sc-crop-weather

State 
South Carolina Crop Weather

Release Date, Week Ending Date
Week Ending August 29, 2004

Issue 
SC-CW1425
    
Agricultural Summary  


Although the week started with warm temperatures and only scattered
thundershowers, conditions deteriorated rapidly Saturday when Tropical Storm
Gaston began to threaten the South Carolina coastline.  Gaston made landfall just
south of Cape Romain Sunday bringing winds in excess of 80 miles per hour to some
coastal regions like Charleston.  The slow movement of the storm caused heavy
rains which in turn caused flooding along a corridor leading from Charleston to
Florence.  Rainfall in parts of Clarendon County measured anywhere from four to
seven and a half inches.  Crops in parts of Georgetown County sustained high
winds and over ten inches of rain.  The county, which was also hurt by Hurricane
Charley, reported that corn, soybeans and tobacco had started to rot due to
flooded fields.  More rain is forecast for this week so crop conditions will
probably continue to deteriorate in low-lying and coastal areas.  Fairfield and
Lee counties reported two inches of much needed rain, and most western areas of
the State remained sunny and dry.  It will probably take the rest of this week
to assess all the damage done by Gaston.  Overall soil moisture ratings were 2%
very short, 21%  short, 51% adequate and 26% surplus. There were 5.5 days
suitable for field work.

Field Crops Report

Most field crop development continued at or ahead of normal.  CORN was 96 percent
mature and 47 percent harvested with the crop remaining in fair to mostly good
condition at week's end. COTTON remained in mostly good condition with 97 percent
of bolls set and 20 percent open by the end of the week.  PEANUT pegging reached
98 percent with condition improving slightly to fair to good.  Ninety-seven
percent of the SOYBEANS had bloomed and 1 percent of the leaves had started to
drop by the end of last week; crop condition remained mostly good.  SORGHUM
condition continued to improve and 77 percent of the crop was in good shape with
18 percent of the crop harvested.  TOBACCO condition lost some ground after
Hurricane Charley and will probably continue to deteriorate especially in
Georgetown and Williamsburg counties.  The crop is in fair to good condition with
90 percent harvested and 43 percent of stalks destroyed at week's end.  

Fruits, Vegetables and Specialty Crops Report

APPLE harvesting was moving along at a good clip with 25 percent harvested and
crop condition improved to fair to good.  Eighty-eight percent of the PEACH crop
had been harvested at week's end.   WATERMELON harvesting was complete by the end
of the week.

Small Grains, Pasture and Livestock Report

Harvesting of OTHER HAY was 97 percent complete at the end of the week, and both
PASTURE and LIVESTOCK remained in mostly good condition for the week.  Six
percent of WINTER GRAZINGS had been planted by week's end.

Crop Progress Table
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                 5 Yr :                                   5 Yr
Crop       Phase        2004 2003 Avg.:Crop        Phase         2004 2003 Avg
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                    --Percent--                              --Percent--       
Apples     Harvested     25   19   21 :Sorghum     Harvested      18   14   21
Corn       Matured       96   97   97 :Soybeans    Bloomed        97   94   91
Corn       Harvested     47   28   49 :Soybeans    Pods Set       75   64   60
Cotton     Bolls Set     97   94   94 :Soybeans    Leaves Turned  13   10   10
Cotton     Open Bolls    20   13   19 :Soybeans    Leaves Dropped  1    0    1
Other Hay  Harvested     97   94   94 :Tobacco     Harvested      90   84   83
Peaches    Harvested     88   91   94 :Tobacco     Stalks Dest.   43   29   38
Peanuts    Pegged        98  100   99 :Watermelons Harvested     100  100  100
Sorghum    Turned color  84   82   82 :Winter Graz.Planted         6    4    3
Sorghum    Matured       51   43   48 :
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Crop Condition Table
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
               Very               Excel-:            Very               Excel-
Crop           Poor Poor Fair Good lent :Crop        Poor Poor Fair Good lent
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                    -- Percent --                          -- Percent--        

Apples          0    0    53   47    0  :Peaches       2    2    9   39   48   
Corn            3    7    23   54   13  :Peanuts       0    3   39   49    9 
Cotton          0    3    19   71    7  :Sorghum       0    0   19   77    4
Hay             0    6    39   49    6  :Soybeans      0    3   19   63   15
Livestock       0    2    21   61   16  :Sweetpotatos  0    0   65   35    0
Pastures        1    7    24   63    5  :Tobacco       0   11   29   48   12
------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 

                                        
South Carolina Weekly Weather Summary for the Week Ending August 29, 2004

      Warm days, mild mornings, and widely scattered evening thunderstorms were observed between
Monday and Wednesday. Clouds began brushing the coastal counties Thursday as low pressure began
forming along a boundary offshore. On Friday, the feature developed into a tropical depression. The
system was upgraded to Tropical Storm Gaston Saturday.  Warnings were issued for South Carolina
counties facing the Atlantic.  Gaston slowly moved north and landfalled as a strong tropical storm
just south of Cape Romain Sunday morning. Winds gusted to 82 mph in downtown Charleston.  Widespread
power disruptions occurred due to toppled trees, downed limbs, and airborne debris.  Several small
airports reported costly losses to structures and planes.  Lakefront property in the Bonneau Beach
area of Lake Moultrie was heavily damaged by wind driven breakers. Flooding rains of 5 to 10 inches
were measured in a corridor from Charleston County into Florence.  Locations west of the storm's
circulation enjoyed a sunny and dry end to the week.  For the period, the State average temperature
was one degree below normal.

      The highest official temperature reported was 93 degrees at Orangeburg on August 24 and at
Chesterfield on August 28.  The lowest official temperature reported was 60 degrees at Caesars Head
on the morning of August 23. The heaviest official 24-hour rainfall reported was 8.90" at  Cades on
August 29. The average Statewide rainfall for the period was 1.4

SOIL:  4 inch depth average soil temperature:  Columbia 80 degrees.

RIVERS AND SURF:  South Carolina river stages were near to above normal.  Surf temperatures at
               Myrtle Beach and Savannah will average around 79 degrees.


                            Precipitation                    
                       Weekly   Jan 1  Deviation     
                        Total   Total   From Avg
         Greer           0.68    25.6       -8.9
      Columbia           0.36    30.3       -4.6          
    Orangeburg           0.61    29.6       -4.1
 Charlotte, NC           0.36    30.6       +1.3
   Augusta, GA           0.00    28.5       -3.2 
      Florence           5.19    27.3       -4.5           
  Myrtle Beach           2.88    35.7       +5.6 
    Charleston           4.80    31.2       -4.9           
  Savannah, GA            0.00        26.7       -9.0

Weekly rainfall totals ending midnight Sunday.            


                                                        CLT
                                                       0.36
                                                  GSP
                                                  0.68
                                              
                                                          
                                                                           



                                                                              FLO
                                                            CAE               5.19
                                                            0.36                       MYR
                                                AGS                                    2.88
                                             0.00
                                                            OBG
                                                                 0.61
                                     
                                     
                                     
                                                               
                                                                CHS   
                                                                            4.80
* NA=Not Available
  M=Missing
  E=Estimate
                                                     SAV        
                                                  0.00

Contact Information

Robert A. Graham, Director    
Jean Besco, IT Specialist
Phone:     803-765-5333
E-mail:    nass-sc@nass.usda.gov
Website:   http://www.nass.usda.gov/sc/