sc-crop-weather South Carolina Weekly Weather and Crop Progress Report Released: September 6, 2011 Week Ending Date: September 4, 2011 Issue: SC-CW003511 GENERAL Hot, dry weather conditions continued to have a negative impact on crop development and livestock conditions for the week ending September 4th, 2011. The week began with sunny skies and high temperatures for most of the State. Monday's high temperatures gave way to isolated thunderstorms forming over central South Carolina. Temperatures fell to the eighties, with a high of 84 degrees registered in Columbia on Tuesday. Cloudy conditions persisted until Friday, when temperatures reached 100 degrees in Clemson, Clinton and Greenwood. The coastal areas stayed relatively cool, with the high at Myrtle Beach reaching only 84 degrees for the weekend. The State average temperature for the period was three degrees above normal with 6.5 days suitable for fieldwork. Soil moisture levels declined even further to 27% very short, 41% short and 32% adequate. The State average rainfall for the period was 0.1 inches. FIELD CROPS CORN completed maturation and seventy-five percent of the crop had been harvested. Ninety-six percent of COTTON had set bolls by the end of the week, on pace with last year and two points behind the five year average. Forty percent of the bolls had opened by the end of the week. Conditions were 7% very poor, 16% poor, 37% fair, 38% good and 2% excellent. The PEANUT harvest got underway with 5% completed by the end of the week. Conditions were 2% very poor, 11% poor, 38% fair, 46% good and 3% excellent. Ninety-five percent of SOYBEANS had bloomed with 81% of the crop setting pods by the end of the week, only two points behind the mark set last year. Conditions remained unfavorable at 9% very poor, 24% poor, 39% fair, 26% good and 2% excellent. TOBACCO harvest continued with 88% of the crop harvested by Sunday, on pace with the five year average. Forty-two percent of the stalks had been destroyed. OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST LIVESTOCK conditions were 2% very poor, 11% poor, 34% fair, 52% good and 1% excellent. PASTURES remained mostly dry at 15% very poor, 30% poor, 32% fair and 23% good. Ninety-seven percent of PEACHES had been harvested, one point behind last year. Crop Progress for Week Ending September 4, 2011 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop and Stage : 2011 : 2010 :5-Yr Avg :: Crop and Stage : 2011 : 2010 :5-Yr Avg ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent :: : Percent : :: : Corn, Matured : 100 100 99 :: Soybeans, Bloomed : 95 98 98 Corn, Harvested : 75 62 58 :: Soybeans, Pods Set : 81 83 83 Cotton, Bolls Set : 96 96 98 :: Soybeans, Turned Color : 1 4 6 Cotton, Bolls Opened : 40 28 26 :: Tobacco, Harvested : 88 89 88 Peaches, Harvested : 97 98 94 :: Tobacco, Stalks Destroyed : 42 44 44 Peanuts, Harvested : 5 3 1 :: : ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Condition for Week Ending September 4, 2011 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop :Very Poor: Poor : Fair : Good : Excellent :: Crop :Very Poor: Poor : Fair : Good : Excellent --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent :: : Percent : :: : Cotton : 7 16 37 38 2 :: Peanuts : 2 11 38 46 3 Livestock : 2 11 34 52 1 :: Soybeans : 9 24 39 26 2 Pasture : 15 30 32 23 0 :: : --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- South Carolina Weekly Weather Summary for the Week Ending September 4, 2011 Under sunny skies, Aiken and Sandhill reported a Monday afternoon high temperature of 98 degrees. Scattered storms formed over central South Carolina and drifted east. McBee measured 1.34 inches of rain and Bennettsville measured 1.05 inches. Thunderstorm winds gusted to 47 mph on Lake Wateree. Cloudy conditions on Tuesday only allowed a Columbia high temperature of 84 degrees, that location's "lowest" high temperature since May 19. August 2011 rainfall totals ranged from 0.35 inches at Sandy Springs to 9.88 inches at Mullins. Thursday morning temperatures dropped to 61 degrees at Dillon, Hartsville and Conway. Hot weather was observed on Friday for most of the State away from the beaches. Clemson, Clinton and Greenwood reached 100 degrees. Scattered thunderstorms on Friday left 1.70 inches of rain at Darlington and 0.64 inches at Hunts Bridge. Myrtle Beach reported a high temperature of 84 degrees on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The State average temperature for the seven-day period was three degrees above normal. The highest official temperature reported was 101 degrees at Sandy Springs and McCormick on September 2. The lowest official temperature reported was 59 degrees at Cedar Creek on September 1. The heaviest official 24-hour rainfall reported was 1.84 inches at Springfield ending at 7:00 a.m. on August 30. The State average rainfall for the period was 0.1 inches. SOIL: 4-inch depth soil temperature: Columbia 82 degrees, Charleston 83 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 -4.3 Anderson : 0.01 22.73 -7.4 Columbia : 0.95 28.49 -4.0 Orangeburg : 0.11 28.03 -5.9 Charlotte, NC : 0.08 29.26 0.2 Augusta, GA : 0.06 23.58 -7.7 Florence : 0.12 21.54 -9.5 N Myrtle Beach : 0.00 23.64 -12.7 Charleston : 0.05 29.45 -7.1 Savannah, GA : 0.01 26.08 -9.0 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Weekly rainfall totals this period ending midnight Sunday.