Released: January 5, 2004 -- 3:00 pm CST For Month ending December 31, 2003 SD-CW5203 Volume 52 Issue 52

AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY:    The month of De cember brought an average of 0.29 inch of precipita tion from snow fall and above average temperatures statewide, according to USDA's South Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service. Major farm activities included marketing grain, tending to livestock, repair ing machinery, and fixing fence. In general, the county and township roads are open for travel with only a small percent difficult or closed for travel. 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 5 to 12 degrees above normal for the month of December, melting the existing snow cover. The average temperature across the state was 27.5 degrees. Long Valley reported a daily high of 64 degrees, while Britton reported a daily low of 11 degrees below zero. Precipitation was reported at 42 of the 43 weather stations during December. Porcu pine reported the greatest amount of precipitation at 0.78 inch while Highmore reported no precipitation. Statewide, precipitation was 0.21 inch below normal for December. Porcupine was slightly over 0.4 inch above normal, but Armour was slightly over half an inch below normal. As of January 4th, the average snow depth for the state was 1.1 inches.

SOIL CONDITION:    Soil temperatures from reporting stations averaged 28.9 degrees for the past week. Statewide soil temperatures averaged 0.4 degree cooler than normal. Compared to normal, Chamber lain was 4.8 degrees warmer, while Watertown was 6.8 degrees cooler.

FIELD CROPS REPORT:    The lack of snow cover on winter wheat and rye has become a concern. Winter wheat condition was rated at 14 percent very poor, 24 percent poor, 27 percent fair, 30 percent good, and 4 percent excellent. Winter rye condition was rated at 7 percent poor, 77 percent fair, and 16 percent good.

LIVESTOCK, PASTURE, AND RANGE REPORT:    Mild winter weather for December has allowed cattle to graze in the fields longer and save on feed supplies. Feed supplies were reported at 8 percent very short, 18 percent short, 69 percent adequate, and 5 percent surplus. Compared to last year, adequate and surplus rated 30 points higher. Stock water supplies are rated at 32 percent very short, 24 percent short, 43 percent adequate, and 1 percent surplus. Cattle and sheep remained in mostly fair to good condition. Cattle rated at 3 percent poor, 24 percent fair, 57 percent good, and 16 percent in excellent condition. Sheep rated 12 percent poor, 23 percent fair, 51 percent good, and 14 percent in excellent condition. In general, calving and lambing death loss has been mostly average to below normal due to the mild weather.

               SOIL TEMPERATURES WEEK ENDING JAN. 4, 2004
                               (4-inch Depth)

LOCATION      TEMP             LOCATION   TEMP

Beresford      24              Gettysburg   30
Brookings      27              Nisland      31
Caputa         29              Pierre       30
Chamberlain    31              Redfield     33
Cottonwood     27              Watertown    23
   
                         
                       CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS
                        AS OF JANUARY 4, 2004      

ITEM       V POOR   POOR   FAIR   GOOD   EXCEL

                          Percent
Winter Wheat  14      24     28      30      4
Winter Rye     0       7     77      16      0
Cattle         0       3     24      57     16
Sheep          0      12     23      51     14



                                     

                    FEED AND WATER SUPPLIES COMPARISON
                          AS OF JANUARY 4, 2004 

              FEED          STOCK WATER
             SUPPLIES        SUPPLIES
         This   Last   5-Yr. This   Last  5-Yr.
RATING    Year   Year   Ave.  Year   Year  Ave.
                       Percent
Very 
 Short      8    25    NA     32     29    NA
Short      18    31    NA     24     30    NA
Adeq.      69    42    NA     43     40    NA
Surplus     5     2    NA      1      1    NA

                                                     

