : 3 8 47 42 0 :: Peanuts : 0 8 55 36 1 Corn : 25 41 25 8 1 :: Soybeans : 6 31 43 20 0 Cotton : 1 18 48 32 1 :: Tobacco : 4 14 47 34 1 Livestock : 2 14 37 46 1 :: Tomatoes : 3 9 54 32 2 Pasture : 12 40 36 12 0 :: Watermelons : 2 6 49 43 0 Peaches : 0 4 31 62 3 :: : --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- South Carolina Weekly Weather Summary for the Week Ending June 26, 2011 At 2:00 p.m. on Monday, the thermometers at Columbia, Orangeburg and Charleston had reached 99 degrees. At 4:00 p.m., Shaw AFB reported 101 degrees with a relative humidity value of 23 percent. Ft. Moultrie recorded a Monday afternoon high temperature of 103 degrees, followed by a Tuesday low temperature of just 82 degrees. The wilting heat caused a two-day open pan evaporation water loss of 0.92 inches at the Sandhill Experiment Station. The three consecutive days of 100-degree observations at Charleston AP had not occurred at that location since the end of July, 1999. The official start of astronomical summer arrived on Tuesday with the USC Columbia Campus and Cades both recording 104 degrees. Late evening thunderstorms on Tuesday included vivid lightning, a wind gust of 48 mph and storm-driven rains of 1.52 inches at the McEntire ANG AP. The Columbia Hamilton-Owens AP recorded 90 degrees at 10:00 p.m. before thunderstorms passed and lowered the 11:00 p.m. temperature to 72 degrees. On Wednesday evening, the Greenville-Spartanburg AP measured winds gusting to 58 mph. Holly Hill and Lake City were just shy of the century mark with 99 degrees. Long Creek received 2.04 inches during an intense rainstorm. Smoke was observed across the coastal plain on Thursday. At 10:00 a.m., the Beaufort Marine Corps Air Station indicated a runway visibility of 1.5 miles in smoke and haze. Thunderstorms moving over the Conway AP produced winds of 51 mph that flipped several planes. A rain gage at the Turkey Creek USGS site in North Charleston measured 1.97 inches of rain. Winds gusted to 62 mph during a Friday evening thunderstorm at Darlington AP. The South Carolina Mountains cooled into the lower 60's on Saturday morning. Bamberg and Barnwell were back in the heat Sunday afternoon with 101 degrees. The highest official temperature reported was 105 degrees at Lake Wateree and Witherbee on June 21. The lowest official temperature reported was 61 degrees at Table Rock and Long Creek on June 25. The heaviest official 24-hour rainfall reported was 2.06 inches at McCormick ending at 7:00 a.m. on June 25. SOIL: 4-inch depth soil temperature: Columbia 80 degrees, Charleston 86 degrees. RIVERS AND SURF: South Carolina river stages were below normal. Ocean water temperatures at Springmaid Pier Myrtle Beach were reported at 84 degrees. Precipitation ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Location : Total : Total : Deviation : for Week : for 2011 : from Average ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Greer : 0.34 22.54 -2.9 Anderson : 1.46 18.14 -5.8 Columbia : 1.00 18.21 -5.3 Orangeburg : 0.41 16.85 -6.7 Charlotte, NC : 0.62 18.64 -2.9 Augusta, GA : 0.75 17.87 -5.0 Florence : 0.02 13.88 -7.0 N Myrtle Beach : 0.33 16.13 -3.0 Charleston : 1.91 13.32 -9.4 Savannah, GA : 0.11 14.49 -7.7 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Weekly rainfall totals this period ending midnight Sunday.