sc-crop-weather South Carolina Weekly Weather and Crop Progress Report Released: September 12, 2011 Week Ending Date: September 11, 2011 Issue: SC-CW003611 GENERAL The remnants of Tropical Storm Lee brought badly needed rainfall and cooler temperatures to South Carolina for the week ending September 11th, 2011. Rain showers scattered across the State on Monday and Tuesday with some areas receiving over 1.5 inches. Cooler temperatures arrived after the system passed on Wednesday. Pleasant weather continued through Friday when temperatures began to warm again. Weekend high temperatures rose back into the nineties through Sunday, drying up some of the progress made from rainfall earlier in the week. Soil moisture conditions did not markedly improve with reports of 26% very short, 43% short and 31% adequate. The State average temperature was 2 degrees below normal with 6.5 days suitable for fieldwork. The State average rainfall for the period was 0.5 inches. FIELD CROPS The CORN harvest continued with 91% harvested, well ahead of the five year average. Ninety-nine percent of COTTON had set bolls by the end of the week, exactly on pace with the five year average. Sixty percent of the bolls had opened by the end of the week. The harvest was just getting underway with 1% complete. Conditions improved to 2% very poor, 11% poor, 39% fair, 46% good and 2% excellent. PEANUT harvest continued with 8% completed by the end of the week. Conditions improved slightly to 2% very poor, 9% poor, 35% fair, 51% good and 3% excellent. Ninety-seven percent of SOYBEANS had bloomed with 88% of the crop setting pods by the end of the week, two points behind the five year average. The leaves were just beginning to show color with 3% reported by the end of the week. Conditions rose to 8% very poor, 17% poor, 43% fair, 30% good and 2% excellent. TOBACCO harvest continued with 93% of the crop harvested by the weekend. Fifty-one percent of the stalks had been destroyed, 2 points ahead of last year. OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST LIVESTOCK conditions were 2% very poor, 10% poor, 31% fair, 56% good and 1% excellent. PASTURES continued to dry at 11% very poor, 31% poor, 40% fair and 18% good. Some producers were beginning to feed winter reserves to livestock due to poor pasture conditions. Ninety-nine percent of PEACHES had been harvested, one point behind last year. Crop Progress for Week Ending September 11, 2011 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop and Stage : 2011 : 2010 :5-Yr Avg :: Crop and Stage : 2011 : 2010 :5-Yr Avg ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent :: : Percent : :: : Corn, Harvested : 91 81 74 :: Soybeans, Bloomed : 97 99 99 Cotton, Bolls Set : 99 98 99 :: Soybeans, Pods Set : 88 89 90 Cotton, Bolls Opened : 60 46 44 :: Soybeans, Turned Color : 3 7 9 Cotton, Harvested : 1 0 0 :: Tobacco, Harvested : 93 95 94 Peaches, Harvested : 99 100 97 :: Tobacco, Stalks Destroyed : 51 49 57 Peanuts, Harvested : 8 5 3 :: : ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Condition for Week Ending September 11, 2011 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop :Very Poor: Poor : Fair : Good : Excellent :: Crop :Very Poor: Poor : Fair : Good : Excellent --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent :: : Percent : :: : Cotton : 2 11 39 46 2 :: Peanuts : 2 9 35 51 3 Livestock : 2 10 31 56 1 :: Soybeans : 8 17 43 30 2 Pasture : 11 31 40 18 0 :: : --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- South Carolina Weekly Weather Summary for the Week Ending September 11, 2011 On Monday and Tuesday, the remnants of a once named Gulf Coast Tropical Storm Lee brought banding rains to the State. At 5:16 p.m. Monday, a weak EF0 tornado was observed 7 miles NNE of Newberry. During the 24-hours ending Tuesday morning, Chester had measured 1.65 inches of rain and Jocassee Dam had measured 1.30 inches. At 9:00 a.m. Tuesday, the Charleston AP reported south winds at 22 mph gusting to 38 mph. Dillon was in the path of the northward-moving rains and received 1.56 inches. Following the departing tropical feature, much cooler and less humid air settled into the region. The McEntire ANG AP, Barnwell and Cedar Creek each recorded a Wednesday morning minimum temperature of 55 degrees. Allendale, Long Creek and Calhoun Falls cooled to 55 degrees on Thursday morning. The Friday though Sunday period included sunrise temperatures in the 60's and slow warming for the afternoons. Bamberg and Pinopolis reached 92 degrees on Saturday, as did the Orangeburg AP and Sandy Run, on Sunday. The State average temperature for the seven-day period was two degrees below normal. The highest official temperature reported was 94 degrees at Barnwell on September 11. The lowest official temperature reported was 51 degrees at Pelion on September 10. The heaviest official 24-hour rainfall reported was 2.02 inches at Caesars Head ending at 7:00 a.m. on September 6. The State average rainfall for the period was 0.5 inches. SOIL: 4-inch depth soil temperature: Columbia 80 degrees, Charleston 81 degrees. RIVERS AND SURF: South Carolina river stages were below normal. Ocean water temperatures at Springmaid Pier Myrtle Beach were reported at 82 degrees. Precipitation ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Location : Total : Total : Deviation : for Week : for 2011 : from Average ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Greer : 0.82 29.56 -4.3 Anderson : 0.39 23.11 -7.9 Columbia : 0.30 28.79 -4.5 Orangeburg : 0.27 28.30 -6.5 Charlotte, NC : 1.79 31.05 1.3 Augusta, GA : 0.00 23.56 -8.5 Florence : 0.66 22.20 -9.7 N Myrtle Beach : 0.64 24.28 -13.8 Charleston : 0.52 29.97 -8.2 Savannah, GA : 0.26 26.34 -9.9 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Weekly rainfall totals this period ending midnight Sunday.