Released: December 31, 2001 -- 3:00 p.m. CST For Month Ending December 30, 2001 SD-CW5201 VOLUME 50 ISSUE 52

AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY:   The month of December brought above normal temperatures, melting the existing snow cover, according to USDA's South Dakota Agri cultural Statistics Service. Farmers and ranchers kept busy moving snow early in the month and continued to stay busy feeding cattle, mending fences, 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 4 to 10 degrees above normal for the month of December. The average temperature across the state was 26 degrees. Rapid City reported the high of 60 degrees, while Highmore recorded the low at -12 degrees. Precipitation, in the form of snow, was minimal across the state for the month of December. Clear Lake received the greatest amount of moisture with 0.42 inch reported. The average snow depth was 1.8 inches. High winds pushed snow from flat areas to fence rows and ditches to create drifting in many areas.

SOIL CONDITION:   Soil temperatures from reporting stations averaged 28.4 degrees for the past week. Soil temperatures averaged 2.3 degrees cooler than normal.

FIELD CROPS REPORT:    Much needed precipitation, in the form of snow, fell over South Dakota cropland in late November, with most of it melting by early Decem ber. The melting snow left behind many bare winter- seeded fields. Winter snow cover on winter wheat and rye fields has become a concern for producers. Winter wheat snow cover is rated as 78 percent poor, 20 percent adequate, and 2 percent excellent. The winter wheat crop is reported at 2 percent very poor, 14 percent poor, 27 percent fair, 51 percent good, and 6 percent excellent. Winter rye snow cover is 54 percent poor, 35 percent adequate, and 11 percent excellent. The winter rye crop is rated at 11 percent poor, 12 percent fair, 59 percent good, and 18 percent excellent. Alfalfa snow cover is reported to be 69 percent poor, 26 percent adequate, and 5 percent excellent.

LIVESTOCK, PASTURE, AND RANGE REPORT:    Feed supplies are mostly adequate, with 83 percent reported adequate, 9 percent surplus, and 8 percent short or very short. Continued mild weather for this time of year has allowed producers to leave cattle feeding on corn stalks and additional forages, where available. Reports have indicated heavy gains for feeder cattle, due to additional feed sources. Water supplies remain in mostly adequate to surplus levels, as well, with 83 percent adequate and 5 percent surplus. Cattle and sheep remain in good to excellent condition for this time of year, thanks to very few extreme weather conditions. Cattle are rated 1 percent poor, 10 percent fair, 67 percent good, and 22 percent excellent. Sheep are similar, with 1 percent rated poor, 16 percent fair, 61 percent good, and 22 percent excellent. Calf deaths are 28 percent below normal, 66 percent normal, and 6 percent above normal. Lamb deaths rated at 45 percent below normal, 53 percent normal, and 2 percent above normal.

 SOIL TEMPERATURES WEEK ENDING DEC. 30, 2001
                 (4-inch Depth)

LOCATION      TEMP             LOCATION   TEMP

Beresford      31              Gettysburg   28
Brookings      28              Nisland      30
Caputa         29              Pierre       29
Chamberlain    30              Redfield     27
Cottonwood     25              Watertown    26
              

                      
        
             CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS
                AS OF DEC. 30, 2001      

ITEM       V POOR   POOR   FAIR   GOOD   EXCEL

                          Percent
Winter Wheat   2      14     27      51      6
Winter Rye     0      11     12      59     18
Cattle         0       1     10      67     22
Sheep          0       1     16      61     22



      
                                                    
