sc-crop-weather
                                                                                
South Carolina Weekly Weather and Crop Progress Report
                                                                                
Released:  October 29, 2007
                                                                                
Week Ending Date:  October 28, 2007
                                                                                
Issue:  SC-CW004307
                                                                                
                                    GENERAL                                     
                                                                                
South Carolina was thankful to have received a long and steady rainfall 
across the State this past week.  As much rainfall as fell across the Low 
Country and Midlands, it was difficult to believe that much of the Upstate 
and Central Savannah River Area received less than an inch of precipitation.  
Even areas that had two or more inches of rain, reported little standing 
water in fields.  Irrigation ponds remain low.  Soil moisture for the week 
improved, but overall it is still dry.  Average ratings were 39% very short, 
28% short, and 33% adequate.  The statewide average of days suitable for 
field work was 5.1.
                                                                                
                                  FIELD CROPS                                   
                                                                                
COTTON harvest is now over 50 percent complete.  The cotton condition was 29% 
very poor, 27% poor, 32% fair, and 12% good.  OAT planting should be in high 
gear now that we've had rain.  The PEANUT harvest is moving along.  Yields 
are not looking too bad, especially along coastal areas.  The condition was 
8% very poor, 19% poor, 48% fair, 21% good, and 4% excellent.  The rain was 
too late for the SOYBEAN crop.  Most of the leaves have already turned color 
and have fallen or begun to fall.  The condition of the crop was 28% very 
poor, 28% poor, 32% fair, 11% good, and 1% excellent.  SWEET POTATOES are 
still in mostly fair condition with most of the crop harvested from the 
field.   WINTER WHEAT planting should be very active with the increased soil 
moisture.  
                                                                                
                            OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST                             
                                                                                
LIVESTOCK conditions changed only slightly from the previous week.  PASTURE 
conditions did not improve as temperatures remained well above normal for 
much of the week, and rainfall amounts were generally lighter  in upstate and 
western counties.  APPLE harvest is beginning to wind down.  Like small 
grains, WINTER GRAZINGS planted should move ahead at a rapid pace.
                                                                                
                                        Crop Progress for Week Ending October 28, 2007                                       
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         Crop and Stage        :  2007   :  2006   :5-Yr Avg ::          Crop and Stage        :  2007   :  2006   :5-Yr Avg 
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                               :           Percent           ::                                :           Percent           
                               :                             ::                                :                             
Apples, Harvested              :    90       97        93    :: Soybeans, Leaves Dropped       :     57       66        62   
Cotton, Bolls Opened           :   100       95        95    :: Soybeans, Mature               :     24       47        41   
Cotton, Harvested              :    57       37        40    :: Soybeans, Harvested            :      9       11        15   
Oats, Planted                  :    28       36        45    :: Sweet Potatoes, Harvested      :     80       84        80   
Oats, Emerged                  :     8       21        30    :: Tobacco, Stalks Destroyed      :     99       99        99   
Peanuts, Harvested             :    84       78        74    :: Winter Grazings, Planted       :     52       74        68   
Sorghum, Matured               :   100       99        99    :: Winter Grazings, Emerged       :     20       52        51   
Sorghum, Harvested             :    89       94        88    :: Winter Wheat, Planted          :     15       24        35   
Soybeans, Turned Color         :    92       97        91    :: Winter Wheat, Emerged          :      6       14        25   
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                   Condition for Week Ending October 28, 2007                   
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Crop       :Very Poor: Poor  : Fair  : Good  : Excellent  ::         Crop       :Very Poor: Poor  : Fair  : Good  : Excellent  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                   :                   Percent                    ::                    :                   Percent                    
                   :                                              ::                    :                                              
Cotton             :   29       27      32      12         0      :: Soybeans           :    28       28      32      11         1     
Livestock          :    2       21      52      25         0      :: Sweet Potatoes     :     0        5      55      40         0     
Pasture            :   32       40      24       4         0      :: Winter Grazings    :    25        8      55      12         0     
Peanuts            :    8       19      48      21         4      ::                    :                                              
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   South Carolina Weekly Weather Summary for the Week Ending October 28, 2007   
                                                                                
An upper level low-pressure feature, parked over Mississippi, was responsible 
for an extended period of warm and wet weather Monday through Friday. 
Florence set date record high temperatures on Monday, 86 degrees, and 
Tuesday, 88 degrees.  Southerly surface winds became the avenue for showers 
and thundershowers from the mountains to the coast.  Although most locations 
reported rainfall, the heaviest amounts fell over eastern South Carolina.  
Between Monday afternoon and Saturday morning, Witherbee in Berkeley County 
measured 4.91 inches while Greeleyville in nearby Williamsburg County 
measured 4.45 inches.  A surface boundary of dry and colder air helped clear 
inland locations over the weekend.  On Sunday, sites away from the coast 
observed mostly sunny skies and high temperatures in the middle and upper 
60's.  Cloudy skies and chilling north to northeast winds were observed along 
the beaches. The state average temperature for the period was seven degrees 
above normal.
                                                                                
      The highest official temperature reported was 90 degrees at Columbia 
AP, Columbia Owens AP, Orangeburg AP, and Barnwell on October 23.  The lowest 
official temperature reported was 38 degrees at Lake Bowen on the morning of 
October 28.  The heaviest official 24-hour rainfall reported was 2.90 inches 
at N Myrtle Beach AP ending at 7:00 a.m. on October 27. The state average 
rainfall for the period was 1.7 inches.
                                                                                
SOIL:  4-inch depth average soil temperature:  Columbia 71 degrees.
                                                                                
RIVERS AND SURF:  South Carolina river stages were below normal.  Ocean water 
temperatures at S Capers Island were reported at 73 degrees.
                                                                                
                                            Precipitation                                           
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         Location        :         Weekly         :         Jan 1          :       Deviation        
                         :         Total          :         Total          :      from Average      
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Greer                    :          0.62                    25.04                    -17.2          
Columbia                 :          1.45                    25.23                    -16.5          
Orangeburg               :          1.33                    32.75                     -9.0          
Charlotte, NC            :          1.80                    23.90                    -12.7          
Augusta, GA              :          0.69                    25.96                    -12.5          
Florence                 :          3.60                    30.63                     -7.8          
N Myrtle Beach           :          3.74                    30.12                     -8.9          
Charleston               :          3.19                    37.93                     -7.8          
Savannah, GA             :          1.58                    40.47                     -3.7          
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Weekly rainfall totals this period ending midnight Sunday.