sc-crop-weather South Carolina Weekly Weather and Crop Progress Report Released: June 18, 2012 Week Ending Date: June 17, 2012 Issue: SC-CW002512 GENERAL Wet weather and cooler temperatures continued during the week ending June 17, 2012. Multiple inches of rain held up field work in many parts of the State at the beginning of the week. Strong storms gave way to cooler temperatures for the weekend. Columbia averaged the coolest first two weeks in June in the past twenty years. Field crops and small grains continued to be in mostly good condition due to the cooler weather and increased rainfall. Soil moisture conditions remained consistent at 2% very short, 15% short, 76% adequate and 7% surplus. The State average rainfall for the period was 1.3 inches. The State average temperature for the period was three degrees below normal with 5.3 days suitable for fieldwork. FIELD CROPS Eighty percent of CORN had silked and the 20% of the crop had doughed by the end of the week, remaining well ahead of historical figures. Conditions improved to 2% poor, 22% fair, 59% good and 17% excellent. COTTON planting was wrapping up with 98% completed by the end of the week, one point behind the five-year average. Seventeen percent of the crop had squared. Ninety-nine percent of PEANUTS were planted with 4% pegged. Conditions were 1% poor, 20% fair, 73% good and 6% excellent. SOYBEANS were 84% planted and 66% emerged by the end of the week. Conditions were mostly fair to good. OATS and WINTER WHEAT were 100% ripe. Ninety percent of oats and 82% of winter wheat were harvested. TOBACCO growers continued fieldwork with 35% of tobacco topped. Conditions improved to 1% poor, 18% fair, 75% good and 6% excellent. Ninety- nine percent of HAY had been harvested, on pace with the five year average. OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST PEACH harvest continued ahead of schedule with 40% harvested by the end of the week. Conditions improved to 1% poor, 29% fair, 65% good and 5% excellent. PASTURE conditions improved to 5% poor, 30% fair, 62% good and 3% excellent. LIVESTOCK conditions improved to 1% poor, 19% fair, 79% good and 1% excellent. Forty-five percent of TOMATOES had been harvested, 11 points ahead of last year. WATERMELON and CANTALOUP harvest continued with 23% and 22% harvested respectively. Sixty-seven percent of CUCUMBERS had been harvested, five points ahead of last year. The SNAPBEAN harvest was 45% complete. Crop Progress for Week Ending June 17, 2012 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop and Stage : 2012 : 2011 :5-Yr Avg :: Crop and Stage : 2012 : 2011 :5-Yr Avg ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent :: : Percent : :: : Cantaloup, Harvested : 22 28 16 :: Peanuts, Planted : 99 99 99 Corn, Silked : 80 66 57 :: Peanuts, Pegged : 4 2 6 Corn, Doughed : 20 9 7 :: Snapbeans, Fresh, Harvested : 45 44 47 Cotton, Planted : 98 97 99 :: Soybeans, Planted : 84 84 80 Cotton, Squared : 17 8 11 :: Soybeans, Emerged : 66 70 65 Cucumbers, Fresh, Harvested : 67 62 62 :: Tobacco, Topped : 35 28 20 Hay, Grain Hay, Harvested : 99 99 99 :: Tomatoes, Fresh, Harvested : 45 34 27 Oats, Ripe : 100 100 98 :: Watermelons, Harvested : 23 24 13 Oats, Harvested : 90 81 75 :: Winter Wheat, Ripe : 100 100 99 Peaches, Harvested : 40 34 21 :: Winter Wheat, Harvested : 82 73 63 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Condition for Week Ending June 17, 2012 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop :Very Poor: Poor : Fair : Good : Excellent :: Crop :Very Poor: Poor : Fair : Good : Excellent --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent :: : Percent : :: : Cantaloup : 0 1 27 71 1 :: Peanuts : 0 1 20 73 6 Corn : 0 2 22 59 17 :: Snapbeans : 0 0 35 52 13 Cotton : 0 2 19 69 10 :: Soybeans : 0 2 13 80 5 Livestock : 0 1 19 79 1 :: Tobacco : 0 1 18 75 6 Pasture : 0 5 30 62 3 :: Tomatoes : 0 0 17 78 5 Peaches : 0 1 29 65 5 :: Watermelons : 0 2 34 47 17 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- South Carolina Weekly Weather Summary for the Week Ending June 17, 2012 Tropical-sourced rains fell over much of the State on Monday. The Lake Greenwood observer measured 3.40 inches. At 5:21 p.m., an EF1 rated tornado touched down seven miles south of Ridgeland with a four mile path that felled hundreds of trees. On Tuesday morning, the rain gage at Summerville held 2.70 inches. Hunts Bridge reported a 24-hour rainfall of 2.47 inches and the McEntire ANG AP reported 2.28 inches. Both Walterboro and Columbia noted "heavy rain" at 10:00 a.m. Where there was a high overhead amount of sun, the mercury reached 88 degrees at the Greenville-Spartanburg AP, Saluda and Hardeeville. Thundershowers at Mullins left 2.31 inches of rain and 2.13 inches at the Charleston AP. Barnwell and Bamberg warmed to 91 on Wednesday afternoon. Thundershowers at Clemson brought a rainfall amount of 2.12 inches, and 1.40 inches fell at Conway. At 8:20 p.m., instruments at the Lake Thurmond Dam measured a storm gust of 46 mph. Slow-clearing began from the west on Thursday as cool, dry air entered the State. On Friday afternoon, Florence recorded a high temperature of just 83 degrees. Temperatures on Saturday morning dropped as low as 56 degrees at Chesnee and 63 degrees at Walterboro. Sunday started more like an early fall day with 55 degrees at Rock Hill, Johnston, Dillon and Conway. At 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, the Shaw Air Force Base in Sumter reported partly sunny skies, 82 degrees and a relative humidity value of 35 percent. During the first two weeks of June, Givhans Ferry measured 10.85 inches of rain. Columbia reported the coolest first two weeks of June in twenty years. Corn fields across the south Midlands were described as looking so good as to be "fake." The State average temperature for the seven-day period was three degrees below normal. The highest official temperature reported was 92 degrees at Clarks Hill on June 12. The lowest official temperature reported was 53 degrees at Cedar Creek on June 17. The heaviest official 24-hour rainfall reported was 3.90 inches at Givhans ending at 7:00 a.m. on June 12. The State average rainfall for the period was 1.3 inches. SOIL: 4-inch depth soil temperature: Columbia 77 degrees, Charleston 81 degrees. RIVERS AND SURF: South Carolina river stages were near normal. Ocean water temperatures at Springmaid Pier Myrtle Beach were reported at 78 degrees. Precipitation --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Location : Total : Total : Deviation : for Week : for 2012 : from Average --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Greer AP : 0.32 16.04 -5.5 Anderson AP : 0.55 15.68 -4.8 Columbia Metro AP : 1.35 17.60 -1.5 Orangeburg AP : 0.57 18.69 -1.8 Charlotte, NC AP : 0.29 16.00 -3.2 Augusta, GA Bush AP : 0.63 13.29 -6.9 Florence AP : 1.14 20.14 2.1 N Myrtle Beach AP : 1.76 14.36 -5.6 Charleston AP : 4.75 20.35 1.1 Savannah, GA AP : 1.21 19.55 0.0 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Weekly rainfall totals this period ending midnight Sunday.