sc-crop-weather
                                                                                
South Carolina Weekly Weather and Crop Progress Report
                                                                                
Released:  June 2, 2008
                                                                                
Week Ending Date:  June 1, 2008
                                                                                
Issue:  SC-CW002208
                                                                                
                                    GENERAL                                     
                                                                                
A good part of the Pee Dee region received rain this past week, but amounts 
in many areas remained below average.  The Upstate area of South Carolina has 
been slighted from adequate precipitation for a long time.  Savannah River 
lakes have been well below normal for many months now.  The dry weather has 
allowed farmers a lot of time for field work, but moisture is needed for good 
crop development.  Warmer, more seasonable temperatures were causing soil 
moisture ratings to decline at a faster pace.  State average ratings were 7% 
very short, 57% short, and 36% adequate.  Like the preceding week, there was 
a statewide average of 6.2 days that were suitable for field work.
                                                                                
                                  FIELD CROPS                                   
                                                                                
More rain is needed to help prevent yield loss in older CORN.  Conditions 
fell due to inadequate moisture for most of the state, but the crop remains 
mostly good overall.  COTTON planting was mostly complete as of last week.  
There has been slight thrip injury to some plants.  Cotton was reported as 1% 
very poor, 2% poor, 35% fair, 60% good, and 2% excellent.  OATS continued to 
ripen fast.  Dry weather has allowed for ongoing small grain harvest with 
acceptable yields reported thus far.  Conditions were little changed from a 
week ago.  PEANUT planting was finishing up in many areas.  The crop remains 
mostly good, as development was just beginning.  Conditions were 1% poor, 30% 
fair, 67% good, and 2% excellent.  Farmers were still busy in the fields 
planting SOYBEANS with most single crop beans already in the ground.   
Conditions weakened from the week before, but the majority of the crop was 
mostly good.  The SWEET POTATO crop was over half-way planted.  The crop was 
in fair condition.  Rains in the Pee Dee, coupled with warm temperatures have 
helped TOBACCO to come on strong.  WINTER WHEAT has been helped by favorable 
weather for harvest.  Like oats, conditions were similar to the prior week. 
                                                                                
                            OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST                             
                                                                                
LIVESTOCK conditions declined slightly, but were still mostly good.  PASTURE 
conditions dropped significantly with the warmer temperatures, as the Upstate 
continued to be shorted on rain.  GRAIN HAY cutting was ahead of last year, 
as well as the five-year average, and was nearing completion.  PEACHES were 
progressing well.  Conditions fell somewhat from the previous week, but were 
still looking good for most producers.  Growers were continuing to apply 
preventative disease controls.  VEGETABLE conditions were lower.  Cantaloupes 
and cucumbers were in mostly fair condition, while tomatoes remained mostly 
good.  Snapbean conditions ranged from poor to excellent. 
                                                                                
