sc-crop-weather South Carolina Weekly Weather and Crop Progress Report Released: August 8, 2011 Week Ending Date: August 7, 2011 Issue: SC-CW003111 GENERAL The trend of high temperatures and scattered thunderstorms continued in the week ending August 7th, 2011. Monday's temperatures were slightly lower due to Sunday evening rainfall. However, Tuesday brought the return of triple-digit temperatures to much of the State, with Clinton reaching 102 degrees and Anderson reaching 100 degrees. Columbia, Clemson, and Clinton all recorded highs of 104 degrees on Wednesday. Localized thunderstorms began on Thursday, bringing much needed rainfall to areas lucky enough to receive any. Friday's storms were more intense and widespread, bringing 3.7 inches of rain to Holly Hill and 2.88 inches to Newberry. A Charleston weather station recorded 6.07 inches of rain on Saturday. These storms helped drive temperatures down; however, triple digit temperatures returned Sunday with Aiken reading at 102 degrees. The State average temperature for the period was five degrees above normal. Soil moisture levels were recorded at 20% very short, 53% short, 24% adequate and 3% surplus. The State average rainfall for the period was 0.9 inches. There was an average of 6.5 days suitable for fieldwork. FIELD CROPS Ninety-nine percent of CORN had doughed while 73% of the crop had completed maturation. Corn maturation levels remained far ahead of the 5 year average. Operators who had already begun their harvest reported poor yields due to the high heat and lack of rainfall. Conditions were 43% very poor, 35% poor, 15% fair and 7% good. Ninety-two percent of the COTTON crop had squared and 68% had set bolls by the end of the week, remaining ahead of schedule based on historical figures. Bolls started to open earlier than normal with 6% open by week's end. Rainfall helped conditions improve slightly to 2% very poor, 17% poor, 45% fair, 34% good and 2% excellent. Ninety percent of PEANUTS had pegged, remaining 7 points behind last year's pace. Conditions improved to 1% very poor, 8% poor, 42% fair, 47% good and 2% excellent. Seventy-two percent of SOYBEANS had bloomed with 19% of the crop setting pods by the end of the week, far behind historical figures. Conditions were 8% very poor, 27% poor, 44% fair and 21% good. TOBACCO harvest continued with 57% of the crop harvested by week's end, slightly behind last year's harvest. OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST SNAPBEAN and TOMATO harvest were completed this past week. Ninety-six percent of CANTALOUPES and 97% of WATERMELONS had been harvested. LIVESTOCK conditions improved considerably to 1% very poor, 7% poor, 39% fair, 52% good and 1% excellent. PASTURES rebounded slightly to 11% very poor, 39% poor, 40% fair, 9% good and 1% excellent. Ninety-five percent of HAY had been harvested, ahead of the five year average. Crop Progress for Week Ending August 7, 2011 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop and Stage : 2011 : 2010 :5-Yr Avg :: Crop and Stage : 2011 : 2010 :5-Yr Avg ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent :: : Percent : :: : Cantaloup, Harvested : 96 95 95 :: Peanuts, Pegged : 90 97 97 Corn, Doughed : 99 98 96 :: Snapbeans, Fresh, Harvested : 100 100 100 Corn, Matured : 73 59 54 :: Soybeans, Bloomed : 72 70 69 Cotton, Squared : 92 98 98 :: Soybeans, Pods Set : 19 38 33 Cotton, Bolls Set : 68 63 64 :: Tobacco, Harvested : 57 59 51 Cotton, Bolls Opened : 6 0 0 :: Tobacco, Stalks Destroyed : 5 3 2 Hay, Other Hay, Harvested : 95 97 91 :: Tomatoes, Fresh, Harvested : 100 100 100 Peaches, Harvested : 85 78 76 :: Watermelons, Harvested : 97 97 93 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Condition for Week Ending August 7, 2011 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop :Very Poor: Poor : Fair : Good : Excellent :: Crop :Very Poor: Poor : Fair : Good : Excellent --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent :: : Percent : :: : Corn : 43 35 15 7 0 :: Pasture : 11 39 40 9 1 Cotton : 2 17 45 34 2 :: Peanuts : 1 8 42 47 2 Livestock : 1 7 39 52 1 :: Soybeans : 8 27 44 21 0 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- South Carolina Weekly Weather Summary for the Week Ending August 7, 2011 Following overnight rains and a frontal passage, high temperatures on Monday fell 8 to 10 degrees over the previous day. Shaw AFB in Sumter and McEntire ANG in Eastover both reported Monday maximum temperatures of 91 degrees. Although within a drier airmass, the heat returned on Tuesday. Clinton and Pinopolis Dam reached 102 degrees. At 6:00 p.m., the Anderson AP reported 100 degrees with just 19 percent relative humidity. On Wednesday, the Clemson AP, Clinton and the Columbia Hamilton-Owens AP each recorded 104 degrees. The Charleston AP set a date record high "minimum" temperature of 83 degrees on Thursday morning. Barnwell's 103 degrees on Thursday afternoon was the nineteenth time this season they had seen triple-digit heat. Scattered afternoon thunderstorms brought some relief to a few locations in the Foothills and eastern Piedmont. Chesnee received 1.19 inches and Gaffney received 0.75 inches. Thunderstorm activity increased on Friday. A National Weather Service spotter measured 3.70 inches at Holly Hill. Other heavy rainfall totals included 2.88 inches at Newberry, 2.73 inches at Fishing Creek Dam on the Catawba River, and 2.29 inches at Rimini. Another torrential downpour was observed Saturday afternoon near the Archdale Community in Dorchester County by a Charleston NWS employee, who measured 6.07 inches of rain. Saturday's clouds and showers were part of the "near normal" high temperature readings of 90 degrees at McClellanville, Mullins and Kingstree. Mostly sunny weather on Sunday pushed the mercury to 102 degrees at Aiken. The State average temperature for the seven-day period was five degrees above normal. The highest official temperature reported was 105 degrees at the Columbia USC Campus on August 3. The lowest official temperature reported was 62 degrees at Table Rock on August 3. The heaviest official 24-hour rainfall reported was 3.92 inches at Effingham ending at 7:00 a.m. on August 1. The State average rainfall for the period was 0.9 inches. SOIL: 4-inch depth soil temperature: Columbia 84 degrees, Charleston 87 degrees. RIVERS AND SURF: South Carolina river stages were below normal. Ocean water temperatures at Springmaid Pier Myrtle Beach were reported at 83 degrees. Precipitation ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Location : Total : Total : Deviation : for Week : for 2011 : from Average ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Greer : 0.08 27.85 -1.3 Anderson : 0.32 20.50 -6.1 Columbia : 0.60 25.05 -2.9 Orangeburg : 1.54 24.72 -4.5 Charlotte, NC : 2.54 26.54 1.2 Augusta, GA : 0.13 22.46 -5.1 Florence : 0.12 18.89 -7.6 N Myrtle Beach : 0.39 19.49 -9.9 Charleston : 1.21 22.71 -7.3 Savannah, GA : 0.39 23.78 -5.5 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Weekly rainfall totals this period ending midnight Sunday.