sc-crop-weather South Carolina Weekly Weather and Crop Progress Report Released: September 26, 2011 Week Ending Date: September 25, 2011 Issue: SC-CW003811 GENERAL Significant amounts of rainfall finally fell over widespread areas of the State during the week ending September 25th, 2011. With the entire State in moderate drought status, the rain was a timely help to struggling crops and pastures. Severe weather moved into the State over the weekend leading to high winds and flash flooding in Columbia. The State average temperature for the period was four degrees above normal with 5.3 days suitable for fieldwork. The State average rainfall for the period was 2.9 inches and soil moisture conditions significantly improved to 17% very short, 34% short, 44% adequate and 5% surplus. FIELD CROPS Ninety-seven percent of SOYBEANS had set pods by the end of the week, one point ahead of the five year average. Leaves continued coloring with 20% reported by the end of the week. Very few plants were beginning to drop leaves. Conditions fell to 11% very poor, 24% poor, 37% fair and 28% good. TOBACCO harvest was 99% complete and 70% of the stalks had been destroyed. WINTER WHEAT planting continued with 19% completed. WINTER GRAZING plantings were 18% underway. CORN harvest was 97% complete, 4 points ahead of the five year average. Eighty-three percent of COTTON bolls had opened by the end of the week. Harvest was 9% complete by week's end, on pace with last year. Conditions remained unfavorable at 9% very poor, 18% poor, 36% fair, 36% good and 1% excellent. PEANUT harvest continued with 14% completed by the end of the week, 3 points behind the five year average. Conditions were 3% very poor, 12% poor, 38% fair, 46% good and 1% excellent. OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST LIVESTOCK conditions were 2% very poor, 13% poor, 32% fair and 53% good. PASTURES improved to 14% very poor, 31% poor, 34% fair and 21% good. Crop Progress for Week Ending September 25, 2011 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop and Stage : 2011 : 2010 :5-Yr Avg :: Crop and Stage : 2011 : 2010 :5-Yr Avg ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent :: : Percent : :: : Corn, Harvested : 97 95 93 :: Soybeans, Leaves Dropped : 3 12 9 Cotton, Bolls Opened : 83 79 74 :: Soybeans, Mature : 2 2 2 Cotton, Harvested : 9 9 4 :: Tobacco, Harvested : 99 99 99 Peanuts, Harvested : 14 26 17 :: Tobacco, Stalks Destroyed : 70 73 80 Soybeans, Pods Set : 97 95 96 :: Winter Grazings, Planted : 18 19 23 Soybeans, Turned Color : 20 28 25 :: Winter Wheat, Planted : 19 7 3 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Condition for Week Ending September 25, 2011 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop :Very Poor: Poor : Fair : Good : Excellent :: Crop :Very Poor: Poor : Fair : Good : Excellent --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent :: : Percent : :: : Cotton : 9 18 36 36 1 :: Peanuts : 3 12 38 46 1 Livestock : 2 13 32 53 0 :: Soybeans : 11 24 37 28 0 Pasture : 14 31 34 21 0 :: : --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- South Carolina Weekly Weather Summary for the Week Ending September 25, 2011 Under a blanket of clouds, the State's Monday high temperature at Allendale, Orangeburg and Barnwell was only 83 degrees. Moist tropical air, at the surface and aloft, began arriving on Tuesday morning in the form of soaking rains. Northward-moving convection produced 1.85 inches of rain at Gaston Shoals and 1.56 inches at Hardeeville. Aiken, McCormick and the Columbia Metro AP reached 89 degrees Wednesday afternoon before more heavy rain fell across the Upstate and Savannah River Basin. Anderson measured 3.18 inches and Edgefield measured 2.59 inches. The official start of Autumn 2011 began on Friday morning with storms that brought flash flooding to the Midlands. The Columbia Hamilton-Owens AP received 0.95 inches in just 15 minutes, which was part of an event total of 3.56 inches. Breaks of sunshine sent the temperature on Saturday to 89 degrees at Johnston, McCormick and the Georgetown AP. More heavy rain developed Sunday afternoon and evening for central South Carolina. Lightning-filled storms brought small hail and high winds. The Columbia Metro AP recorded a thunderstorm wind gust of 55 mph. National Weather Service instruments at the USC Campus measured rainfall rates of up to 3.24 inches in one hour that caused flash flooding. The Tuesday through Sunday six-day rainfall total at the Columbia Hamilton-Owens AP added to 9.33 inches. The State average temperature for the seven-day period was four degrees above normal. The highest official temperature reported was 92 degrees at Hardeeville on September 24. The lowest official temperature reported was 50 degrees at Jocassee on September 19. The heaviest official 24-hour rainfall reported was 3.85 inches at Jefferson USGS ending at 7:00 a.m. on September 22. The State average rainfall for the period was 2.9 inches. SOIL: 4-inch depth soil temperature: Columbia 78 degrees, Charleston 81 degrees. RIVERS AND SURF: South Carolina river stages were near to below normal. Ocean water temperatures at Springmaid Pier Myrtle Beach were reported at 79 degrees. Precipitation ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Location : Total : Total : Deviation : for Week : for 2011 : from Average ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Greer : 6.04 35.60 0.2 Anderson : 4.22 27.33 -5.4 Columbia : 2.94 31.76 -3.1 Orangeburg : 2.05 30.35 -6.1 Charlotte, NC : 3.16 34.21 2.9 Augusta, GA : 1.23 25.02 -8.5 Florence : 1.44 23.72 -9.8 N Myrtle Beach : 1.65 26.23 -14.5 Charleston : 2.71 33.04 -7.8 Savannah, GA : 4.15 30.49 -7.7 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Weekly rainfall totals this period ending midnight Sunday.