sc-crop-weather South Carolina Weekly Weather and Crop Progress Report Released: November 14, 2011 Week Ending Date: November 13, 2011 Issue: SC-CW004511 GENERAL Soil moisture conditions suffered during a dry week ending November 13th, 2011. All counties in the State remained in at least a moderate drought phase while six counties in the Upstate were downgraded to severe drought status. Soil moisture conditions fell to 11% very short, 45% short and 44% adequate. The State average rainfall for the period was 0.0 inches. Temperatures were in the mid-seventies during the beginning of the week. By Friday morning, many counties were reporting early morning temperatures in the 20's and 30's. The State began to warm again on Sunday and saw an average temperature of three degrees below normal for the week. There was an average of 6.4 days suitable for fieldwork. FIELD CROPS WINTER WHEAT was 41% planted with 20% emerged by the weekend. WINTER GRAZING plantings increased to 85% complete with 69% emerged, jumping three points ahead of last year's pace. Conditions fell to 10% poor, 34% fair, and 56% good. OAT planting was 58% completed with 38% emerged, on pace with the five year average. Ninety-seven percent of SOYBEAN leaves had turned color and 84% had dropped leaves, ten points behind the five year average. Maturation was 73% complete with 37% of the crop harvested. Conditions were 6% very poor, 22% poor, 42% fair and 30% good. All COTTON bolls had opened by the end of the week and 78% of the crop had been harvested, eight points ahead of the five year average. PEANUT harvest picked up with 89% completed by the end of the week, nine points behind the five year average. OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST PASTURE conditions were 9% very poor, 27% poor, 41% fair and 23% good, while LIVESTOCK conditions improved to 3% poor, 39% fair and 58% good. Crop Progress for Week Ending November 13, 2011 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop and Stage : 2011 : 2010 :5-Yr Avg :: Crop and Stage : 2011 : 2010 :5-Yr Avg ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent :: : Percent : :: : Cotton, Bolls Opened : 100 100 100 :: Soybeans, Mature : 73 83 81 Cotton, Harvested : 78 80 70 :: Soybeans, Harvested : 37 50 35 Oats, Planted : 58 48 55 :: Winter Grazings, Planted : 85 85 83 Oats, Emerged : 38 32 38 :: Winter Grazings, Emerged : 69 66 63 Peanuts, Harvested : 89 100 98 :: Winter Wheat, Planted : 41 42 35 Soybeans, Turned Color : 97 100 100 :: Winter Wheat, Emerged : 20 22 21 Soybeans, Leaves Dropped : 84 89 94 :: : ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Condition for Week Ending November 13, 2011 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop :Very Poor: Poor : Fair : Good : Excellent :: Crop :Very Poor: Poor : Fair : Good : Excellent --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent :: : Percent : :: : Livestock : 0 3 39 58 0 :: Soybeans : 6 22 42 30 0 Pasture : 9 27 41 23 0 :: Winter Grazings : 0 10 34 56 0 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- South Carolina Weekly Weather Summary for the Week Ending November 13, 2011 Much of the State warmed into the 70's during the Monday through Thursday period. Florence and Conway reached 75 degrees on Monday afternoon. Lake City and Orangeburg warmed to 75 degrees on Tuesday. The Georgetown AP recorded a Wednesday high temperature of 78 degrees before clouds began arriving with a few light showers over portions of the Upstate. A cold front pushed eastward Thursday night with pockets of light rain. McCormick measured 0.22 inches and Clinton measured 0.16 inches. The majority of rain gages were left dry. The season's lowest temperatures were observed on Saturday morning. Hunts Bridge, Cedar Creek, Chesterfield and Barnwell recorded a hard freeze of 25 degrees. Summerville's thermometer registered 28 degrees and the Beaufort Marine Corps Air Station noted a frosty 30 degrees. Only the coastal island locations and their warmer surrounding waters prevented their first freeze. A fast recovery to milder conditions occurred on a mostly sunny Sunday. Pinopolis and Ft. Moultrie each recorded an afternoon maximum temperature of 75 degrees. The State average temperature for the seven-day period was three degrees below normal. The highest official temperature reported was 80 degrees at Givhans on November 8 and 9. The lowest official temperature reported was 22 degrees at Bennettsville and Pelion on November 12. The heaviest official 24-hour rainfall reported was 0.23 inches at Newberry and Longtown ending at 7:00 a.m. on November 11. The State average rainfall for the period was 0.0 inches. SOIL: 4-inch depth soil temperature: Columbia 60 degrees, Charleston 62 degrees. RIVERS AND SURF: South Carolina river stages were below normal. Ocean water temperatures at Springmaid Pier Myrtle Beach were reported at 61 degrees. Precipitation --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Location : Total : Total : Deviation : for Week : for 2011 : from Average --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Greer AP : 0.03 38.41 -2.4 Anderson AP : 0.09 29.83 -8.2 Columbia Metro AP : 0.03 33.97 -5.8 Orangeburg AP : 0.00 34.14 -7.6 Charlotte, NC AP : 0.08 39.00 2.5 Augusta, GA Bush AP : 0.01 26.62 -11.9 Florence AP : 0.08 26.41 -12.0 N Myrtle Beach AP : 0.01 30.72 -16.1 Charleston AP : 0.00 35.04 -11.5 Savannah, GA AP : 0.02 33.04 -10.6 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Weekly rainfall totals this period ending midnight Sunday.