sc-crop-weather South Carolina Weekly Weather and Crop Progress Report Released: April 23, 2012 Week Ending Date: April 22, 2012 Issue: SC-CW001712 GENERAL A warm beginning to the week led to increased rainfall for much of South Carolina during the period ending April 22, 2012. Temperatures in the mid- eighties were observed through Tuesday evening. Storms appeared early Wednesday and continued throughout the weekend providing much needed rainfall to crops and pastures. Soil moisture conditions improved slightly to 9% very short, 39% short, 51% adequate and 1% surplus. Ninety-nine percent of the State remained in moderate drought condition according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. The State average temperature for the period was 3 degrees above normal with 6 days suitable for field work. The State average rainfall for the week was 0.9 inches with some areas receiving 2 to 3 inches. FIELD CROPS CORN was 96% planted by Sunday and 82% of the crop had emerged by the weekend. COTTON planting was 7% complete by Sunday. OATS were 97% headed, well ahead of historical figures. Ten percent of the crop had begun to show color. Conditions declined slightly to 1% very poor, 3% poor, 30% fair, 64% good and 2% excellent. WINTER WHEAT was also 97% headed with conditions reported as 3% poor, 36% fair, 57% good and 4% excellent. TOBACCO transplanting continued with 79% complete by the end of the week, thirteen points ahead of this time last year. Conditions were 52% fair, 44% good and 4% excellent. SOYBEAN and PEANUT plantings were just beginning to get underway. OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST TOMATO plantings were almost complete with 98% planted by Sunday. Conditions were 56% fair, 33% good and 11% excellent. Eighty-four percent of SNAPBEANS and 52% of CUCUMBERS were planted by the end of the week. CANTALOUP planting was 80% complete by Sunday, nine points ahead of the five year average. WATERMELON planting was reported as 88% complete. PEACH conditions were 64% fair, 35% good and 1% excellent. PASTURE conditions fell to 4% very poor, 7% poor, 40% fair, 48% good and 1% excellent. LIVESTOCK conditions declined to 1% very poor, 4% poor, 33% fair, 60% good and 2% excellent. Crop Progress for Week Ending April 22, 2012 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop and Stage : 2012 : 2011 :5-Yr Avg :: Crop and Stage : 2012 : 2011 :5-Yr Avg ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent :: : Percent : :: : Cantaloup, Planted : 80 65 71 :: Peanuts, Planted : 1 4 1 Corn, Planted : 96 92 88 :: Snapbeans, Fresh, Planted : 84 53 61 Corn, Emerged : 82 72 66 :: Soybeans, Planted : 5 1 1 Cotton, Planted : 7 6 3 :: Tobacco, Transplanted : 79 66 62 Cucumbers, Fresh, Planted : 52 54 60 :: Tomatoes, Fresh, Planted : 98 90 87 Hay, Grain Hay, Harvested : 40 25 20 :: Watermelons, Planted : 88 80 77 Oats, Headed : 97 75 64 :: Winter Wheat, Headed : 97 68 55 Oats, Turned Color : 10 1 0 :: Winter Wheat, Turning Color : 10 1 0 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Condition for Week Ending April 22, 2012 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop :Very Poor: Poor : Fair : Good : Excellent :: Crop :Very Poor: Poor : Fair : Good : Excellent --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent :: : Percent : :: : Cantaloup : 0 0 42 58 0 :: Peaches : 0 0 64 35 1 Corn : 0 2 31 63 4 :: Snapbeans : 0 0 51 45 4 Hay : 0 2 54 43 1 :: Tobacco : 0 0 52 44 4 Livestock : 1 4 33 60 2 :: Tomatoes : 0 0 56 33 11 Oats : 1 3 30 64 2 :: Watermelons : 0 0 41 59 0 Pasture : 4 7 40 48 1 :: Winter Wheat : 0 3 36 57 4 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- South Carolina Weekly Weather Summary for the Week Ending April 22, 2012 Afternoon temperatures climbed into the middle 80's on Monday and Tuesday. Hardeeville, Hartsville and Sandhill warmed to 86 degrees on Monday, and Summerville, Newberry and Aiken reached 86 degrees on Tuesday. Isolated storms formed over the high elevation sites on Tuesday evening, leaving 1.69 inches of rain at Caesars Head. Clouds arrived for much of western South Carolina on Wednesday and limited the high temperature at Calhoun Falls to just 59 degrees. Showers, some with thunder, were observed Wednesday night into Thursday morning. Walterboro measured 1.62 inches of rain and Gallivants Ferry measured 1.08 inches. A cloudy Winnsboro reported 62 degrees for a Thursday high temperature. On Friday morning, Rock Hill recorded a low temperature of 48 degrees. Warmer air entered the southern counties on Saturday and set the stage for unstable weather and periods of heavy rain for the coastal plain and later that evening for the Midlands. By Sunday morning, Brookgreen Gardens had received a soaking 3.00 inches. Bamberg reported a 24- hour rainfall of 2.36 inches. Sunday's late-exiting showers left 1.66 inches of rain in the Lugoff gage. The State's highest temperature on Sunday was noted at Myrtle Beach and Beaufort with 74 degrees. The State average temperature for the seven-day period was three degrees above normal. The highest official temperature reported was 90 degrees at Cades and Johnston on April 17. The lowest official temperature reported was 46 degrees at Ninety Nine Islands on April 20. The heaviest official 24-hour rainfall reported was 3.68 inches at Cheraw ending at 7:00 a.m. on April 22. The State average rainfall for the period was 0.9 inches. SOIL: 4-inch depth soil temperature: Columbia 67 degrees, Charleston 70 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 69 degrees. Precipitation --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Location : Total : Total : Deviation : for Week : for 2012 : from Average --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Greer AP : 1.61 11.20 -3.6 Anderson AP : 0.99 9.88 -4.5 Columbia Metro AP : 1.82 8.59 -4.3 Orangeburg AP : 1.39 8.94 -4.9 Charlotte, NC AP : 0.76 9.02 -4.0 Augusta, GA Bush AP : 0.19 6.25 -7.9 Florence AP : 0.46 10.08 -1.3 N Myrtle Beach AP : 0.76 8.38 -4.9 Charleston AP : 0.38 9.74 -2.8 Savannah, GA AP : 0.27 9.13 -3.4 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Weekly rainfall totals this period ending midnight Sunday.