sc-crop-weather South Carolina Weekly Weather and Crop Progress Report Released: July 25, 2011 Week Ending Date: July 24, 2011 Issue: SC-CW002911 GENERAL The trend of unrelenting heat and very little rainfall continued during the week ending July 24th, 2011. Very isolated thunderstorms provided some relief to areas lucky enough to receive any rain. On Thursday, Marlboro County recorded a high of 104 degrees. Charleston did not drop below 83 degrees at any point on Friday. Weekend temperatures were measuring 100 degrees in the shade over the weekend, with Columbia reaching a high of 107 on Friday and 104 on Saturday. Sunday provided no relief as Conway measured a high of 101. Heat indices measured well above these temperatures. Soil moisture levels suffered and were reported at 39% very short, 50% short and 11% adequate. The State average temperature for the seven-day period was six degrees above normal. The State average rainfall was 0.2 inches, causing further stress on already moisture-depleted crops. There was an average of 6.7 days suitable for fieldwork. FIELD CROPS Ninety-two percent of CORN had doughed while 36% of the crop had completed maturation. Reports continued to indicate a poor yield for non-irrigated corn. Conditions remained unfavorable at 49% very poor, 30% poor, 15% fair and 6% good. Eighty-two percent of the COTTON crop had squared and 43% had set bolls by the end of the week. Conditions declined to 7% very poor, 17% poor, 45% fair, 30% good and 1% excellent. Seventy percent of PEANUTS had pegged, continuing to lag far behind historical figures. Conditions declined to 5% very poor, 12% poor, 47% fair, 35% good and 1% excellent. SOYBEAN emergence was completed with 42% of the crop blooming by the end of the week. Soybeans were just beginning to set pods with 3% completed by the end of the week. Kudzu bugs were beginning to take a toll on the soybean crop. Conditions were 13% very poor, 30% poor, 38% fair, 18% good and 1% excellent. TOBACCO harvest continued with 37% of the crop harvested. Conditions deteriorated to 11% very poor, 17% poor, 33% fair, 38% good and 1% excellent as the crop began to wilt under the intense heat. OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST Ninety-five percent of SNAPBEANS had been harvested, 4 points behind the five-year average. PEACH harvest was 75% completed, continuing to exceed the five-year average as well as last year's mark. Eighty-nine percent of CANTALOUPES and 92% of WATERMELONS had been harvested. TOMATO harvest was 96% complete. LIVESTOCK conditions declined to 7% very poor, 13% poor, 42% fair, 37% good and 1% excellent. Reports indicated weight loss in cattle due to poor hay and pasture conditions combined with the high temperatures. PASTURES declined rapidly to 20% very poor, 39% poor, 32% fair and 9% good. Crop Progress for Week Ending July 24, 2011 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop and Stage : 2011 : 2010 :5-Yr Avg :: Crop and Stage : 2011 : 2010 :5-Yr Avg ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent :: : Percent : :: : Cantaloup, Harvested : 89 87 89 :: Snapbeans, Fresh, Harvested : 95 96 99 Corn, Doughed : 92 88 81 :: Soybeans, Emerged : 100 100 100 Corn, Matured : 36 26 17 :: Soybeans, Bloomed : 42 41 33 Cotton, Squared : 82 92 88 :: Soybeans, Pods Set : 3 16 10 Cotton, Bolls Set : 43 35 31 :: Tobacco, Harvested : 37 38 31 Hay, Other Hay, Harvested : 89 87 75 :: Tomatoes, Fresh, Harvested : 96 98 97 Peaches, Harvested : 75 62 62 :: Watermelons, Harvested : 92 91 88 Peanuts, Pegged : 70 91 86 :: : ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Condition for Week Ending July 24, 2011 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop :Very Poor: Poor : Fair : Good : Excellent :: Crop :Very Poor: Poor : Fair : Good : Excellent --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent :: : Percent : :: : Corn : 49 30 15 6 0 :: Peanuts : 5 12 47 35 1 Cotton : 7 17 45 30 1 :: Soybeans : 13 30 38 18 1 Livestock : 7 13 42 37 1 :: Tobacco : 11 17 33 38 1 Pasture : 20 39 32 9 0 :: : --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- South Carolina Weekly Weather Summary for the Week Ending July 24, 2011 Seasonal high temperatures were observed on Monday with many locations reporting values matching the long term average. Hot weather returned on Wednesday as a large area of high pressure blanketed the southeast. Johnston reported a Wednesday afternoon temperature of 103 degrees and Effingham reached 101 degrees. At 5:48 p.m., instruments at Springmaid Pier Myrtle Beach indicated the summer's highest surf water temperature of 85.6 degrees. Thunderstorms blossomed on Wednesday afternoon and brought localized relief to parts of the Upstate and north Midlands. Lugoff measured a rainfall total of 1.50 inches and Gaffney measured 1.26 inches. With little wet weather forcing from within a stagnant airmass, Thursday was dry and very hot. The Marlboro County Jetport recorded 104 degrees. The Charleston peninsula never cooled below 83 degrees on Friday morning. Central South Carolina experienced weekend shade temperatures of 100 degrees or higher. The Columbia Metro AP recorded 104 degrees on Friday and Saturday. The Sandhill Experiment Station measured their highest 24-hour open pan evaporation water loss of the year at 0.49 inches. Only a handful of isolated thunderstorms interrupted the heat. Shaw AFB in Sumter received a welcomed rainfall of 0.63 inches. Most of the State's Sunday daytime was a picture of passing cumulus clouds beneath bright blue skies. Conway noted 101 degrees before heat-breaking thunderstorms arrived. The State average temperature for the seven-day period was six degrees above normal. The highest official temperature reported was 107 degrees at the Columbia USC Campus on July 22. The lowest official temperature reported was 59 degrees at Jocassee on July 19. The heaviest official 24-hour rainfall reported was 1.98 inches at the USGS Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge in Chesterfield County ending at 7:00 a.m. on July 21. The State average rainfall for the period was 0.2 inches. SOIL: 4-inch depth soil temperature: Columbia 84 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 85 degrees. Precipitation ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Location : Total : Total : Deviation : for Week : for 2011 : from Average ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Greer : 0.35 25.57 -4.0 Anderson : 0.65 20.18 -7.0 Columbia : 0.23 22.25 -6.3 Orangeburg : 0.00 19.41 -9.2 Charlotte, NC : 0.00 22.34 -2.6 Augusta, GA : 0.00 21.44 -5.1 Florence : 0.01 17.43 -8.1 N Myrtle Beach : 0.61 17.20 -6.5 Charleston : 0.05 19.39 -8.8 Savannah, GA : 0.15 21.07 -6.4 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Weekly rainfall totals this period ending midnight Sunday.