sc-crop-weather South Carolina Weekly Weather and Crop Progress Report Released: August 29, 2011 Week Ending Date: August 28, 2011 Issue: SC-CW003411 GENERAL All eyes were on Hurricane Irene during the week ending August 28th, 2011. While some coastal counties received some rainfall and winds from the storm, the majority of the State remained dry all week. The lack of rainfall coupled with higher temperatures than the previous week caused soil moisture conditions to deteriorate and crop potential to decline. Very little damage was reported in counties that experienced the outer bands of the hurricane. Armyworms continued to appear as farmers sprayed crops to attempt to control the outbreak. While the State was spared from any major damage from the hurricane, the hot and dry week did not help operators with livestock or field crops. The State average temperature was four degrees above normal with 6.5 days suitable for fieldwork. The State average rainfall for the period was 0.2 inches. Soil moisture conditions declined to 22% very short, 38% short and 40% adequate. FIELD CROPS Ninety-nine percent of the CORN crop had matured by the end of the week, three points ahead of the five year average. Fifty-five percent of the crop had been harvested. Conditions were 44% very poor, 29% poor, 19% fair, 7% good and 1% excellent. Ninety-five percent of COTTON had set bolls by the end of the week, two points ahead of last year and exactly on schedule with the five year average. Twenty-nine percent of the bolls had opened by the end of the week. Conditions declined slightly to 5% very poor, 18% poor, 38% fair, 37% good and 2% excellent. PEANUTS completed pegging for the season. Conditions were set at 2% very poor, 10% poor, 40% fair, 45% good and 3% excellent. Ninety-four percent of SOYBEANS had bloomed with 68% of the crop setting pods by the end of the week, ten points behind the mark set last year. Leaves were just beginning to turn color on the plant. Conditions remained stable at 9% very poor, 23% poor, 43% fair, 24% good and 1% excellent. TOBACCO harvest continued with 85% of the crop harvested by week's end, five points ahead of the five year average. Forty percent of the stalks had been destroyed. OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST The CANTALOUP and WATERMELON harvest completed for the season. LIVESTOCK conditions were 2% very poor, 10% poor, 35% fair, 52% good and 1% excellent. Producers in dry counties continued to feed hay due to poor grazing conditions and heat. PASTURES declined to 16% very poor, 29% poor, 35% fair and 20% good. All HAY had been harvested, two points ahead of the five year average. Ninety-two percent of PEACHES had been harvested, five points behind last year. Crop Progress for Week Ending August 28, 2011 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop and Stage : 2011 : 2010 :5-Yr Avg :: Crop and Stage : 2011 : 2010 :5-Yr Avg ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent :: : Percent : :: : Cantaloup, Harvested : 100 100 100 :: Peanuts, Pegged : 100 100 100 Corn, Matured : 99 99 96 :: Soybeans, Bloomed : 94 96 95 Corn, Harvested : 55 41 40 :: Soybeans, Pods Set : 68 78 74 Cotton, Bolls Set : 95 93 95 :: Soybeans, Turned Color : 1 2 4 Cotton, Bolls Opened : 29 11 11 :: Tobacco, Harvested : 85 85 80 Hay, Other Hay, Harvested : 100 100 98 :: Tobacco, Stalks Destroyed : 40 39 32 Peaches, Harvested : 92 97 91 :: Watermelons, Harvested : 100 100 99 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Condition for Week Ending August 28, 2011 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop :Very Poor: Poor : Fair : Good : Excellent :: Crop :Very Poor: Poor : Fair : Good : Excellent --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent :: : Percent : :: : Corn : 44 29 19 7 1 :: Pasture : 16 29 35 20 0 Cotton : 5 18 38 37 2 :: Peanuts : 2 10 40 45 3 Livestock : 2 10 35 52 1 :: Soybeans : 9 23 43 24 1 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- South Carolina Weekly Weather Summary for the Week Ending August 28, 2011 The Clemson Airport, Sandy Springs, McCormick and Aiken each reported a Monday high temperature of 99 degrees. An eastward-moving frontal boundary passed through the State during the early evening hours and produced hailstones measuring 1.75 inches in diameter near Goose Creek. On Tuesday morning, Ft. Moultrie had received one of the heaviest rainfall totals with 3.00 inches. Chesnee cooled to 57 degrees. Mostly sunny weather was observed for inland South Carolina on Wednesday. At around 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, clouds within the outflow boundary of Hurricane Irene, located well offshore of southeast Florida, were entering South Carolina's Lowcountry. At 6:06 p.m., the surf water temperature at Springmaid Pier reached its highest of the season at 86.9 degrees. Showers began rotating into Cape Romain on Friday morning. At 8:00 a.m., Hurricane Irene was still a distant 315 miles south- southeast of Myrtle Beach. At 11:00 a.m., the Charleston City peninsula reported northeast winds of 30 mph, gusting to 48 mph. Winds at Folly Beach gusted to 55 mph. Breaking waves, estimated at 10 feet, produced beachfront property overwash at Edisto Beach, Fripp Island and Folly Beach. The Charleston Harbor tide gage measured an observed peak high water of 7.64 feet which was 1.73 feet above the predicted value. Further up the coast, the events highest windspeed was measured at Springmaid Pier with a gust from the north-northeast of 62 mph at 5:12 p.m. Although Hurricane Irene passed approximately 150 miles to the east of Myrtle Beach, a minimum barometric pressure value of 29.22 inches of mercury was recorded at the N Myrtle Beach Airport on August 27 at 4:00 a.m. The core of heavy rainfall was limited to the north coastal counties. The Crabtree Swamp gage, near Conway, measured 2.79 inches. The State's Saturday high temperature was 98 degrees at the Clemson and Columbia Hamilton-Owens airports. Sunny, dry conditions and middle to upper 90-degree heat ended the week. The State average temperature for the seven-day period was four degrees above normal. The highest official temperature reported was 100 degrees at Johnston on August 22. The lowest official temperature reported was 55 degrees at Table Rock on August 27. The heaviest official 24-hour rainfall reported was 3.20 inches at Dillon ending at 7:00 a.m. on August 22. The State average rainfall for the period was 0.2 inches. SOIL: 4-inch depth soil temperature: Columbia 83 degrees, Charleston 84 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 : 0.00 28.74 -3.4 Anderson : 0.06 22.72 -6.5 Columbia : 0.00 27.54 -4.0 Orangeburg : 0.00 27.92 -4.9 Charlotte, NC : 0.00 29.18 1.0 Augusta, GA : 0.01 23.52 -7.0 Florence : 0.50 21.42 -8.6 N Myrtle Beach : 3.79 23.64 -11.0 Charleston : 1.49 29.40 -5.5 Savannah, GA : 0.07 26.07 -7.7 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Weekly rainfall totals this period ending midnight Sunday.