sc-crop-weather South Carolina Weekly Weather and Crop Progress Report Released: November 21, 2011 Week Ending Date: November 20, 2011 Issue: SC-CW004611 GENERAL Unusually warm temperatures were observed during the week ending November 20th, 2011. High temperatures were measured in the mid-eighties on Wednesday. A violent storm front moved through the State late Wednesday, producing a tornado in York County that led to 3 fatalities and moderate property damage. Heavy rains and high winds moved with the system drenching many areas of the State. Much cooler temperatures arrived on Thursday. Fall-like weather continued through the weekend with occasional showers on Saturday. The State average temperature for the period was four degrees above normal with six days suitable for fieldwork. The State average rainfall for the period was 0.5 inches. Soil moisture conditions improved to 10% very short, 40% short and 50% adequate. FIELD CROPS All SOYBEAN leaves had turned color and 94% had dropped leaves, five points behind the five year average. Maturation was 90% completed with 40% of the crop harvested. Conditions were 6% very poor, 21% poor, 40% fair, 32% good and 1% excellent. Eighty-four percent of the COTTON crop had been harvested, three points ahead of the five year average. PEANUT harvest began to wrap up with 94% completed by the end of the week. WINTER WHEAT was 61% planted with 38% emerged by the weekend. Conditions were 42% fair, 57% good and 1% excellent. WINTER GRAZING plantings increased to 91% completed with 81% emerged, seven points ahead of the five year average. Conditions fell to 7% very poor, 6% poor, 36% fair and 51% good. OAT planting was 72% complete with 55% emerged, five points ahead of the five year average. Conditions were 3% poor, 53% fair and 44% excellent. OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST PASTURE conditions declined to 9% very poor, 24% poor, 51% fair and 16% good. LIVESTOCK conditions also declined to 1% very poor, 4% poor, 37% fair, 57% good and 1% excellent. Crop Progress for Week Ending November 20, 2011 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop and Stage : 2011 : 2010 :5-Yr Avg :: Crop and Stage : 2011 : 2010 :5-Yr Avg ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent :: : Percent : :: : Cotton, Harvested : 84 92 81 :: Soybeans, Mature : 90 95 93 Oats, Planted : 72 58 68 :: Soybeans, Harvested : 40 57 50 Oats, Emerged : 55 41 50 :: Winter Grazings, Planted : 91 91 88 Peanuts, Harvested : 94 100 100 :: Winter Grazings, Emerged : 81 77 74 Soybeans, Turned Color : 100 100 100 :: Winter Wheat, Planted : 61 47 44 Soybeans, Leaves Dropped : 94 98 99 :: Winter Wheat, Emerged : 38 26 25 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Condition for Week Ending November 20, 2011 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop :Very Poor: Poor : Fair : Good : Excellent :: Crop :Very Poor: Poor : Fair : Good : Excellent --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent :: : Percent : :: : Livestock : 1 4 37 57 1 :: Soybeans : 6 21 40 32 1 Oats : 0 3 53 44 0 :: Winter Grazings : 7 6 36 51 0 Pasture : 9 24 51 16 0 :: Winter Wheat : 0 0 42 57 1 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- South Carolina Weekly Weather Summary for the Week Ending November 20, 2011 A stretch of post-frost "Indian Summer" warmth was observed on Monday and lasting into Wednesday. Andrews, Barnwell, Pinopolis and Allendale recorded 81 degrees on Monday afternoon. Sandy Run, Bennettsville, Shaw AFB in Sumter and the Columbia Metro AP reached 81 degrees on Tuesday. Rain began falling late Tuesday night for parts of the Upstate and at 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday morning Anderson, Clemson and Greenville reported heavy rain. Columbia's 67-degree minimum temperature on Wednesday morning was 25 degrees above their long term average for the date. A mostly sunny Florence and Dillon registered an unseasonably warm Wednesday high temperature of 84 degrees. Stormy weather developed during the afternoon and early evening hours and turned violent for York County. An EF2 rated tornado caused 3 fatalities and moderate property damage 5 miles south of Rock Hill. National Weather Service radar indicated storms racing east at up to 55 mph. The Williamsburg County AP recorded a wind gust of 60 mph at 8:15 p.m. Gaffney and Gaston Shoals measured 1.73 inches of rain. The Keowee Dam rain gage noted a 24-hour rainfall of 1.41 inches while the nearby Jocassee Dam noted 1.33 inches. A sharp temperature boundary was observed Thursday as much colder air arrived. At 12 o'clock noon, the Rock Hill AP reported 51 degrees at the same time the Charleston AP was reporting 76 degrees. Sunrise temperatures at Dillon, Johnston and Hartsville fell to 27 degrees on Friday morning. At 9:53 a.m., instruments at the Hamilton-Owens AP in Columbia recorded a barometric pressure value of 30.53 inches of mercury. The high temperature at Beaufort only climbed to 56 degrees. Skies turned partly cloudy Saturday with occasional showers or drizzle moving northward into the State through Sunday. Breaks of sunshine helped Summerville and the Charleston AP end the week with a Sunday high temperature of 80 degrees. The State average temperature for the seven-day period was four degrees above normal. The highest official temperature reported was 85 degrees at Cades on November 16. The lowest official temperature reported was 24 degrees at Table Rock, Walhalla and Chesnee on November 18. The heaviest official 24-hour rainfall reported was 2.01 inches at Chesnee at 7:00 a.m. on November 17. The State average rainfall for the period was 0.5 inches. SOIL: 4-inch depth soil temperature: Columbia 61 degrees, Charleston 64 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 : 1.54 39.95 -1.8 Anderson AP : 0.45 30.28 -8.7 Columbia Metro AP : 0.31 34.28 -6.1 Orangeburg AP : 0.60 34.74 -7.6 Charlotte, NC AP : 0.76 39.76 2.5 Augusta, GA Bush AP : 0.81 27.43 -11.7 Florence AP : 0.10 26.51 -12.5 N Myrtle Beach AP : 0.45 31.17 -16.4 Charleston AP : 0.28 35.32 -11.8 Savannah, GA AP : 0.16 33.20 -11.0 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Weekly rainfall totals this period ending midnight Sunday.