                   TEMPERATURE AND PRECIPITATION
                   MONTH ENDING DECEMBER 30, 2001


                                              -----  PRECIPITATION -----
                                              SINCE  SINCE  SINCE  SINCE              
             TEMPERATURE      PRECIPITATION   JAN 1  APR 1  JAN 1  APR 1    
STATION     HI  LO AVG DFN  TOTAL    DFN      TOTAL  TOTAL    DFN    DFN
-------     --  --  --  --  -----   ----       -----  -----  -----  -----  
Bison       50  -2  26  +7   0.00  -0.46      17.90  16.79  +0.96  +1.81
Buffalo     56  -4  27  +8   0.05  -0.34      13.95  13.31  +0.05  +0.59
Dupree      54   0  26  +7   0.00  -0.34      12.63  11.18  -3.86  -3.62
Mc Intosh   56   1  23  +7   0.04  -0.39      17.64  17.03  +1.17  +2.03
Newell      55   1  27  +7   0.00  -0.34      13.24  11.69  -1.81  -1.86 
Timber Lake 51  -3  25  +7   0.03  -0.46      16.19  14.51  -1.49  -1.21 
Aberdeen    38  -7  21  +6   0.11  -0.30      22.90  21.05  +4.35  +4.68
Eureka      47   1  23  +9   0.00  -0.31      20.41  19.46  +3.48  +4.11 
Faulkton    43   1  23  +9   0.04  -0.32      20.53  17.57  +2.00  +1.14
Mobridge    54  -7  25  +9   0.02  -0.45      17.31  16.76  +0.37  +1.72 
Roscoe      43  -8  20  +6   0.11  -0.26      18.27  16.81  -0.38  +0.08 
Britton     46  -2  24 +10   0.03  -0.35      20.29  18.80  +1.49  +1.71 
Clear Lake  49  -8  23  +8   0.42  -0.14      29.75  26.15  +5.52  +4.83 
Sisseton    46  -4  24  +8   0.07  -0.48      20.36  19.23  -0.76  +0.54 
Webster     47  -1  23  +8   0.08  -0.44      19.34  18.22  -1.70  -0.53 
Watertown   46  -5  23  +7   0.02  -0.48      20.02  19.04  -2.21  -0.66 
Faith       53  -3  26  +7   0.00  -0.36      12.72  12.17  -3.84  -2.58 
Milesville  49   2  28  +8   0.00  -0.48      18.64  16.73  +0.58  +0.59 
Long Valley 56   4  30  +6   0.03  -0.29      17.40  14.80  -0.34  -1.07 
Philip      57  -5  29  +8   0.00  -0.36       9.61   9.15  -6.41  -5.23
Rapid City  60  -2  30  +7   0.00  -0.47      14.26  13.42  -2.38  -1.28
Spearfish   55  -3  31  +5   0.00  -0.79      17.22  14.45  -4.96  -4.94 
Chamberlain 56  -5  27  +6   0.05  -0.34      25.85  22.94  +8.42  +7.28
Highmore    44 -12  24  +6   0.03  -0.38      20.31  19.19  +0.65  +1.60 
Huron       41  -3  24  +7   0.02  -0.45      24.85  21.29  +4.77  +3.96 
Onida       48   5  26  +8   0.00  -0.53      18.63  16.71  +0.22  +0.63 
Pierre      45  -5  26  +6   0.06  -0.49      19.07  16.38  +0.40  -0.25 
Brookings   45  -5  22  +8   0.04  -0.29      22.37  20.33  -0.52  -0.58 
Madison     45  -1  23  +8   0.15  -0.63      24.32  22.25  +0.20  +1.24 
Mitchell    47  -3  24  +6   0.08  -0.52      24.94  21.42  +2.89  +2.00
Sioux Falls 50  -1  26  +9   0.18  -0.52      29.65  26.69  +5.79  +5.62
Custer      50  -6  25  +0   0.06  -0.50      20.44  18.80  +1.41  +1.65 
Hot Springs 55  -1  30  +4   0.02  -0.33      12.67  10.81  -3.15  -3.52 
Oelrichs    55  -2  28  +4   0.05  -0.42      15.11  12.39  -1.76  -2.56 
Porcupine   58  -9  27  +6   0.00  -0.37      18.07  15.28  +2.18  +0.87 
Murdo       53   0  28  +8   0.01  -0.54      20.92  18.81  +2.79  +2.94 
Winner      56   7  31  +7   0.06  -0.54      27.31  24.51  +3.77  +3.80 
Armour      52   3  28  +7   0.10  -0.60      29.46  26.36  +6.42  +6.20
Centerville 52   0  27  +9   0.08  -0.58      27.94  25.42  +2.94  +3.20 
Marion      48   3  26  +9   0.07  -0.67      29.59  26.12  +5.06  +4.58 
Pickstown   59   1  29  +7   0.04  -0.60      27.55  23.96  +5.30  +4.20 
Vermillion  59   2  31  +9   0.01  -0.64      26.67  24.41  +1.97  +2.34 
Yankton     55   0  28  +7   0.05  -0.49      29.52  25.85  +6.14  +4.98 
Source: National Weather Service, provided by AWIS, Inc.
 

The next Monthly Report for January will be released on February 4


              Thank you!
USDA's South Dakota Ag Statistics Service