	         TEMPERATURE AND PRECIPITATION
                  Month Ending December 31, 2003
                                     
                 AIR          DECEMBER 2003      SINCE  SINCE  SINCE  SINCE
             TEMPERATURE      PRECIPITATION      JAN 1  APR 1  JAN 1  APR 1
STATION     HI  LO AVG DFN  TOTAL    DFN DAYS    TOTAL  TOTAL   DFN    DFN
-------     --  --  --  --  -----   ----   --    -----  -----  -----  -----
Bison       54   2  27  +8   0.30  -0.17    1 	17.45  13.52  +0.50  -1.47
Buffalo     58   3  30 +10   0.22  -0.17    2 	11.52   9.40  -2.45  -3.39
Dupree      53  -1  27  +8   0.21  -0.14    4 	12.93  10.64  -3.57  -4.17
Mc Intosh   47  -8  23  +7   0.40  -0.04    6 	13.43  12.33  -3.00  -2.63
Newell      52  -4  26  +6   0.36  +0.01    4 	13.11  10.69  -1.95  -2.87
Timber Lake 51  -3  26  +8   0.35  -0.15    4 	14.49  12.38  -3.20  -3.35
Aberdeen    47  -5  25 +10   0.29  -0.12    5 	18.12  17.12  -0.43  +0.75
Eureka      45  -6  25 +12   0.15  -0.17    3 	17.96  17.42  +1.07  +2.11
Faulkton    47  -4  26 +11   0.18  -0.18    5 	19.09  16.87  +0.56  +0.44
Mobridge    48  -5  27 +10   0.18  -0.29    3 	12.25  11.63  -4.69  -3.41
Roscoe      46  -3  24  +9   0.11  -0.26    4 	18.33  16.65  -0.32  -0.08
Britton     43 -11  24 +10   0.41  +0.02    4 	21.78  21.29  +2.97  +4.19
Clear Lake  42  -9  23  +8   0.44  -0.12    4 	18.88  16.75  -5.35  -4.57
Sisseton    45  -6  25  +9   0.13  -0.42    3 	17.20  16.88  -3.82  -1.71
Webster     40  -8  23  +9   0.20  -0.34    1 	20.73  19.71  -0.33  +0.94
Watertown   41  -8  24  +8   0.35  -0.15    3 	16.61  15.63  -5.62  -4.07
Faith       54   3  28  +9   0.04  -0.32    3 	 9.42   8.50  -7.14  -6.25
Milesville  52   3  29  +8   0.06  -0.43    4 	12.75   9.76  -5.32  -6.39
Long Valley 64   2  32  +7   0.63  +0.30    7 	18.24  15.60  +0.49  -0.28
Philip      60  -4  30  +8   0.04  -0.32    2 	11.49   9.85  -4.53  -4.53
Rapid City  61  -2  32  +8   0.25  -0.22    3 	11.01   9.41  -5.63  -5.29
Spearfish   63   6  33  +8   0.58  -0.23    6 	21.35  17.25  -0.85  -2.16
Chamberlain 55   7  29  +9   0.15  -0.24    6 	20.75  18.71  +3.32  +3.05
Highmore    50  -2  26  +9   0.00  -0.42    0 	15.37  14.13  -4.30  -3.47
Huron       49  -2  27 +10   0.19  -0.28    6 	15.73  14.53  -4.35  -2.80
Onida       49   1  27  +9   0.12  -0.42    4 	17.50  15.38  -0.88  -0.67
Pierre      54   2  29  +9   0.10  -0.45    3 	12.75  11.61  -5.92  -5.02
Brookings   44  -7  23  +8   0.36  +0.03    6 	19.24  18.43  -3.65  -2.48
Madison     44  -3  24  +9   0.48  -0.30    6 	18.58  17.57  -5.54  -3.44
Mitchell    48   2  27  +8   0.41  -0.19    6 	22.85  20.74  +0.88  +1.40
Sioux Falls 48   0  27  +9   0.53  -0.17    5 	21.52  20.37  -2.34  -0.70
Custer      57   4  29  +5   0.23  -0.33    3 	18.93  15.90  -0.10  -1.25
Hot Springs 62   7  32  +6   0.37  +0.01    3 	18.09  15.03  +2.26  +0.69
Oelrichs    63   6  31  +7   0.22  -0.25    7 	16.55  14.02  -0.32  -0.93
Porcupine   63   0  30  +9   0.78  +0.41    6 	15.35  12.12  -0.54  -2.29
Murdo       59   4  29  +9   0.16  -0.39    6 	14.26  12.04  -3.87  -3.83
Winner      61  11  32  +8   0.21  -0.40    3 	17.24  15.21  -6.31  -5.51
Armour      55   5  29  +8   0.16  -0.56    1 	23.42  22.06  +0.36  +1.88
Centerville 51   2  27  +9   0.41  -0.25    6 	26.55  24.73  +1.55  +2.51
Marion      48   1  26  +9   0.53  -0.21    6 	24.46  22.73  +0.03  +1.29
Pickstown   58   5  30  +9   0.33  -0.31    4 	19.04  17.17  -3.21  -2.59
Vermillion  52   5  30  +8   0.33  -0.34    5 	27.97  24.85  +3.25  +2.76
Yankton     53   5  28  +8   0.56  +0.02    5 	28.96  25.78  +5.50  +4.83
Source: National Weather Service, provided by AWIS, Inc.
Growing Degree Day values calculated using standard corn formula with no temperature caps.