sc-crop-weather South Carolina Weekly Weather and Crop Progress Report Released: May 14, 2012 Week Ending Date: May 13, 2012 Issue: SC-CW002012 GENERAL Much needed rainfall arrived the week ending May 13, 2012. The State average rainfall for the period was 1.5 inches, supplying sorely needed precipitation to field crops and pastures. Soil moisture conditions improved considerably to 9% very short, 33% short, 57% adequate and 1% surplus. Temperatures were warm toward the beginning of the week but cooled later in the week due to the rainfall. The State average temperature for the period was one degree above normal. There were isolated thunderstorms and heavy rain showers in some areas which provided 5.9 days suitable for fieldwork. FIELD CROPS CORN planting was complete and 96% of the crop had emerged by the weekend. Conditions were favorable at 1% very poor, 3% poor, 39% fair, 54% good and 3% excellent. COTTON planting was 46% complete by the end of the week, two points ahead of this time last year. Forty percent of PEANUTS were planted, remaining well ahead of both last year and historical averages. SOYBEANS were 38% planted and 20% emerged by Sunday. OATS and WINTER WHEAT were 80% colored and 40% ripe. TOBACCO conditions improved to 1% poor, 41% fair, 52% good and 6% excellent. Eighty percent of HAY had been harvested. OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST TOMATO conditions declined slightly to 51% fair, 48% good and 1% excellent. Ninety-eight percent of SNAPBEANS and 95% of CUCUMBERS were planted by the end of the week. CANTALOUP planting was 98% complete by Sunday, two points ahead of last year. WATERMELON planting was also 98% complete. PEACH harvest was underway with 3% harvested by Sunday. Conditions were 1% poor, 59% fair, 36% good and 4% excellent. PASTURE conditions improved to 1% very poor, 10% poor, 49% fair and 40% good. LIVESTOCK conditions also improved to 1% very poor, 3% poor, 32% fair, 62% good and 2% excellent. Crop Progress for Week Ending May 13, 2012 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop and Stage : 2012 : 2011 :5-Yr Avg :: Crop and Stage : 2012 : 2011 :5-Yr Avg ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent :: : Percent : :: : Cantaloup, Planted : 98 96 93 :: Peaches, Harvested : 3 0 0 Corn, Planted : 100 100 100 :: Peanuts, Planted : 40 27 28 Corn, Emerged : 96 97 95 :: Snapbeans, Fresh, Planted : 98 92 96 Cotton, Planted : 46 44 41 :: Soybeans, Planted : 38 29 21 Cucumbers, Fresh, Planted : 95 96 94 :: Soybeans, Emerged : 20 10 9 Hay, Grain Hay, Harvested : 80 68 66 :: Watermelons, Planted : 98 98 96 Oats, Turned Color : 80 59 51 :: Winter Wheat, Turning Color : 80 50 39 Oats, Ripe : 40 0 0 :: Winter Wheat, Ripe : 40 0 0 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Condition for Week Ending May 13, 2012 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop :Very Poor: Poor : Fair : Good : Excellent :: Crop :Very Poor: Poor : Fair : Good : Excellent --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent :: : Percent : :: : Cantaloup : 0 1 57 42 0 :: Peaches : 0 1 59 36 4 Corn : 1 3 39 54 3 :: Snapbeans : 0 0 69 21 10 Cucumbers : 0 0 68 31 1 :: Tobacco : 0 1 41 52 6 Livestock : 1 3 32 62 2 :: Tomatoes : 0 0 51 48 1 Oats : 0 1 33 61 5 :: Watermelons : 0 1 51 38 10 Pasture : 1 10 49 40 0 :: Winter Wheat : 0 3 36 57 4 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- South Carolina Weekly Weather Summary for the Week Ending May 13, 2012 Clinton and Columbia reached a Monday afternoon high temperature of 85 degrees. Thunderstorms over southern Jasper County soaked Hardeeville with 1.58 inches of rain. The Hartsville AP warmed to 86 degrees on Tuesday while better coverage of thundershowers developed over the western and Upstate counties. Late night convection above the town of Lyman left 4.81 inches of rain in a CoCoRahs volunteer gage. The same complex of storms filled the gage at Chester with 2.47 inches and 1.89 inches at Gaston Shoals. Thunderstorm cloud tops soared to fifty thousand feet at the noon hour on Wednesday, and moved east. An intense rainfall at the USC Campus produced 0.46 inches in just fifteen minutes. Edgefield measured their heaviest 24-hour rain (2.06 inches) since March 27, 2011. Also on Wednesday, Marion welcomed a rainfall of 2.02 inches. Sunny, cooler weather was observed on Thursday. Cedar Creek reported a sunrise temperature of 48 degrees and most of the State reported afternoon temperatures in the middle to upper 70's. Temperatures eased into the lower 80's on Friday with Barnwell and Pinopolis recording 82 degrees. A partly sunny Saturday helped Florence and Orangeburg reach 81 degrees. Periods of moderate rain to heavy rain were observed on Sunday. Although parts of the State began Sunday with mild conditions, rain cooled air and east winds forced afternoon temperature values to settle in the 60's. For much of Sunday night, areas of heavy rain formed over the South Carolina Mountains and Foothills. The State average temperature for the seven-day period was one degree above normal. The highest official temperature reported was 88 degrees at Kingstree AP on May 8 and at Givhans on May 12. The lowest official temperature reported was 43 degrees at Long Creek on May 10. The heaviest official 24- hour rainfall reported was 2.55 inches at the Beaufort Marine Corps Air Station ending at 7:00 a.m. on May 10. The State average rainfall for the period was 1.5 inches. SOIL: 4-inch depth soil temperature: Columbia 72 degrees, Charleston 75 degrees. RIVERS AND SURF: South Carolina river stages were near to below normal. Ocean water temperatures at nearby Johnny Mercer Pier in Wrightsville Beach, NC, were reported at 73 degrees. Precipitation --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Location : Total : Total : Deviation : for Week : for 2012 : from Average --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Greer AP : 1.15 12.71 -4.5 Anderson AP : 1.34 12.24 -4.3 Columbia Metro AP : 1.12 10.07 -4.7 Orangeburg AP : 2.10 11.10 -4.4 Charlotte, NC AP : 3.10 12.24 -2.8 Augusta, GA Bush AP : 0.96 7.21 -8.6 Florence AP : 1.29 11.51 -1.8 N Myrtle Beach AP : 0.63 9.55 -5.8 Charleston AP : 0.97 10.85 -3.6 Savannah, GA AP : 2.50 11.63 -2.7 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Weekly rainfall totals this period ending midnight Sunday.