sc-crop-weather South Carolina Weekly Weather and Crop Progress Report Released: March 5, 2012 Week Ending Date: March 4, 2012 Issue: SC-CW001012 This is the first South Carolina Weekly Weather and Crop Progress Report for 2012. The USDA NASS Field Office is beginning the Crop Progress Report a month earlier than usual to see what effect, if any, the unusually warm winter weather has had on South Carolina agriculture. GENERAL Unseasonably warm temperatures and heavy rainfall were observed for much of South Carolina this past week. Topsoil moisture was mostly adequate for the week ending March 4th. However, subsoil moisture and irrigation ponds still need to be replenished due to a dry winter season. Soil moisture conditions were listed as 5% very short, 24% short, 66% adequate and 5% surplus. With the week's persistent rain showers, there were 4.8 days suitable for fieldwork. FIELD CROPS Early CORN had just begun to be planted by week's end. Several Crop Progress reporters indicated that small grains were growing ahead of schedule but have not yet begun to head. OAT conditions were reportedly 1% very poor, 6% poor, 27% fair, 57% good, and 9% excellent. WINTER WHEAT conditions were 5% poor, 30% fair, 62% good, and 3% excellent. OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST PASTURE conditions were reportedly 1% very poor, 12% poor, 49% fair and 38% good. LIVESTOCK conditions were 2% poor, 43% fair, 53% good and 2% excellent. Peaches were 4% poor, 66% fair, and 30% good possibly due to a lack of sufficient cold hours throughout the unusually warm winter. Crop Progress for Week Ending March 4, 2012 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop and Stage : 2012 : 2011 :5-Yr Avg :: Crop and Stage : 2012 : 2011 :5-Yr Avg ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent :: : Percent : :: : Corn, Planted : 1 0 0 :: : ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Condition for Week Ending March 4, 2012 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop :Very Poor: Poor : Fair : Good : Excellent :: Crop :Very Poor: Poor : Fair : Good : Excellent --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent :: : Percent : :: : Livestock : 0 2 43 53 2 :: Peaches : 0 4 66 30 0 Oats : 1 6 27 57 9 :: Winter Wheat : 0 5 30 62 3 Pasture : 1 12 49 38 0 :: : --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- South Carolina Weekly Weather Summary for the Week Ending March 4, 2012 Scattered showers on Monday left 0.68 inches of rain at Darlington and 0.63 inches at Dillon. On Tuesday morning, dense fog was observed with visibilities restricted to one-eighth of a mile at McEntire ANG AP in Eastover. Bamberg, Walterboro and Allendale warmed to 74 degrees. February's "leap day" saw afternoon temperatures climb into the 80's. Cades, Andrews and Orangeburg reported 82 degrees. A heavy shower passed over Walhalla and measured 0.86 inches. Rainfall totals for the 29-day February period measured 3.83 inches at Johnston and just 0.88 inches at Hunts Bridge. The sunrise temperatures on March 1 were the mildest since November 16 at both Columbia and Charleston. Showers formed over most of the southern counties during the morning hours. Allendale received 0.80 inches of rain. A day of sunshine allowed Clemson, Sandy Springs and Rock Hill to warm to 80 degrees. Thunderstorms developed overnight and into Friday. One-inch diameter hail fell over parts of Fairfield County. Long Creek noted a 24-hour rainfall amount of 2.58 inches and Pickens measured 2.10 inches. Saluda and Holly Hill recorded a Friday high temperature of 81 degrees. Pre-frontal storms on Saturday morning produced a weak EF-0, short path tornado, 5 miles north- northwest of Columbia. A boundary of strong convergence set up along the coastal plain with heavy rains falling on Saturday. Sunday morning, 24-hour rainfall measurements included 3.32 inches at Charleston AP, 3.14 inches at Socastee and 2.85 inches at the Georgetown AP. Edisto Beach reported a Friday-Saturday rainfall amount of 4.00 inches. High winds followed the departing wet weather on Sunday afternoon. At 3:03 p.m., west winds gusted to 49 mph at the Orangeburg AP, and at 3:47 p.m., the Columbia Metro AP measured a wind gust of 47 mph. Clarks Hill and Greenwood reported a Sunday afternoon high temperature of only 53 degrees. The state average temperature for the seven-day period was nine degrees above normal. The highest official temperature reported was 85 degrees at Givhans on February 29. The lowest official temperature reported was 34 degrees at Table Rock and Hunts Bridge on March 4. The heaviest official 24-hour rainfall reported was 4.15 inches at the Beaufort Marine Corps Air Station at 7:00 a.m. on March 4. The state average rainfall for the period was 2.4 inches. SOIL: 4-inch depth soil temperature: Columbia 58 degrees, Charleston 59 degrees. RIVERS AND SURF: South Carolina river stages were below normal. Ocean water temperatures at Springmaid Pier Myrtle Beach were reported at 57 degrees. Precipitation --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Location : Total : Total : Deviation : for Week : for 2012 : from Average --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Greer AP : 1.77 6.80 -1.6 Anderson AP : 1.59 7.06 -1.3 Columbia Metro AP : 1.04 5.04 -2.7 Orangeburg AP : 2.72 5.80 -2.3 Charlotte, NC AP : 1.76 5.27 -2.0 Augusta, GA Bush AP : 1.00 3.51 -4.9 Florence AP : 2.15 5.81 -0.8 N Myrtle Beach AP : 2.66 5.87 -1.7 Charleston AP : 4.04 6.88 -0.3 Savannah, GA AP : 3.88 7.32 0.4 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Weekly rainfall totals this period ending midnight Sunday.