sc-crop-weather South Carolina Weekly Weather and Crop Progress Report Released: July 30, 2012 Week Ending Date: July 29, 2012 Issue: SC-CW003112 GENERAL Triple digit temperatures and summer thunderstorms were present during the week ending July 29, 2012. The week began with temperatures reaching the high nineties but gave way to mercury levels over 100 degrees by Wednesday. Isolated thunderstorms were present providing inches of rain in some areas with little to no rain in others. The coastal areas of the State benefited most with many counties receiving multiple inches of rainfall. The State average rainfall for the period was 0.8 inches. However, soil moisture conditions dropped to 13% very short, 43% short and 44% adequate. The State average temperature for the week was five degrees above normal with 6.5 days suitable for fieldwork. FIELD CROPS CORN was 97% doughed by Sunday. Sixty-three percent of the crop had reached maturation, well above historical averages. Conditions dropped slightly to 1% very poor, 7% poor, 37% fair, 45% good and 10% excellent. COTTON was 93% squared with 50% setting bolls. Conditions were 1% very poor, 3% poor, 34% fair, 55% good and 7% excellent. PEANUTS were 90% pegged, one point ahead of the five year average. Conditions were 1% very poor, 3% poor, 31% fair, 59% good and 6% excellent. Forty percent of SOYBEANS had bloomed, falling to seven points behind the five year average. Fourteen percent of the crop had set pods, five points ahead of last year. Conditions declined slightly to 1% very poor, 11% poor, 39% fair, 46% good and 3% excellent. TOBACCO was 98% topped, on pace with the five year average. Forty-five percent of the crop had been harvested. Conditions fell to 5% poor, 43% fair, 45% good and 7% excellent. Eighty-five percent of HAY had been harvested. OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST Ninety-eight percent of TOMATOES had been harvested, on pace with historical averages. WATERMELON and CANTALOUP harvest was wrapping up with 92% and 94% harvested, respectively. All CUCUMBERS had been harvested. The SNAPBEAN harvest was 97% complete, one point behind last year. PEACH harvest continued with 91% complete by the end of the week, still well ahead of historical figures. PASTURE conditions were 3% very poor, 13% poor, 45% fair, 38% good and 1% excellent. LIVESTOCK conditions improved to 3% poor, 31% fair, 65% good and 1% excellent. Crop Progress for Week Ending July 29, 2012 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop and Stage : 2012 : 2011 :5-Yr Avg :: Crop and Stage : 2012 : 2011 :5-Yr Avg ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent :: : Percent : :: : Cantaloup, Harvested : 94 92 91 :: Peanuts, Pegged : 90 83 89 Corn, Doughed : 97 96 88 :: Snapbeans, Fresh, Harvested : 97 98 99 Corn, Matured : 63 48 30 :: Soybeans, Bloomed : 40 55 47 Cotton, Squared : 93 88 91 :: Soybeans, Pods Set : 14 9 14 Cotton, Bolls Set : 50 54 44 :: Tobacco, Topped : 98 100 98 Cucumbers, Fresh, Harvested : 100 100 100 :: Tobacco, Harvested : 45 46 40 Hay, Other Hay, Harvested : 85 91 85 :: Tomatoes, Fresh, Harvested : 98 98 98 Peaches, Harvested : 91 80 70 :: Watermelons, Harvested : 92 94 91 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Condition for Week Ending July 29, 2012 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop :Very Poor: Poor : Fair : Good : Excellent :: Crop :Very Poor: Poor : Fair : Good : Excellent --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent :: : Percent : :: : Corn : 1 7 37 45 10 :: Peanuts : 1 3 31 59 6 Cotton : 1 3 34 55 7 :: Soybeans : 1 11 39 46 3 Livestock : 0 3 31 65 1 :: Tobacco : 0 5 43 45 7 Pasture : 3 13 45 38 1 :: : --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- South Carolina Weekly Weather Summary for the Week Ending July 29, 2012 Kings Mountain National Military Park near Blacksburg, reported 95 degrees on Monday. Only a handful of cooling afternoon thundershowers offset the all-day heat. On Tuesday, the mercury climbed to 96 degrees at Springmaid Pier, making it their hottest day of the season. Late evening thunderstorms on Folly Island caused winds to gust at 45 mph. Walterboro reported a 24-hour rainfall of 1.40 inches. Sunny, calm conditions sent the temperature on Wednesday to 101 degrees at Hardeeville. More triple-digit heat was observed on Thursday. Aiken and Florence noted afternoon high temperatures of 101 degrees. At 8:00 p.m., the Columbia Metro AP was still sweltering at a humid 96 degrees. The overnight hours only brought temporary relief from the heat. Both the Florence Regional AP and N Myrtle Beach AP never cooled below 80 degrees before sunrise on Friday. At 9:00 a.m., the Springmaid surf water temperature matched their air temperature at 84.4 degrees. The Sandhill Experiment Station measured a 24-hour open pan water loss of 0.48 inches. The Beaufort Marine Corps Air Station reached 100 degrees for the first time this year. Instruments atop the Lake Wateree Dam measured a wind gust of 49 mph at 5:10 p.m., and the Charleston AP recorded thunderstorm winds gusting to 50 mph at 7:32 p.m. Afternoon thunderstorms developed through the weekend but with little steering, limited the coverage to widely scattered rains. Lugoff measured an even one-inch of rain on Friday and 1.75 inches on Saturday. Dillon reached 101 degrees on Saturday afternoon. Sunday's storms got an early start along the coastal counties before forming inland and over the Midlands. Cades measured a rainfall total of 2.51 inches. Orangeburg's Sunday high temperature of 93 degrees occurred just before heavy rains of 1.84 inches fell. Two persons, one in Myrtle Beach and one in Mt. Pleasant, were struck by lightning over the weekend and sent to local hospitals. The State average temperature for the seven-day period was five degrees above normal. The highest official temperature reported was 103 degrees at Barnwell on July 26. The lowest official temperature reported was 64 degrees at Caesars Head on July 28 and at Long Creek on July 29. The heaviest official 24-hour rainfall reported was 2.50 inches at Conway ending at 7:00 a.m. on July 29. The State average rainfall for the period was 0.8 inches. SOIL: 4-inch depth soil temperature: Columbia 83 degrees, Charleston 86 degrees. RIVERS AND SURF: South Carolina river stages were near to below normal. Ocean water temperatures at Springmaid Pier Myrtle Beach were reported at 83 degrees. Precipitation --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Location : Total : Total : Deviation : for Week : for 2012 : from Average --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Greer AP : 0.00 19.45 -8.2 Anderson AP : 0.26 21.32 -4.2 Columbia Metro AP : 0.24 24.29 -2.0 Orangeburg AP : 2.45 27.04 -0.7 Charlotte, NC AP : 0.08 20.04 -4.1 Augusta, GA Bush AP : 0.03 14.52 -11.7 Florence AP : 0.36 25.72 0.9 N Myrtle Beach AP : 2.95 19.76 -7.8 Charleston AP : 2.48 25.82 -2.3 Savannah, GA AP : 1.00 24.39 -3.0 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Weekly rainfall totals this period ending midnight Sunday.