Released: November 25, 2002 -- 3:00 pm CST For Week ending November 24, 2002 SD-CW4702 Volume 51 Issue 47

AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY:    Good November weather last week allowed harvest to near completion, according to USDA's South Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service. Major farm activities included harvesting row crops, hauling grain, fall tillage and fertilizing, baling corn and soybean residue, weaning and selling calves, moving cattle to fall grazing, and winterizing equipment as harvest winds down. Statewide, there were 6.4 days reported suitable for fieldwork last week. This report is based on information from county extension educators, farm service agency county directors, and other reporters across the state.

WEATHER INFORMATION:   Above-normal temperatures and minimal precipitation were common again last week. The average temperature for the state was 40 degrees, 10 degrees above normal. The lowest daily temperature reported was 32 degrees in Webster and the highest daily temperature reported was 46 degrees in Rapid City. Precipitation was reported at only 6 of the 43 weather stations. Spearfish reported the greatest amount of precipitation at 0.56 inches. The 5 other stations reported 0.16 inch or less.

SOIL CONDITION:    With last week's minimal precipitation, soil moisture conditions remained steady. Topsoil is reported at 16 very short, 27 short, 55 adequate, and 2 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture is rated at 53 percent short or very short. Soil temperatures from reporting stations averaged 38.3 degrees. This is up 1.2 degrees from last week, and 0.29 degree below normal.

FIELD CROPS REPORT:    Corn harvest progress moved up 11 points last week and is now 95 percent harvested, compared to 100 percent last year and the five-year average of 96 percent. Sorghum for grain has reached 99 percent harvested, while sunflower are now 97 percent harvested, both behind last year's progress.

LIVESTOCK, PASTURE, AND RANGE REPORT:    Farmers and ranchers continue to prepare for the coming winter by baling stalks and using harvested fields for livestock grazing. Feed supplies have improved slightly from last week and are rated at 22 percent very short, 37 percent short, 39 percent adequate, and 2 percent surplus. Stock water supplies are rated at 29 percent very short, 25 percent short, 44 percent adequate, and 2 percent surplus. The condition of cattle and sheep changed slightly from last week but remained in mostly fair to good condition. The livestock feed and water supply comparison table was added to show current drought conditions.

     FEED AND WATER SUPPLIES COMPARISON
         AS OF November 24, 2002 

              FEED             STOCK WATER 
            SUPPLIES            SUPPLIES 
         This  Last 5-Yr.    This  Last  5-Yr.
RATING   Year  Year  Ave.    Year  Year   Ave.

                       Percent
Very 
 Short     22    NA    NA     29     NA   NA
Short      37    NA    NA     25     NA   NA
Adeq.      39    NA    NA     44     NA   NA
Surplus     2    NA    NA      2     NA   NA


    SOIL MOISTURE CONDITION COMPARISON
         AS OF November 24, 2002 

               TOPSOIL         SUBSOIL
         This   Last  Last  This   Last  Last
RATING    Week   Week  Year  Week   Week  Year

                       Percent
Very 
 Short     16    18    NA     26     28    NA
Short      27    24    NA     27     28    NA
Adeq.      55    56    NA     46     43    NA
Surplus     2     2    NA      1      1    NA





    CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS
         AS OF November 24, 2002 

ITEM       V POOR   POOR   FAIR   GOOD   EXCEL

                          Percent
Winter Wheat   5       6     39      42      8
Winter Rye     0       2     48      36     14
Cattle         2       6     24      58     10
Sheep          2       4     25      60      9


    CROP PROGRESS AS OF November 24, 2002  1/
                                                       
                                                                           
                  This   Last   Last   5-Yr.
ITEM                Week   Week   Year    Ave
  
                         Percent
Corn          
 grain harvested     95     84    100      97
Sorghum      
 grain harvested     99     95    100      97
Soybeans    
 harvested          100     98    100     100
Sunflower   
 harvested           97     91    100      98


1/ Percents represent all acreage in or beyond each stage. 



