sc-crop-weather South Carolina Weekly Weather and Crop Progress Report Released: October 11, 2011 Week Ending Date: October 9, 2011 Issue: SC-CW004011 GENERAL Cooler weather settled into the State during the week ending October 9th, 2011. The Upstate cooled to 34 degrees in some areas Monday morning. Dry, sunny weather prevailed through much of the week with temperatures lower than normal for the period. Highs registered in the low eighties across the State with very little rainfall reported. The State average temperature for the period was two degrees below normal with 6.6 days suitable for fieldwork. Soil moisture conditions declined to 12% very short, 35% short and 53% adequate. The State average rainfall for the period was 0.0 inches. FIELD CROPS Ninety-nine percent of SOYBEANS had set pods by the end of the week, one point behind the five year average. Leaves were 47% colored and 16% of plants had dropped leaves. Maturation was 10% complete with 5% of the crop harvested. Conditions fell slightly to 9% very poor, 25% poor, 37% fair, 28% good and 1% excellent. Eighty-eight percent of TOBACCO stalks had been destroyed, six points behind last year. Ninety-nine percent of CORN had been harvested, on schedule with the five year average. Ninety percent of COTTON bolls had opened by the end of the week. Twenty-five percent of the crop had been harvested. Conditions were 9% very poor, 17% poor, 35% fair, 38% good and 1% excellent. PEANUT harvest picked up with 33% completed by the end of the week, 10 points behind the five year average. Conditions were 3% very poor, 12% poor, 36% fair, 48% good and 1% excellent. WINTER WHEAT was 21% planted with 3% emerged by the weekend. WINTER GRAZING plantings were 44% completed with 15% emerged. OAT planting was 6% underway with 1% emerged. OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST LIVESTOCK conditions were 1% very poor, 9% poor, 40% fair, 49% good and 1% excellent. PASTURE conditions declined to 14% very poor, 28% poor, 42% fair and 16% good. Crop Progress for Week Ending October 9, 2011 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop and Stage : 2011 : 2010 :5-Yr Avg :: Crop and Stage : 2011 : 2010 :5-Yr Avg ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent :: : Percent : :: : Corn, Harvested : 99 99 99 :: Soybeans, Leaves Dropped : 16 33 24 Cotton, Bolls Opened : 90 91 88 :: Soybeans, Mature : 10 20 12 Cotton, Harvested : 25 25 18 :: Soybeans, Harvested : 5 7 3 Oats, Planted : 6 14 8 :: Tobacco, Stalks Destroyed : 88 94 95 Oats, Emerged : 1 2 1 :: Winter Grazings, Planted : 44 37 42 Peanuts, Harvested : 33 59 43 :: Winter Grazings, Emerged : 15 10 8 Soybeans, Pods Set : 99 99 100 :: Winter Wheat, Planted : 21 15 9 Soybeans, Turned Color : 47 64 57 :: Winter Wheat, Emerged : 3 3 1 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Condition for Week Ending October 9, 2011 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop :Very Poor: Poor : Fair : Good : Excellent :: Crop :Very Poor: Poor : Fair : Good : Excellent --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent :: : Percent : :: : Cotton : 9 17 35 38 1 :: Peanuts : 3 12 36 48 1 Livestock : 1 9 40 49 1 :: Soybeans : 9 25 37 28 1 Pasture : 14 28 42 16 0 :: : --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- South Carolina Weekly Weather Summary for the Week Ending October 9, 2011 "Rooftop frost" was observed Monday morning at Mountain Rest as much colder, seasonal air settled into the State. Table Rock chilled to 34 degrees and Kingstree and the Marlboro County Airport both recorded 37 degrees. A pattern of dry, sunny weather continued into Sunday. Most locations experienced mild to warm days. Clemson and Anderson reached 81 degrees on Wednesday, as did Kingstree and Hartsville on Thursday. Beaufort and Charleston warmed to 81 degrees on Friday with Effingham and Givhans sharing 81 degrees on Saturday. High clouds started arriving on Sunday in advance of a developing area of low pressure located over central Florida. At 2:00 p.m., instruments at Springmaid Pier in Myrtle Beach reported northeast winds of 29 mph, gusting to 36 mph. A few extra sunshine minutes at Summerville allowed their Sunday afternoon temperature to reach 82 degrees. Shortly before midnight, light rains began entering the southern coastal counties. The State average temperature for the seven-day period was two degrees below normal. The highest official temperature reported was 84 degrees at Givhans on October 5. The lowest official temperature reported was 30 degrees at Jocassee on October 3. The heaviest official 24-hour rainfall reported was 0.04 inches at Charleston AP on October 9. The State average rainfall for the period was 0.0 inches. SOIL: 4-inch depth soil temperature: Columbia 73 degrees, Charleston 72 degrees. RIVERS AND SURF: South Carolina river stages were near to below normal. Ocean water temperatures at Springmaid Pier Myrtle Beach were reported at 72 degrees. Precipitation --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Location : Total : Total : Deviation : for Week : for 2011 : from Average --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Greer AP : 0.00 35.61 -1.4 Anderson AP : 0.00 27.44 -6.9 Columbia Metro AP : 0.00 31.82 -4.6 Orangeburg AP : 0.00 32.24 -6.2 Charlotte, NC AP : 0.00 34.73 1.8 Augusta, GA Bush AP : 0.00 25.05 -10.1 Florence AP : 0.00 24.46 -10.7 N Myrtle Beach AP : 0.00 27.36 -15.6 Charleston AP : 0.04 33.09 -10.0 Savannah, GA AP : 0.20 30.74 -9.6 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Weekly rainfall totals this period ending midnight Sunday.