sc-crop-weather South Carolina Weekly Weather and Crop Progress Report Released: April 9, 2012 Week Ending Date: April 8, 2012 Issue: SC-CW001512 GENERAL Record heat continued for the start of the week ending April 8, 2012. Charleston and Columbia both saw temperatures reach 91 degrees on Monday, April 2. Warm weather produced isolated thunderstorms across the State. Large hail was reported in a severe storm in the Upstate on Thursday with minimal crop damage observed. Cool weather moved in over the weekend with a light frost observed in parts of the State. The State average temperature for the period was seven degrees above normal with 6 days suitable for fieldwork. Soil moisture conditions improved to 4% very short, 27% short, 68% adequate and 1% surplus. The State average rainfall for the period was 0.8 inches. FIELD CROPS CORN plantings continued ahead of schedule with 79% completed by Sunday. Forty-one percent of the crop had emerged by the weekend, twelve points above the five year average. OATS were 60% headed, forty points ahead of historical averages. Conditions were 1% very poor, 2% poor, 28% fair, 63% good and 6% excellent. WINTER WHEAT was also 60% headed with conditions reported as 1% poor, 30% fair, 64% good and 5% excellent. TOBACCO transplanting continued with 18% completed by the end of the week, nine points ahead of this time last year. OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST SNAPBEAN, TOMATO, and CUCUMBER plantings continued at a rapid pace. Fifty-six percent of snapbeans, 80% of tomatoes and 31% of cucumbers were planted by the end of the week. CANTALOUP planting was 43% complete by Sunday, eleven points ahead of the five year average. WATERMELON planting was estimated at 52% complete. PEACH conditions declined to 60% fair, 39% good and 1% excellent. PASTURE conditions were 1% very poor, 8% poor, 39% fair, 51% good and 1% excellent. LIVESTOCK conditions declined to 1% very poor, 2% poor, 32% fair, 64% good and 1% excellent. Crop Progress for Week Ending April 8, 2012 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop and Stage : 2012 : 2011 :5-Yr Avg :: Crop and Stage : 2012 : 2011 :5-Yr Avg ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent :: : Percent : :: : Cantaloup, Planted : 43 36 32 :: Snapbeans, Fresh, Planted : 56 32 33 Corn, Planted : 79 58 55 :: Tobacco, Transplanted : 18 9 14 Corn, Emerged : 41 32 29 :: Tomatoes, Fresh, Planted : 80 52 51 Cucumbers, Fresh, Planted : 31 27 22 :: Watermelons, Planted : 52 43 44 Hay, Grain Hay, Harvested : 5 0 0 :: Winter Wheat, Headed : 60 16 10 Oats, Headed : 60 20 20 :: : ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Condition for Week Ending April 8, 2012 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop :Very Poor: Poor : Fair : Good : Excellent :: Crop :Very Poor: Poor : Fair : Good : Excellent --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent :: : Percent : :: : Hay : 0 0 50 48 2 :: Pasture : 1 8 39 51 1 Livestock : 1 2 32 64 1 :: Peaches : 0 0 60 39 1 Oats : 1 2 28 63 6 :: Winter Wheat : 0 1 30 64 5 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- South Carolina Weekly Weather Summary for the Week Ending April 8, 2012 Date record high temperatures were observed on Monday at Greenville- Spartanburg AP (88 degrees) and Charleston AP (91 degrees). The Beaufort Marine Corps Air Station, Orangeburg, Columbia and Clemson also reached 91 degrees. A small area of convective storms developed over portions of west central South Carolina and left 0.85 inches of rain at Lake Greenwood and 0.48 inches at Batesburg. More storms formed on Tuesday evening. Blackville measured one of the heavier amounts with 1.19 inches. Winnsboro received 0.83 inches and Aiken reported 0.76 inches. Unseasonal heating returned for Wednesday. The thermometer in Pinopolis climbed to 91 degrees. Scattered thunderstorms on Wednesday evening at McBee gave them a two-day total of 1.80 inches. During the mid-afternoon hours on Thursday, strong storms formed over the foothills and moved eastward. At 3:28 p.m., Gowensville in Greenville County reported 1.75-inch diameter hail. At 4:30 p.m., the Bonham Fire Department in Union County reported the same sized hail and that it had covered the ground. To the east and ahead of the storms, Witherbee warmed to 89 degrees. The Thursday and overnight rainfall totals included 1.80 inches at Table Rock, 1.72 inches at Georgetown AP and 1.60 inches at Lugoff. Much colder air entered the State on Friday. Dillon, Orangeburg and Shaw AFB recorded high temperatures of just 64 degrees. On Saturday morning, there were public reports of light frost from Taylors over to Lancaster and into Loris. The temperature at Hartsville and Cades fell to 35 degrees. Edisto Beach recorded a more winter-like 38 degrees. Florence and Kingstree noted a Saturday high temperature of 70 degrees. Easter Sunday was observed with mostly sunny skies, light winds and temperatures easing back to around 80 degrees. The State average temperature for the seven-day period was seven degrees above normal. The highest official temperature reported was 94 degrees at the University of South Carolina Campus in Columbia on April 2. The lowest official temperature reported was 32 degrees at the Conway AP on April 7. The heaviest official 24-hour rainfall reported was 2.22 inches at Chesnee ending at 7:00 a.m. on April 6. The State average rainfall for the period was 0.8 inches. SOIL: 4-inch depth soil temperature: Columbia 70 degrees, Charleston 68 degrees. RIVERS AND SURF: South Carolina river stages were below normal. Ocean water temperatures at nearby Johnny Mercer Pier in Wrightsville Beach, NC, were reported at 66 degrees. Precipitation --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Location : Total : Total : Deviation : for Week : for 2012 : from Average --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Greer AP : 0.81 9.59 -3.7 Anderson AP : 0.66 8.89 -4.0 Columbia Metro AP : 0.32 6.77 -4.9 Orangeburg AP : 0.90 7.55 -4.9 Charlotte, NC AP : 0.77 8.26 -3.3 Augusta, GA Bush AP : 1.26 6.06 -6.8 Florence AP : 0.88 9.63 -0.6 N Myrtle Beach AP : 1.02 7.61 -4.3 Charleston AP : 0.91 9.36 -1.8 Savannah, GA AP : 0.21 8.86 -2.2 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Weekly rainfall totals this period ending midnight Sunday.