Released: March 4, 2002 -- 3:00 p.m. CST For Month Ending February 28, 2002 SD-CW0902 VOLUME 51 ISSUE 09

AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY:   Despite a cold snap at month's end, February brought continued above average temperatures and below average precipitation, according to USDA's South Dakota Agricultural Statis tics Service. Farmers and ranchers kept busy by tending to livestock, fixing machinery, and preparing for the upcoming growing season. This report is based on information from county exten sion educators, farm service agency county directors, and other reporters across the state.

WEATHER INFORMATION:  Temperatures averaged above normal again during February, however a cold spell at the end of the month brought this winter's coldest readings. Temperatures ranged from 1 to 14 degrees above normal for the month of February, with the average temperature across the state at 30 degrees. Britton was the warmest spot last month, reporting 72 degrees. Lows reached into the negative numbers the last week of February, with Custer reporting the coldest temperature of 13 below zero. Very little snow fell during the month of February, and that which did was blown into drifts. Spearfish received the greatest amount of moisture with 0.92 inch reported. The average snow depth for the state was 0.6 inch.

SOIL CONDITION:   Soil temperatures from reporting stations in South Dakota averaged 25.8 degrees for the past week. Soil temperatures averaged 3.9 degrees cooler than normal.

FIELD CROPS REPORT:   With below average precipita tion levels and the lack of snow cover that would contribute to snow melt, producers are concerned about the lack of moisture and its effect on winter crops and the upcoming growing season. Additionally, winter wheat, rye, and alfalfa have been exposed to very cold temperatures and high winds recently, due to their lack of snow cover. Snow cover for all three crops are now rated at 98, 94, and 94 percent poor, respectively. Winter rye condition is reported at 2 percent poor, 34 percent fair, 59 percent good, and 5 percent excellent. Winter wheat condition saw a decline with 6 percent now reported very poor, 21 percent poor, 39 percent fair, 32 percent good, and 2 percent excellent.

LIVESTOCK, PASTURE, AND RANGE REPORT:   Livestock are experiencing favorable weather conditions, as calving and lambing season gets underway. This is evident in calf deaths reported, with 40 percentbelow average, 59 percent average death loss, and only 1 percent reported above average. Cattle death losses are 41 percent below normal and 59 percent normal. Sheep and lamb deaths are also reported to be 43 percent below average, 56 percent average, and only 1 percent above average. Cattle are reported in mostly good to excellent condition. Feed supplies are rated at 1 percent very short, 6 percent short, 86 percent adequate, and 7 percent surplus. Stock water supplies continue to deteriorate with below average precipitation this winter. Stock water supplies are 5 percent very short, 14 percent short, 80 percent adequate, and 1 percent surplus. Both accessible feed supplies and accessible stock water supplies are rated at readily available.

 SOIL TEMPERATURES WEEK ENDING MAR. 3, 2002
                 (4-inch Depth)

LOCATION      TEMP             LOCATION   TEMP

Beresford      19              Gettysburg   25
Brookings      28              Nisland      31
Caputa         29              Pierre       30
Chamberlain    30              Redfield     18
Cottonwood     24              Watertown    24
              

                      
        
             CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS
                  AS OF MAR. 3, 2002      

ITEM       V POOR   POOR   FAIR   GOOD   EXCEL

                          Percent
Winter Wheat   6      21     39      32      2
Winter Rye     0       2     34      59      5
Cattle         0       1      9      71     19
Sheep          0       1     10      72     17





      
                                                    
