Released: January 03, 2006 -- 3:00 pm CST For Month Ending December 31, 2005 SD-CW5205 Volume 54 Issue 52

AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY:   Despite the prevalence of above-normal temperatures during the month of December, several areas of the state were battered by severe winter storms. The ice storm of November 27 was followed by several snowfalls throughout December. The power losses that were common in several parts of the state caused much difficulty in caring for livestock. Live stock have also been stressed during the month from the weather variability, ranging from mild tempera tures to frigid cold. Major farm activities included marketing grain, tending to livestock, and repairing machinery. This report is based on information from county extension educators, Farm Service Agency county directors, and other reporters across the state.

WEATHER INFORMATION:   Temperatures ranged from 3 degrees below normal to 6 degrees above normal in December, with average temperatures in the upper teens and lower 20's. The low for the month was -23 degrees, reported in Porcupine. The high for December was 63 degrees, reported in Spearfish and Porcupine. Precipitation varied throughout the month, with totals ranging from 0.06 inch in Hot Springs to 1.77 inches in Clear Lake. As of January 1st the average snow depth for the state was 4.1 inches.

SOIL CONDITION:   Soil temperatures from reporting stations averaged 32.2 degrees for the past week. Statewide soil temperatures averaged 2.1 degrees warmer than normal. The soil temperature in Cotton wood was 5.7 degrees above normal, while the Redfield soil temperature was 0 .3 degree below normal.

FIELD CROPS REPORT:   Producers in several areas are concerned with the effects that a minimal snow cover and previous ice storms may have on their winter wheat and alfalfa crops. Winter wheat is rated at 3 percent very poor, 17 percent poor, 43 percent fair, 32 percent good, and 5 percent excellent, with snow cover rated at 49 percent poor, 42 percent adequate, and 9 percent excellent. Alfalfa snow cover is similar, with 42 percent rated poor, 48 percent adequate, and 10 percent excellent.

LIVESTOCK, PASTURE, AND RANGE REPORT:   December's mixture of weather, ranging from mild to frigid cold, has been hard on livestock throughout the state, with many producers reporting problems with sick calves. Deaths of fall calf and lamb crops have been mostly at or below average. Overall, cattle are rated at 83 percent in good to excellent condition, with sheep rated at 89 percent in good to excellent condition. Feed supplies, at 92 percent adequate to surplus, were in better supply throughout the state than stock water supplies, which were rated at 71 percent adequate to surplus for December. Several producers were without electricity for a significant period of time during the month, making the watering of livestock a challenge.

  SOIL TEMPERATURES WEEK ENDING JAN. 1, 2006
              (4-inch Depth)

LOCATION      TEMP             LOCATION   TEMP

Beresford      31              Gettysburg   32
Brookings      33              Nisland      34
Caputa         32              Pierre       32
Chamberlain    33              Redfield     31
Cottonwood     35              Watertown    31
   
                         
        CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS
           AS OF JANUARY 1, 2006      

ITEM       V POOR   POOR   FAIR   GOOD   EXCEL

                          Percent
Winter Wheat   3      17     43      32      5
Cattle         0       3     14      66     17
Sheep          0       1     10      67     22


                    

         FEED AND WATER SUPPLIES COMPARISON
              AS OF JANUARY 1, 2006 
              FEED          STOCK WATER
             SUPPLIES        SUPPLIES
         This   Last   5-Yr. This   Last  5-Yr.
RATING    Year   Year   Ave.  Year   Year  Ave.
                       Percent
Very 
 Short      1     9    NA     15     17    NA
Short       7    20    NA     14     20    NA
Adeq.      85    67    NA     68     62    NA
Surplus     7     4    NA      3      1    NA



