Released: January 3, 2005 -- 3:00 pm CST For Month ending December 31, 2004 SD-CW5204 Volume 53 Issue 52

AGRICULTURAL SUMMARY:    The month of December brought mild weather to much of the state, according to USDA's South Dakota Agricultural Statistics Service. With minimal snowfall received and the statewide average snow depth at 0.20 inch, many producers have reported that much more snow will be required to protect winter wheat and alfalfa from harsh winter temperatures. Major farm activities included marketing grain, tending to livestock, repair ing machinery, and fixing fence. 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 6 to 13 degrees above normal in December. The average temperature was 28 degrees for the state. Rapid City had the high for the month at 69 degrees. The low for the month was -15 degrees, reported in Bison, Aberdeen, and Roscoe. Precipita tion was scattered with 8 of the 43 weather stations receiving no precipitation. Clear Lake received the most precipitation in December, at 0.54 inch. Precip itation totals averaged 0.39 inch below normal for the state. As of January 2nd , the average snow depth for the state was 0.20 inch.

SOIL CONDITION:    Soil temperatures from reporting stations averaged 29.2 degrees for the past week. Statewide soil temperatures averaged 0.7 degree cooler than normal. Brookings soil temperature was 3.5 degrees below normal, while the Chamberlain soil temperature was 3.2 degrees above normal for the past week.

FIELD CROPS REPORT:    The lack of snow cover on winter wheat and alfalfa has become a concern for many producers across the state. Winter wheat is rated at 1 percent poor, 31 percent fair, 53 percent good, and 15 percent excellent with snow cover for winter wheat rated at 99 percent poor and 1 percent adequate. Alfalfa snow cover is currently rated at 97 percent poor and 3 percent adequate.

LIVESTOCK, PASTURE, AND RANGE REPORT:    Mild winter weather for December has allowed for continued utilization of field residue for grazing, helping to prolong feed supplies. Feed supplies are rated at 71 percent adequate to surplus. Stock water supplies are rated at 63 percent adequate to surplus, well above last year's ratings of 44 percent adequate to surplus. Cattle condition is rated at 81 percent good to excellent with sheep condition rated at 77 percent good to excellent. Deaths from fall calf and lamb crops have been low due to mild weather, with calf deaths rated 99 percent at or below average and sheep and lamb deaths 100 percent at or below average.

     SOIL TEMPERATURES WEEK ENDING JAN. 2, 2005
                (4-inch Depth)

LOCATION      TEMP             LOCATION   TEMP

Beresford      27              Gettysburg   28
Brookings      28              Nisland      32
Caputa         31              Pierre       31
Chamberlain    31              Redfield     29
Cottonwood     30              Watertown    29
   
                         
        CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS
            AS OF JANUARY 2, 2005      

ITEM       V POOR   POOR   FAIR   GOOD   EXCEL

                          Percent
Winter Wheat   0       1     31      53     15
Cattle         0       1     18      66     15
Sheep          0       4     19      67     10


                                     

        FEED AND WATER SUPPLIES COMPARISON
             AS OF JANUARY 2, 2005 

              FEED          STOCK WATER
             SUPPLIES        SUPPLIES
         This   Last   5-Yr. This   Last  5-Yr.
RATING    Year   Year   Ave.  Year   Year  Ave.
                       Percent
Very 
 Short      9     8    NA     17     32    NA
Short      20    18    NA     20     24    NA
Adeq.      67    69    NA     62     43    NA
Surplus     4     5    NA      1      1    NA

                                                     