              SOIL TEMPERATURES
 WEEK ENDING November 24, 2002 (4-inch Depth)

LOCATION      TEMP             LOCATION   TEMP

Beresford      37              Gettysburg   38
Brookings      36              Nisland      42
Caputa         40              Pierre       41
Chamberlain    40              Redfield     35
Cottonwood     41              Watertown    35


                   TEMPERATURE AND PRECIPITATION
                WEEK ENDING SUNDAY November 24, 2002
                                     
             TEMPERATURE  |    -----  PRECIPITATION -----   
             -----------  |       SINCE  SINCE  SINCE  SINCE
            CURRENT WEEK  | CURR  JAN 1  APR 1  JAN 1  APR 1
STATION    AVG DFN  HI  LO| WEEK  TOTAL  TOTAL    DFN    DFN
-------     --  --  --  --|-----  -----  -----  -----  -----
Bison       40 +12  64  12| 0.00   7.13   6.54  -9.28  -7.91
Buffalo     43 +15  64  19| 0.00   5.33   4.96  -8.15  -7.34
Dupree      41 +12  66  13| 0.00   8.22   7.60  -7.87  -6.80
Mc Intosh   37 +11  66  14| 0.00   7.69   6.90  -8.29  -7.61
Newell      43 +14  66  20| 0.00  11.31  10.08  -3.34  -3.07
Timber Lake 39 +12  65  14| 0.00   8.22   7.40  -8.89  -7.75
Aberdeen    36  +9  55  16| 0.00  14.97  14.13  -3.06  -1.72
Eureka      37 +11  56  11| 0.00  13.80  13.15  -2.76  -1.83
Faulkton    37 +11  54  16| 0.00  17.00  15.71  -1.11  -0.30
Mobridge    41 +13  61  19| 0.00   7.89   7.71  -8.51  -6.79
Roscoe      36 +10  53  11| 0.00  12.89  12.05  -5.33  -4.25
Britton     35  +9  53  15| 0.00  12.41  11.65  -5.91  -4.96
Clear Lake  35  +8  51  16| 0.00  18.67  15.73  -4.86  -4.89
Sisseton    37 +10  53  16| 0.00  19.13  18.91  -1.32  +0.89
Webster     32  +6  51  13| 0.00  20.40  19.55  +0.00  +1.44
Watertown   35  +8  52  17| 0.00  17.24  16.53  -4.37  -2.55
Faith       43 +14  67  14| 0.00   8.44   8.25  -7.70  -6.08
Milesville  43 +14  68  17| 0.00  11.63  10.03  -5.89  -5.57
Long Valley 40  +8  67   6| 0.00   4.30   4.01 -13.06 -11.48
Philip      45 +14  70  22| 0.00   8.50   8.11  -7.10  -5.85
Rapid City  46 +14  72  22| 0.04  10.62   9.70  -5.49  -4.47
Spearfish   42 +10  64  12| 0.56  15.36  13.22  -5.90  -5.25
Chamberlain 41 +11  59  19| 0.00  14.61  12.89  -2.37  -2.32
Highmore    40 +11  57  19| 0.00  15.08  14.68  -4.11  -2.44
Huron       39 +11  59  20| 0.00  12.75  11.34  -6.74  -5.40
Onida       41 +12  60  18| 0.00  13.36  12.74  -4.40  -2.69
Pierre      42 +11  59  20| 0.00  14.15  13.67  -3.88  -2.32
Brookings   35  +7  53  14| 0.00  23.10  20.23  +0.66  -0.23
Madison     36  +8  55  15| 0.00  16.54  15.27  -6.62  -4.78
Mitchell    39  +8  58  18| 0.00  19.87  17.57  -1.42  -1.09
Sioux Falls 38  +8  55  19| 0.00  23.93  22.10  +0.95  +1.91
Custer      41 +10  62  18| 0.10  17.42  15.92  -0.93  -0.55
Hot Springs 43 +10  71  21| 0.12  14.51  12.10  -0.90  -1.82
Oelrichs    44 +12  69  21| 0.16  13.01  10.54  -3.32  -3.87
Porcupine   44 +14  71  20| 0.02  13.34  11.67  -2.12  -2.31
Murdo       43 +13  63  17| 0.00  10.09   8.80  -7.40  -6.43
Winner      43 +10  67  18| 0.00  13.62  12.02  -9.20  -7.97
Armour      41  +9  59  20| 0.00  17.01  15.98  -5.21  -3.36
Centerville 38  +7  56  17| 0.00  21.60  20.55  -2.56  -0.83
Marion      38  +9  56  20| 0.00  21.31  19.83  -2.30  -0.79
Pickstown   42  +9  63  23| 0.00  16.86  15.74  -4.63  -3.26
Vermillion  40  +7  57  18| 0.00  23.69  22.57  -0.18  +1.33
Yankton     40  +8  58  19| 0.00  20.46  18.44  -2.31  -1.82
       

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




                     LAST WEEKLY CROP-WEATHER REPORT

            This issue concludes the weekly reports for 2002
             made possible by the dedicated county extension
            educatiors, farm service agency county directors,
                   and farmers & ranchers who supplied
                      the necessary information.  
                                    
         Reports will be issued monthly during the winter season
                           starting January 6.
                                    
                               Thank You!
                                    
           USDA's South Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service