sc-crop-weather South Carolina Weekly Weather and Crop Progress Report Released: May 7, 2012 Week Ending Date: May 6, 2012 Issue: SC-CW001912 GENERAL High temperatures and little rainfall persisted through the week ending May 6, 2012. Livestock producers were harvesting hay at a quicker pace due to poor grazing conditions. Temperatures in the nineties were common throughout the State with the average temperature recorded at nine degrees above normal for the week. Isolated thunderstorms produced some rainfall but the State remained in a serious drought. The State average rainfall for the period was 0.2 inches with decreased soil moisture conditions at 16% very short, 44% short and 40% adequate. There was an average of 6.5 days suitable for fieldwork. FIELD CROPS CORN plantings were wrapping up and 92% of the crop had emerged by the end of the week. Conditions declined to 1% very poor, 6% poor, 36% fair, 53% good and 4% excellent. COTTON planting was 27% complete by the end of the week, six points ahead of the five year average. Twenty-five percent of PEANUTS were planted, ahead of both last year and historical averages. SOYBEANS were 25% planted and 7% emerged by Sunday. OATS were completely headed with 60% turned color. Conditions declined to 1% very poor, 5% poor, 36% fair, 55% good and 3% excellent. WINTER WHEAT was also 100% headed with conditions reported as 3% poor, 38% fair, 55% good and 4% excellent. TOBACCO transplanting was complete, five points ahead of the five year average. Conditions were stable at 4% poor, 45% fair, 46% good and 5% excellent. Seventy-five percent of HAY had been harvested, remaining well ahead of historical figures. OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST PASTURE conditions continued to slide to 6% very poor, 11% poor, 48% fair and 35% good. LIVESTOCK conditions also declined slightly to 1% very poor, 3% poor, 39% fair, 56% good and 1% excellent. TOMATO plantings were complete with conditions improving to 47% fair and 53% good. Ninety-five percent of SNAPBEANS and 90% of CUCUMBERS were planted by the end of the week. CANTALOUP planting was 95% complete by Sunday, two points ahead of last year. WATERMELON planting was 95% complete. PEACH conditions were 60% fair, 39% good and 1% excellent. Crop Progress for Week Ending May 6, 2012 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop and Stage : 2012 : 2011 :5-Yr Avg :: Crop and Stage : 2012 : 2011 :5-Yr Avg ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent :: : Percent : :: : Cantaloup, Planted : 95 93 88 :: Snapbeans, Fresh, Planted : 95 76 88 Corn, Planted : 99 100 98 :: Soybeans, Planted : 25 13 11 Corn, Emerged : 92 92 88 :: Soybeans, Emerged : 7 3 3 Cotton, Planted : 27 29 21 :: Tobacco, Transplanted : 100 98 95 Cucumbers, Fresh, Planted : 90 89 89 :: Tomatoes, Fresh, Planted : 100 99 98 Hay, Grain Hay, Harvested : 75 53 53 :: Watermelons, Planted : 95 96 92 Oats, Headed : 100 98 94 :: Winter Wheat, Headed : 100 98 95 Oats, Turned Color : 60 31 25 :: Winter Wheat, Turning Color : 60 20 14 Peanuts, Planted : 25 13 11 :: : ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Condition for Week Ending May 6, 2012 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop :Very Poor: Poor : Fair : Good : Excellent :: Crop :Very Poor: Poor : Fair : Good : Excellent --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent :: : Percent : :: : Cantaloup : 0 1 58 41 0 :: Peaches : 0 0 60 39 1 Corn : 1 6 36 53 4 :: Snapbeans : 0 0 80 16 4 Cucumbers : 0 0 74 24 2 :: Tobacco : 0 4 45 46 5 Livestock : 1 3 39 56 1 :: Tomatoes : 0 0 47 53 0 Oats : 1 5 36 55 3 :: Watermelons : 0 1 54 39 6 Pasture : 6 11 48 35 0 :: Winter Wheat : 0 3 38 55 4 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- South Carolina Weekly Weather Summary for the Week Ending May 6, 2012 Clarks Hill and McCormick reached 92 degrees on a sunny and dry Monday. The month of April ended with Caesars Head measuring a thirty-day rainfall total of 7.90 inches, while a distant Beaufort Marine Corps Air Station measured only 0.53 inches. May began with a continuing trend of unseasonably high temperatures. Saluda and Kingstree warmed to 90 degrees on May 1 and Aiken and Pinopolis warmed to 92 degrees on May 2. On Wednesday morning, Summerville, Sandy Springs and the Georgetown AP cooled to 62 degrees. The Sandhill Experiment Station in Richland County reported a 24-hour open pan evaporation water loss of 0.30 inches. Showers developed on Friday over the south Midlands and moved northeast. Welcomed rains fell over Barnwell with 1.05 inches and at nearby Bamberg with 0.81 inches. Saturday was the State's hottest day since September 15, 2011. McCormick, Orangeburg and the Georgetown AP all reported a Saturday afternoon maximum temperature of 94 degrees. Late afternoon thunderstorms formed over the southern Piedmont and drifted east. Little Mountain received 0.74 inches of much needed rain. At 9:55 p.m., the Georgetown AP recorded a thunderstorm wind gust of 52 mph. Increased cloudiness on Sunday scaled back the heat. Florence, Sandhill and Chester noted a Sunday high temperature of just 80 degrees. The State average temperature for the seven-day period was nine degrees above normal. The highest official temperature reported was 95 degrees at Kingstree AP, Beaufort Marine Corps Air Station, Columbia Metro AP, Johnston and Witherbee on May 5. The lowest official temperature reported was 54 degrees at Hunts Bridge on May 5. The heaviest official 24-hour rainfall reported was 1.09 inches at McClellanville ending at 7:00 a.m. on May 6. The State average rainfall for the period was 0.2 inches. SOIL: 4-inch depth soil temperature: Columbia 76 degrees, Charleston 80 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 72 degrees. Precipitation --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Location : Total : Total : Deviation : for Week : for 2012 : from Average --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Greer AP : 0.00 11.56 -4.8 Anderson AP : 0.00 10.95 -4.9 Columbia Metro AP : 0.24 8.95 -5.2 Orangeburg AP : 0.04 9.00 -5.9 Charlotte, NC AP : 0.00 9.14 -5.2 Augusta, GA Bush AP : 0.00 6.25 -9.1 Florence AP : 0.00 10.95 -1.7 N Myrtle Beach AP : 0.46 8.92 -5.7 Charleston AP : 0.14 9.88 -4.0 Savannah, GA AP : 0.00 9.13 -4.7 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Weekly rainfall totals this period ending midnight Sunday.