	         TEMPERATURE AND PRECIPITATION
                 Month Ending December 31, 2004
                                     
                                     
             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       28    9   62  -15   0.00  -0.46  12.51  10.53  -4.44  -4.40
Buffalo     31   12   64  -13   0.05  -0.34  10.11   9.70  -3.88  -3.07
Dupree      29   11   60  -12   0.16  -0.18  19.69  18.14   3.19   3.38
Mc Intosh   27	 11   60  -12   0.02  -0.41  14.60  13.17  -1.88  -1.79
Newell      31	 11   64  -10   0.00  -0.34  12.05  10.59  -3.02  -2.94
Timber Lake 27	 10   57  -13   0.03  -0.46  16.73  14.54  -0.96  -1.14
Aberdeen    25	 11   53  -15   0.36  -0.04  21.79  19.30   3.23   2.98
Eureka      26	 13   52  -14   0.10  -0.20  16.75  15.36  -0.19   0.05
Faulkton    24	 10   54  -13   0.19  -0.16  25.96  23.37   7.42   6.99
Mobridge    28	 11   57  -14   0.03  -0.44  14.83  13.80  -2.12  -1.19
Roscoe      22	  8   52  -15   0.04  -0.32  22.75  19.65   4.09   2.97
Britton     24	 10   47  -12   0.38   0.01  22.25  20.71   3.44   3.65
Clear Lake  21	  6   52  -12   0.54  -0.02  34.21  32.24   9.97  10.97
Sisseton    25	  9   48  -10   0.29  -0.26  23.55  21.85   2.41   3.20
Webster     22	  7   47  -12   0.00  -0.52  24.36  21.43   3.30   2.71
Watertown   24	  9   50  -12   0.06  -0.44  26.52  25.15   4.27   5.49
Faith       30	 11   64   -9   0.23  -0.13  19.63  18.91   3.06   4.20
Milesville  32	 12   61   -9   0.05  -0.43  21.13  19.14   3.06   3.04
Long Valley 33	  9   64   -6   0.07  -0.25  17.53  15.55  -0.22  -0.27
Philip      33	 11   63   -7   0.01  -0.35  15.30  14.49  -0.73   0.14
Rapid City  33	 10   69  -10   0.08  -0.39  13.22  11.28  -3.43  -3.38
Spearfish   34	  9   61  -12   0.10  -0.71  15.00  12.58  -7.22  -6.78
Chamberlain 28	  8   59   -9   0.08  -0.31  24.27  21.05   6.83   5.43
Highmore    28	 11   55  -12   0.04  -0.37  24.46  22.19   4.78   4.65
Huron       28	 11   58   -9   0.21  -0.25  28.88  25.72   8.79   8.44
Onida       30	 12   54  -11   0.00  -0.52  19.77  17.03   1.35   1.00
Pierre      30	 11   58  -10   0.04  -0.51  18.19  15.83  -0.49  -0.76
Brookings   22	  8   56  -11   0.07  -0.25  25.28  23.47   2.38   2.61
Madison     24	  9   57  -11   0.12  -0.65  26.96  25.06   2.82   4.10
Mitchell    26	  8   59   -9   0.12  -0.47  30.94  27.98   8.88   8.62
Sioux Falls 27	 10   59   -7   0.10  -0.59  30.85  27.28   6.97   6.26
Custer      30	  6   53   -9   0.00  -0.55  11.94  10.46  -7.10  -6.66
Hot Springs 32	  6   59  -11   0.00  -0.36  12.51  10.35  -3.33  -3.96
Oelrichs    32	  8   60   -6   0.25  -0.21  12.44  10.60  -4.44  -4.31
Porcupine   32	 11   65  -10   0.03  -0.34  15.05  12.43  -0.85  -1.95
Murdo       29	 10   58   -9   0.05  -0.50  17.77  15.32  -0.37  -0.50
Winner      33	  9   58   -7   0.00  -0.59  22.61  19.03  -0.93  -1.62
Armour      30	  9   60   -8   0.06  -0.65  23.79  20.42   0.71   0.29
Centerville 26	  9   61  -12   0.10  -0.55  28.03  23.80   3.01   1.62
Marion      25	  8   59   -8   0.09  -0.64  33.08  29.68   8.53   8.20
Pickstown   29	  7   60   -6   0.00  -0.63  21.48  18.89  -0.79  -0.82
Vermillion  30	  9   65   -7   0.08  -0.58  28.68  23.87   3.95   1.83
Yankton     26	  6   56  -11   0.13  -0.40  31.26  26.01   7.80   5.11 


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