                                          Crop Progress for Week Ending June 1, 2008                                         
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
         Crop and Stage        :  2008   :  2007   :5-Yr Avg ::          Crop and Stage        :  2008   :  2007   :5-Yr Avg 
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                               :           Percent           ::                                :           Percent           
                               :                             ::                                :                             
Cantaloup, Planted             :    98       100        98   :: Peanuts, Planted               :     89        85        89  
Corn, Emerged                  :    99       100        99   :: Snapbeans, Fresh, Harvested    :      8         0         6  
Corn, Silked                   :     3         5         6   :: Sorghum, Planted               :     82        89        76  
Cotton, Planted                :    92        94        90   :: Soybeans, Planted              :     60        54        52  
Cucumbers, Fresh, Planted      :   100       100       100   :: Soybeans, Emerged              :     40        33        29  
Cucumbers, Fresh, Harvested    :     8        14        14   :: Sweet Potatoes, Planted        :     54        50        54  
Hay, Grain Hay, Harvested      :    96        92        89   :: Watermelons, Planted           :     98        99        98  
Oats, Turned Color             :    97        95        94   :: Winter Wheat, Turning Color    :     95        94        95  
Oats, Ripe                     :    72        67        63   :: Winter Wheat, Ripe             :     60        62        58  
Oats, Harvested                :    31        26        13   :: Winter Wheat, Harvested        :     12        11        10  
Peaches, Harvested             :     8         4         7   ::                                :                             
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                
                     Condition for Week Ending June 1, 2008                     
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
        Crop       :Very Poor: Poor  : Fair  : Good  : Excellent  ::         Crop       :Very Poor: Poor  : Fair  : Good  : Excellent  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                   :                   Percent                    ::                    :                   Percent                    
                   :                                              ::                    :                                              
Apples             :    0        0      75      25          0     :: Peanuts            :     0        1      30      67          2    
Cantaloup          :    0        3      60      37          0     :: Snapbeans          :     0       20      30      40         10    
Corn               :    0        8      36      53          3     :: Sorghum            :     0       10      25      65          0    
Cotton             :    1        2      35      60          2     :: Soybeans           :     0        6      40      52          2    
Cucumbers          :    0        5      65      29          1     :: Sweet Potatoes     :     0        0      75      25          0    
Hay                :    0        6      46      44          4     :: Tobacco            :     0        0      14      80          6    
Livestock          :    0        5      37      57          1     :: Tomatoes           :     0        3      43      53          1    
Oats               :    0        2      27      63          8     :: Watermelons        :     0        6      52      42          0    
Pasture            :    0       11      55      33          1     :: Winter Wheat       :     0        2      28      59         11    
Peaches            :    0        7      17      76          0     ::                    :                                              
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                
     South Carolina Weekly Weather Summary for the Week Ending June 1, 2008     
                                                                                
The week began with Monday's cool 50-degree morning, then warming into the 
80's through Tuesday afternoon.  On Wednesday, a nearly stationary boundary 
became the avenue for rounds of showers and a few lone thundershowers.  
Givhans, in Dorchester County, measured a soaking 2.49 inches of rain during 
a thundershower.  Most of the heavier rains were limited to eastern locations 
of the state. High temperatures on Thursday were reported in the 70's as a 
result of the cloud cover.  Clearing skies on Friday afternoon and 
southwesterly surface winds signaled the start of summer-like weather for the 
weekend. On both Saturday and Sunday most of South Carolina baked under the 
high angle sun with localized maximum temperatures climbing into the middle 
90's. Isolated, convective thunderstorms with high winds and small hail were 
reported Sunday afternoon and evening over the Pee Dee and central coast 
area.   The state average temperature for the period was near normal.
      
      The highest official temperature reported was 97 degrees at Darlington 
AP on June 1.  The lowest official temperature reported was 49 degrees at 
Bennettsville, Orangeburg, Dillon, Jamestown, Witherbee, and Cades on the 
morning of May 26.  The heaviest official 24-hour rainfall reported was 2.97 
inches at Walhalla ending at 7:00 a.m. on May 31. The state average rainfall 
for the period was 0.4 inches.
                                                                                
SOIL:  4-inch depth average soil temperature:  Columbia 78 degrees.
                                                                                
RIVERS AND SURF:  South Carolina river stages were below normal.  Ocean water 
temperatures at Springmaid Pier Myrtle Beach were reported at 78 degrees.
                                                                                
                                            Precipitation                                           
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
         Location        :         Weekly         :         Jan 1          :       Deviation        
                         :         Total          :         Total          :      from Average      
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Greer                    :          0.16                    16.44                     -5.8          
Columbia                 :          0.22                    15.19                     -4.2          
Orangeburg               :          0.52                    15.40                     -4.0          
Charlotte, NC            :          1.14                    15.13                     -3.5          
Augusta, GA              :          0.01                    16.89                     -2.5          
Florence                 :          0.52                    16.64                     -0.7          
N Myrtle Beach           :          0.47                    16.44                      0.3          
Charleston               :          0.90                    13.35                     -3.4          
Savannah, GA             :          0.20                    12.91                     -4.7          
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Weekly rainfall totals this period ending midnight Sunday.