sc-crop-weather South Carolina Weekly Weather and Crop Progress Report Released: March 12, 2012 Week Ending Date: March 11, 2012 Issue: SC-CW001112 GENERAL A lack of rainfall, coupled with strong winds, dried excess surface water from the previous week and allowed many South Carolina farmers to get back in the field for planting preparations. Some locations, particularly the Upstate, experienced some frost this past week. However, very little freeze damage was reported. Soil moisture conditions were 1% very short, 26% short, 72% adequate and 1% surplus. With drier conditions, there were 5.9 days suitable for fieldwork. FIELD CROPS Four percent of CORN had been planted by week's end. OAT conditions were reportedly 1% very poor, 7% poor, 20% fair, 70% good, and 2% excellent. WINTER WHEAT conditions were 4% poor, 30% fair, 61% good, and 5% excellent. Several farmers had reported concern over a late freeze damaging small grains that have matured early. OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST PASTURES were beginning to green up and conditions were reportedly 9% poor, 46% fair and 45% good. LIVESTOCK conditions were 35% fair, 64% good and 1% excellent. PEACH conditions improved and were 2% poor, 53% fair, 41% good and 4% excellent. Early warm weather has caused some peaches to start blooming ahead of schedule. Crop Progress for Week Ending March 11, 2012 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop and Stage : 2012 : 2011 :5-Yr Avg :: Crop and Stage : 2012 : 2011 :5-Yr Avg ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent :: : Percent : :: : Corn, Planted : 4 0 0 :: Watermelons, Planted : 3 0 0 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Condition for Week Ending March 11, 2012 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop :Very Poor: Poor : Fair : Good : Excellent :: Crop :Very Poor: Poor : Fair : Good : Excellent --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent :: : Percent : :: : Livestock : 0 0 35 64 1 :: Peaches : 0 2 53 41 4 Oats : 1 7 20 70 2 :: Winter Wheat : 0 4 30 61 5 Pasture : 0 9 46 45 0 :: : --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- South Carolina Weekly Weather Summary for the Week Ending March 11, 2012 Late season cold arrived on Monday morning with several sites in the Midlands reporting minimum temperatures near freezing and strong winds. The temperature at Cheraw, Pelion and the McEntire ANG AP fell to 31 degrees. At 11:00 a.m., instruments at the Columbia Metro AP recorded west winds of 35 mph, gusting to 44 mph. Under clear skies, scattered frost formed over portions of central South Carolina on Tuesday morning. McCormick and Shaw AFB in Sumter noted a low temperature of 28 degrees. Milder weather returned on Wednesday. Columbia and Orangeburg warmed to 72 degrees. Sandy Run and Beaufort reached 77 degrees on Thursday. A boundary of cooler air approached the state during the Thursday evening hours and caused passing rain showers. Overnight rainfall amounts included 0.52 inches at Jocassee Dam and 0.49 inches at Pickens. Most of the state was left without measurable rain. Mostly sunny, seasonal conditions were observed over the weekend. Little Mountain and Florence recorded a Saturday afternoon high temperature of 63 degrees. Modest warming on Sunday sent the mercury to 74 degrees at Aiken but onshore winds along the north coast held the high temperature at Springmaid Pier to just 57 degrees. The state average temperature for the seven-day period was two degrees above normal. The highest official temperature reported was 78 degrees at Bamberg, Pinopolis, Barnwell, Jamestown, Givhans and Hardeeville on March 8. The lowest official temperature reported was 22 degrees at Chesnee on March 6. The heaviest official 24-hour rainfall reported was 0.55 inches at Caesars Head ending at 7:00 a.m. on March 9. The state average rainfall for the period was 0.1 inches. SOIL: 4-inch depth soil temperature: Columbia 59 degrees, Charleston 61 degrees. RIVERS AND SURF: South Carolina river stages were near to below normal. Ocean water temperatures at Springmaid Pier Myrtle Beach were reported at 58 degrees. Precipitation --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Location : Total : Total : Deviation : for Week : for 2012 : from Average --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Greer AP : 0.45 7.25 -2.2 Anderson AP : 0.29 7.35 -1.9 Columbia Metro AP : 0.00 5.04 -3.6 Orangeburg AP : 0.00 5.80 -3.2 Charlotte, NC AP : 0.27 5.54 -2.7 Augusta, GA Bush AP : 0.00 3.51 -5.9 Florence AP : 0.01 5.82 -1.6 N Myrtle Beach AP : 0.00 5.87 -2.6 Charleston AP : 0.00 6.88 -1.1 Savannah, GA AP : 0.05 7.37 -0.4 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Weekly rainfall totals this period ending midnight Sunday.