sc-crop-weather South Carolina Weekly Weather and Crop Progress Report Released: August 20, 2012 Week Ending Date: August 19, 2012 Issue: SC-CW003412 GENERAL All of the State received additional rainfall this past week improving soil moisture, and crop conditions. Precipitation also helped continue to increase cotton, peanut, and soybean yield potential. South Carolina soil moisture conditions were 1% very short, 15% short, 78% adequate, and 6% surplus. There was a State average of 5.7 days that were suitable for fieldwork. FIELD CROPS CORN maturation was 97% complete by the end of the week, four points ahead of where we were last year, and eight points ahead of the five-year average. Harvest was progressing well at 40% complete. Most growers have been very satisfied with their yields. Conditions improved ever so slightly to 6% poor, 33% fair, 50% good, and 11% excellent. COTTON was 100% squared with 85% of the crop setting bolls, and 4% of bolls open. Conditions were 1% poor, 28% fair, 63% good, and 8% excellent. PEANUTS were 98% pegged, with conditions improving to 1% poor, 20% fair, 68% good and 11% excellent. Seventy-five percent of SOYBEANS had bloomed, remaining 15 points behind the five year average. Thirty-eight percent of the crop had set pods, 17 points behind the five year mark. Conditions had also improved, and were at 1% very poor, 5% poor, 28% fair, 62% good, and 4% excellent. TOBACCO harvest was 73% complete by Sunday with 31% of stalks destroyed. Ninety-seven percent of HAY had been harvested. OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST CANTALOUP harvest was complete for this season with WATERMELON harvest expected to be finished by this week. PEACH harvest was 98% complete by the end of the week, nine points ahead of last year, and 12 points ahead of the five year average. PASTURE conditions improved significantly to 5% poor, 28% fair, 63% good, and 4% excellent. LIVESTOCK conditions also improved to 2% poor, 23% fair, 70% good, and 5% excellent. Crop Progress for Week Ending August 19, 2012 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop and Stage : 2012 : 2011 :5-Yr Avg :: Crop and Stage : 2012 : 2011 :5-Yr Avg ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent :: : Percent : :: : Cantaloup, Harvested : 100 98 98 :: Peaches, Harvested : 98 89 86 Corn, Matured : 97 93 89 :: Peanuts, Pegged : 98 97 99 Corn, Harvested : 40 37 22 :: Soybeans, Bloomed : 75 91 90 Cotton, Squared : 100 99 99 :: Soybeans, Pods Set : 38 47 55 Cotton, Bolls Set : 85 84 84 :: Tobacco, Harvested : 73 78 70 Cotton, Bolls Opened : 4 11 5 :: Tobacco, Stalks Destroyed : 31 32 23 Hay, Other Hay, Harvested : 97 99 96 :: Watermelons, Harvested : 99 99 97 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Condition for Week Ending August 19, 2012 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop :Very Poor: Poor : Fair : Good : Excellent :: Crop :Very Poor: Poor : Fair : Good : Excellent --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent :: : Percent : :: : Corn : 0 6 33 50 11 :: Pasture : 0 5 28 63 4 Cotton : 0 1 28 63 8 :: Peanuts : 0 1 20 68 11 Livestock : 0 2 23 70 5 :: Soybeans : 1 5 28 62 4 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- South Carolina Weekly Weather Summary for the Week Ending August 19, 2012 Cooler mornings were observed early in the week. On Monday morning, Clarks Hill, Calhoun Falls and Chester reported 62 degrees. Except for an isolated shower crossing parts of Horry County, the state was rain free. During the mid-morning hours of Tuesday, rains moved eastward over the west central counties. Aiken measured a 24-hour total of 0.70 inches. The Georgetown AP, Beaufort Marine Corps Air Station and Pinopolis recorded 94 degrees for their Tuesday high temperature. Partly sunny skies on Wednesday kept afternoon high temperatures in the upper 80's for most of the state. A sunny Conway made it to 93 degrees. More cool mornings began on Thursday. Kings Mountain and Long Creek cooled to 60 degrees. The Marlboro County Jetport near Bennettsville reported a late September-like 61 degrees. The afternoon hours of peak heating sent the mercury to 93 degrees at Columbia Hamilton-Owens AP and Edisto Beach. A remote thunderstorm over Hardeeville left 2.17 inches of rain. Ninety Nine Islands, Chesnee and Dillon noted an unseasonable cool start to Friday with 60 degrees. While the Kingstree AP was heating to 95 degrees on Friday afternoon, thunderstorms were forming over the central counties. Longtown received one of the heavier totals with 2.80 inches of rain. Lake Wateree reported 1.90 inches and 1.65 inches fell at Allendale. Thundershowers on Saturday produced a heavy rain at Chesterfield with 2.50 inches. Sullivan's Island was the state's hot spot on Saturday at 94 degrees. Cloudy, rainy weather affected much of South Carolina on Sunday. Chesterfield received another 2.14 inches. Cheraw measured 2.06 inches and nearby Pageland measured 1.94 inches. Both Marion and the Shaw AFB in Sumter noted a Sunday high temperature of just 82 degrees. The state average temperature for the seven-day period was one degree below normal. The highest official temperature reported was 96 degrees at Givhans on August 17. The lowest official temperature reported was 57 degrees at Chesnee on August 18. The heaviest official 24-hour rainfall reported was 3.05 inches at Sardis ending at 7:00 a.m. on August 18. The state average rainfall for the period was 1.2 inches. SOIL: 4-inch depth soil temperature: Columbia 80 degrees, Charleston 83 degrees. RIVERS AND SURF: South Carolina river stages were near normal. Ocean water temperatures at Springmaid Pier Myrtle Beach were reported at 82 degrees. Precipitation --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Location : Total : Total : Deviation : for Week : for 2012 : from Average --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Greer AP : 0.52 26.40 -4.5 Anderson AP : 1.78 28.74 0.7 Columbia Metro AP : 0.95 31.51 1.5 Orangeburg AP : 0.80 30.45 -1.0 Charlotte, NC AP : 0.77 23.14 -3.9 Augusta, GA Bush AP : 1.27 23.05 -6.2 Florence AP : 0.68 29.14 0.6 N Myrtle Beach AP : 1.93 26.22 -5.9 Charleston AP : 1.45 31.19 -1.5 Savannah, GA AP : 1.40 30.95 -0.9 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Weekly rainfall totals this period ending midnight Sunday.