sc-crop-weather South Carolina Weekly Weather and Crop Progress Report Released: July 23, 2012 Week Ending Date: July 22, 2012 Issue: SC-CW003012 GENERAL Mostly sunny days allowed for an average of 6.2 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending July 22, 2012. The heavy storms that were present the week before were absent and dry heat was abundant during the beginning of the week. Scattered thunderstorms did provide some areas with multiple inches of rain. However, many areas missed the storms altogether and continued to dry out due to the drought conditions that were present across the State. Soil moisture conditions fell to 7% very short, 38% short, 54% adequate and 1% surplus. The State average rainfall for the period was 0.7 inches. The State average temperature for the period was two degrees above normal with higher mercury readings present towards the end of the week. FIELD CROPS CORN was 95% doughed by Sunday. Forty-six percent of the crop had reached maturation, fifteen points ahead of last year. Conditions improved slightly to 6% poor, 36% fair, 50% good and 8% excellent. COTTON was 85% squared with 35% setting bolls. Conditions were 1% very poor, 3% poor, 35% fair, 55% good and 6% excellent. PEANUTS were 83% pegged, four points ahead of the five year average. Conditions were 1% very poor, 3% poor, 30% fair, 60% good and 6% excellent. Twenty-eight percent of SOYBEANS had bloomed, one point behind the five year average. Ten percent of the crop had begun to set pods. Conditions declined slightly to 1% very poor, 10% poor, 39% fair, 48% good and 2% excellent. TOBACCO was 94% topped, one point behind the five year average. Thirty-two percent of the crop had been harvested. Conditions improved to 1% very poor, 3% poor, 34% fair, 57% good and 5% excellent. Seventy-two percent of HAY had been harvested, four points behind the five year average. OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST Ninety-five percent of TOMATOES had been harvested, 1 point ahead of last year and on pace with the five year average. WATERMELON and CANTALOUP harvest continued with 83% and 80% harvested, respectively. Ninety-seven percent of CUCUMBERS had been harvested. The SNAPBEAN harvest was 90% complete, four points behind last year. PEACH harvest continued with 85% complete by the end of the week, remaining well ahead of historical figures. PASTURE conditions were 1% very poor, 13% poor, 46% fair, 39% good and 1% excellent. LIVESTOCK conditions improved to 3% poor, 37% fair, 59% good and 1% excellent. Crop Progress for Week Ending July 22, 2012 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop and Stage : 2012 : 2011 :5-Yr Avg :: Crop and Stage : 2012 : 2011 :5-Yr Avg ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent :: : Percent : :: : Cantaloup, Harvested : 80 88 86 :: Peanuts, Pegged : 83 69 79 Corn, Doughed : 95 87 79 :: Snapbeans, Fresh, Harvested : 90 94 97 Corn, Matured : 46 31 16 :: Soybeans, Bloomed : 28 37 29 Cotton, Squared : 85 80 84 :: Soybeans, Pods Set : 10 0 0 Cotton, Bolls Set : 35 42 30 :: Tobacco, Topped : 94 100 95 Cucumbers, Fresh, Harvested : 97 100 100 :: Tobacco, Harvested : 32 33 28 Hay, Other Hay, Harvested : 72 86 76 :: Tomatoes, Fresh, Harvested : 95 94 95 Peaches, Harvested : 85 72 63 :: Watermelons, Harvested : 83 91 87 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Condition for Week Ending July 22, 2012 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop :Very Poor: Poor : Fair : Good : Excellent :: Crop :Very Poor: Poor : Fair : Good : Excellent --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent :: : Percent : :: : Corn : 0 6 36 50 8 :: Peanuts : 1 3 30 60 6 Cotton : 1 3 35 55 6 :: Soybeans : 1 10 39 48 2 Livestock : 0 3 37 59 1 :: Tobacco : 1 3 34 57 5 Pasture : 1 13 46 39 1 :: : --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- South Carolina Weekly Weather Summary for the Week Ending July 22, 2012 A weak boundary of cooler air caused thunderstorms on Monday and left Hartsville with 2.15 inches of rain. On Tuesday morning, the Upstate sites of Caesars Head, Longcreek and Ninety-nine Islands cooled to 66 degrees. Cedar Creek, Pelion and McCormick reported 68 degrees. At 3:30 p.m., the Springmaid Pier at Myrtle Beach recorded their highest surf water temperature of the season at 87.3 degrees. Tuesday's thunderstorms left 0.86 inches of rain at Summerville and 0.63 inches at Walterboro. Wednesday's moist, southeasterly surface winds pushed the temperature to a humid 93 degrees at Rock Hill, Florence, Shaw AFB and Pinopolis. Scattered thunderstorms formed along the upper Savannah River during the afternoon hours and drifted off to the east. Sandy Springs received one of the heavier totals with 2.17 inches. The Neal Shoals Dam, located on the Broad River, measured a 24-hour rainfall of 1.75 inches. A sunny Sandhill, Saluda and Dillon reported a Thursday high temperature of 95 degrees. Winds shifted on Friday to a southwest direction and increased in speed. At 3:53 p.m., the N Myrtle Beach AP reported southwest winds of 25 mph gusting to 35 mph. A cluster of storm cells formed over the north Midlands. Cheraw was underneath a heavy rainfall that left 2.15 inches. Lugoff reported a third consecutive day of stormy weather on Saturday, giving them a multi-day total rainfall amount of 3.97 inches. Summertime heat was observed on Sunday. Newberry, Lake City, the Conway AP and Beaufort all reached 95 degrees. The State average temperature for the seven-day period was two degrees above normal. The highest official temperature reported was 99 degrees at Dillon on July 22. The lowest official temperature reported was 64 degrees at Caesars Head on July 19. The heaviest official 24-hour rainfall reported was 3.54 inches at Chesterfield USGS ending at 7:00 a.m. on July 21. The State average rainfall for the period was 0.7 inches. SOIL: 4-inch depth soil temperature: Columbia 82 degrees, Charleston 85 degrees. RIVERS AND SURF: South Carolina river stages were near to below normal. Ocean water temperatures at Springmaid Pier Myrtle Beach were reported at 84 degrees. Precipitation --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Location : Total : Total : Deviation : for Week : for 2012 : from Average --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Greer AP : 0.78 19.45 -7.1 Anderson AP : 1.33 21.06 -3.7 Columbia Metro AP : 0.43 24.05 -0.9 Orangeburg AP : 0.03 24.59 -2.1 Charlotte, NC AP : 1.32 19.96 -3.2 Augusta, GA Bush AP : 0.46 14.49 -10.8 Florence AP : 0.16 25.36 1.8 N Myrtle Beach AP : 0.00 16.81 -9.4 Charleston AP : 0.62 23.34 -3.3 Savannah, GA AP : 0.99 23.39 -2.6 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Weekly rainfall totals this period ending midnight Sunday.