sc-crop-weather South Carolina Weekly Weather and Crop Progress Report Released: November 26, 2012 Week Ending Date: November 25, 2012 Issue: SC-CW004812 This is the final South Carolina Weekly Weather and Crop Progress Report for 2012. The USDA-NASS South Carolina Field Office would like to thank all of those with the Clemson Cooperative Extension Service, South Carolina DNR State Climatology Office, and USDA Farm Service Agency who were responsible for contributing towards the completion of the report each week. GENERAL Any significant amount of rain was not to be seen anywhere in South Carolina during the week. There was a lot of field activity with harvesting and small grain plantings. Soil moisture declined from last week and was rated at 16% very short, 40% short, and 44% adequate. There was an average of 6.4 days across the State that suitable for fieldwork. FIELD CROPS COTTON harvest slowed due to precipitation from the previous week, but was moving at a fast pace after Thanksgiving. There were some reports of cotton falling out of bolls resulting in yield loss. Eighty percent of the crop had been harvested compared with 87% last year, and 89% for the five-year average. OAT planting was 76% complete, compared to 85% last year, and the five-year average of 78%. The crop remained in mostly fair condition. PEANUT digging was nearly finished, and was 99% complete compared to 96% last year, and 99% for the five-year average. The SOYBEAN crop has dropped leaves with 99% percent of the crop having matured. Harvest was 75% complete, well ahead of the 54% last year, and the 60% five-year average. WINTER GRAZINGS plantings were 88% complete with 74% having emerged. Conditions were nearly the same at 16% very poor, 8% poor, 56% fair, and 20% good. WINTER WHEAT seeding was heavy during the week, and was 69% complete, and 30% emerged. Conditions were 7% poor, 66% fair, and 27% good. OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST PASTURE conditions were little changed at 3% very poor, 11% poor, 40% fair, 46% good. LIVESTOCK conditions declined somewhat to 1% very poor, 2% poor, 30% fair, and 67% good. Crop Progress for Week Ending November 25, 2012 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop and Stage : 2012 : 2011 :5-Yr Avg :: Crop and Stage : 2012 : 2011 :5-Yr Avg ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent :: : Percent : :: : Cotton, Harvested : 80 87 89 :: Soybeans, Harvested : 75 54 60 Oats, Planted : 76 85 78 :: Winter Grazings, Planted : 88 93 91 Oats, Emerged : 47 69 60 :: Winter Grazings, Emerged : 74 85 80 Peanuts, Harvested : 99 96 99 :: Winter Wheat, Planted : 69 75 58 Soybeans, Leaves Dropped : 100 98 99 :: Winter Wheat, Emerged : 30 52 34 Soybeans, Mature : 99 95 96 :: : ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Condition for Week Ending November 25, 2012 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Crop :Very Poor: Poor : Fair : Good : Excellent :: Crop :Very Poor: Poor : Fair : Good : Excellent --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : Percent :: : Percent : :: : Livestock : 1 2 30 67 0 :: Winter Grazings : 16 8 56 20 0 Oats : 0 3 73 24 0 :: Winter Wheat : 0 7 66 27 0 Pasture : 3 11 40 46 0 :: : --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- South Carolina Weekly Weather Summary for the Week Ending November 25, 2012 Mostly sunny, dry weather returned on Monday. Despite brisk surface winds from the northeast, Orangeburg, Shaw AFB and Little Mountain all reached 67 degrees. High pressure moved into the state on Tuesday. Allendale reported an afternoon high temperature of 70 degrees. Wednesday's sunny weather let Sandy Springs and Edisto Beach share a high temperature of 69 degrees. Thanksgiving Thursday started with a few reports of frost across central South Carolina. Clear conditions were observed from the mountains to the coast. The Rock Hill AP, Marlboro County AP, Kingstree AP and Walterboro recorded a holiday maximum temperature of 64 degrees. The Charleston airport's 32-degree Friday morning low temperature was that location's first freeze of the season. A sunrise to sunset sunny day allowed Johnston and the Beaufort Marine Corps Air Station to warm up to a Friday afternoon temperature of 72 degrees. Much colder air arrived on Saturday. Newberry and N Myrtle Beach recorded a high temperature of just 58 degrees. On Sunday morning, the temperature fell to its lowest of the season. A hard freeze was observed from the southern Piedmont through the Midlands and into the Pee Dee. Pelion reported 21 degrees. The thermometers at Saluda, Lugoff, Bishopville and Hartsville indicated a low value of 23 degrees. Summerville's Sunday morning temperature of 31 degrees doubled in warmth to an afternoon high of 62 degrees. The state average temperature for the period was two degrees below normal. The highest official temperature reported was 73 degrees at Barnwell on November 23. The lowest official temperature reported was 19 degrees at Ninety Nine Islands on November 25. The heaviest official 24-hour rainfall reported was 0.02 inches at Little Mountain and Johnston ending at 7:00 a.m. on November 20. The state average rainfall for the period was 0.0 inches. SOIL: 4-inch depth soil temperature: Columbia 57 degrees, Charleston 57 degrees. RIVERS AND SURF: South Carolina river stages were below normal. Ocean water temperatures at Springmaid Pier Myrtle Beach were reported at 55 degrees. To access the SC State Climatology Office Weekly Weather summary from Dec- Mar: Go to http://www.dnr.sc.gov/climate/sco/ and under "Quick Links" (upper right) select 'Weekly and Annual Weather Report' Precipitation --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Location : Total : Total : Deviation : for Week : for 2012 : from Average --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Greer AP : 0.00 33.05 -9.3 Anderson AP : 0.00 34.41 -5.1 Columbia Metro AP : 0.00 39.18 -1.7 Orangeburg AP : 0.00 38.20 -4.7 Charlotte, NC AP : 0.00 29.82 -8.0 Augusta, GA Bush AP : 0.00 31.21 -8.5 Florence AP : 0.01 37.37 -2.1 N Myrtle Beach AP : 0.01 35.40 -12.6 Charleston AP : 0.00 40.11 -7.4 Savannah, GA AP : 0.00 38.27 -6.3 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Weekly rainfall totals this period ending midnight Sunday.