	      TEMPERATURE AND PRECIPITATION
              MONTH ENDING DECEMBER 31, 2005                 

                                     
             TEMPERATURE       -----  PRECIPITATION -----   
             -----------              CURR   SINCE  SINCE  SINCE  SINCE 
             CURRENT   MONTH    CURR  MONTH  JAN 1  APR 1  JAN 1  APR 1 
STATION     AVG  DFN  HI   LO  MONTH   DFN   TOTAL  TOTAL   DFN    DFN  
-------     --    --  --   --  -----  -----  -----  -----  -----   ----
Bison       21    2   51  -12   0.36  -0.11  19.41  18.64   2.46   3.65
Buffalo     23    3   54  -13   0.22  -0.17   9.42   9.19  -4.55  -3.60
Dupree      21    3   51  -10   0.64   0.29  17.29  16.17   0.79   1.36
McIntosh    20    4   51  -15   0.60   0.16  15.52  14.74  -0.96  -0.27
Newell      21    1   54  -20   0.34  -0.01  16.79  15.88   1.73   2.32
Timber Lake 20    3   53  -15   0.96   0.46  15.02  13.41  -2.67  -2.32
Aberdeen    19    4   45  -21   1.11   0.70  20.65  19.42   2.10   3.05
Eureka      20    6   46  -19   0.72   0.40  17.19  16.35   0.25   0.99
Faulkton    19    4   46  -15   1.06   0.70  22.73  21.43   4.20   5.00
Mobridge    21    5   52  -20   1.08   0.61  15.76  14.63  -1.18  -0.41
Roscoe      18    3   45  -19   1.02   0.65  20.84  19.80   2.19   3.07
Britton     18    4   41  -17   1.16   0.77  31.38  30.30  12.57  13.20
Clear Lake  17    1   40  -11   1.77   1.21  30.04  27.84   5.81   6.52
Sisseton    21    5   44   -9   0.86   0.31  26.43  25.00   5.35   6.35
Webster     17    3   40  -12   0.14  -0.40  26.12  25.23   5.06   6.46
Watertown   17    2   39  -14   1.26   0.76  20.88  19.82  -1.35   0.12
Faith       23    3   51  -12   0.57   0.21  15.24  13.99  -1.32  -0.76
Milesville  22    2   53  -18   0.58   0.09  19.04  17.41   0.97   1.26
Long Valley 24   -2   56  -19   0.18  -0.15  18.98  17.15   1.23   1.27
Philip      24    2   58  -21   0.53   0.17  14.33  13.30  -1.69  -1.08
Rapid City  26    3   60  -12   0.25  -0.22  14.82  12.51  -1.82  -2.19
Spearfish   28    2   63  -11   0.84   0.03  19.65  17.76  -2.55  -1.65
Chamberlain 19   -3   50  -13   0.88   0.49  25.05  22.80   7.62   7.14
Highmore    20    2   45  -13   0.41  -0.01  17.39  16.37  -2.28  -1.23
Huron       19    2   41  -15   0.79   0.32  24.62  23.82   4.54   6.49
Onida       20    2   49  -13   0.50  -0.04  15.83  15.03  -2.59  -1.06
Pierre      22    2   52  -15   0.26  -0.29  12.82  12.30  -5.85  -4.33
Brookings   16    1   42  -20   1.45   1.12  33.02  31.37  10.13  10.46
Madison     16    1   44  -18   0.78   0.00  28.84  27.02   4.72   6.01
Mitchell    18   -2   43  -13   0.93   0.33  31.05  28.93   9.00   9.51
Sioux Falls 19    1   45  -13   1.31   0.61  30.88  28.01   7.02   6.94
Custer      25    0   55  -18   0.22  -0.34  15.82  14.51  -3.21  -2.64
Hot Springs 27    0   59  -15   0.06  -0.30  19.06  17.55   3.23   3.21
Oelrichs    25    0   60  -18   0.11  -0.36  19.33  18.22   2.46   3.27
Porcupine   23    1   63  -23   0.14  -0.23  20.06  18.19   4.17   3.78
Murdo       23    3   54  -11   0.86   0.31  19.28  17.21   1.15   1.34
Winner      24   -1   52  -15   0.43  -0.18  24.32  21.89   0.77   1.17
Armour      21   -2   43   -9   0.44  -0.28  28.26  26.14   5.20   5.96
Centerville 19    1   46  -20   1.09   0.43  28.27  25.71   3.27   3.49
Marion      18    0   44  -14   1.00   0.26  33.26  30.97   8.73   9.43
Pickstown   21   -3   48  -11   0.71   0.07  27.19  24.80   4.94   5.04
Vermillion  22   -1   53  -15   0.92   0.25  31.94  29.26   7.22   7.17
Yankton     20   -2   55  -12   1.23   0.69  30.52  27.52   7.06   6.57


Source: National Weather Service, provided by AWIS, Inc.