               TEMPERATURE & PRECIPITATION 
                MONTH ENDING FEB 28, 2002
     
                 AIR                                        
             TEMPERATURE    PRECIPITATION  SINCE DFN SINCE
STATION     HI  LO AVG DFN  TOTAL    DFN   JAN 1  JAN 1
-------     --  --  --  --  -----   ----   ----- -------
Bison       67  -3  29  +8   0.00  -0.46   0.31  -0.51  
Buffalo     66  -5  30  +7   0.10  -0.20   0.32  -0.27  
Dupree      66  -3  30  +9   0.00  -0.41   0.22  -0.43  
Mc Intosh   67  -4  27  +9   0.12  -0.24   0.21  -0.44  
Newell      69  -6  29  +7   0.10  -0.28   0.29  -0.41  
Timber Lake 65  -2  29  +9   0.13  -0.34   0.43  -0.36  
Aberdeen    53  -5  29 +13   0.03  -0.44   0.31  -0.53  
Eureka      57  -5  28 +12   0.00  -0.35   0.21  -0.41  
Faulkton    59  -4  29 +13   0.12  -0.38   0.45  -0.33  
Mobridge    65  -8  29 +11   0.02  -0.40   0.06  -0.70  
Roscoe      56  -5  26 +10   0.02  -0.38   0.28  -0.48  
Britton     72  -6  29 +14   0.05  -0.39   0.18  -0.71  
Clear Lake  58  -6  27 +10   0.59  -0.04   0.73  -0.50 
Sisseton    55  -6  29 +13   0.16  -0.41   0.19  -0.91  
Webster     52  -4  27 +12   0.16  -0.43   0.28  -0.89  
Watertown   57  -4  28 +12   0.34  -0.24   0.50  -0.62  
Faith       68  -3  31  +9   0.01  -0.47   0.12  -0.63  
Milesville  69  -4  32 +10   0.24  -0.23   0.48  -0.31  
Long Valley 67  -6  32  +6   0.00  -0.37   0.05  -0.57  
Philip      70  -9  33  +9   0.04  -0.33   0.13  -0.50  
Rapid City  69  -1  32  +6   0.20  -0.32   0.25  -0.66  
Spearfish   64  -3  33  +6   0.92  +0.19   1.14  -0.15  
Chamberlain 65  -3  32  +9   0.05  -0.32   0.26  -0.33  
Highmore    60  -2  32 +12   0.10  -0.39   0.10  -0.72  
Huron       58  -3  32 +13   0.09  -0.59   0.91  -0.18  
Onida       63  -3  32 +12   0.00  -0.58   0.16  -0.87  
Pierre      67  -1  33 +11   0.00  -0.48   0.25  -0.66  
Brookings   61  -7  27 +12   0.04  -0.38   0.18  -0.56  
Madison     63  -4  29 +13   0.04  -0.71   0.24  -1.03  
Mitchell    60  -2  30 +10   0.36  -0.24   0.62  -0.40  
Sioux Falls 68  -2  31 +12   0.33  -0.31   0.44  -0.71  
Custer      56 -13  28  +1   0.15  -0.41   0.19  -0.73  
Hot Springs 67  -7  33  +3   0.23  -0.17   0.32  -0.38  
Oelrichs    70   0  31  +4   0.23  -0.25   0.28  -0.60   
Porcupine   69  -6  30  +6   0.29  -0.05   0.34  -0.23  
Murdo       67  -2  32 +10   0.19  -0.23   0.45  -0.30  
Winner      68  -3  36 +10   0.25  -0.37   0.31  -0.82  
Armour      66  -2  33 +10   0.05  -0.64   0.05  -1.16  
Centerville 70  -7  29 +10   0.24  -0.56   0.33  -0.91  
Marion      65  -2  29 +11   0.31  -0.37   0.46  -0.76  
Pickstown   69  -2  33 +10   0.15  -0.37   0.29  -0.63  
Vermillion  69 -10  32  +9   0.22  -0.30   0.44  -0.47  
Yankton     69  -6  30  +8   0.64  +0.16   0.72  -0.14  
 
Source: National Weather Service, provided by AWIS, Inc.


 

            The next Crop Weather Report will be
                for the month of March and 
               will be released April 1, 2002.


                       Thank you!
        USDA's South Dakota Ag Statistics Service