In Cooperation with:
  US Department of Commerce-NOAA
               USDA Farm Service Agency
    WV Cooperative Extension Service
                       WV Dept. of Agriculture

CROP-WEATHER
BULLETIN

  
USDA-NASS
West Virginia Field Office
Phone: (800) 535-7088
Fax: (304) 558-0297
Homepage: http://www.nass.usda.gov/wv                                                                                          

SOURCE: USDA/NASS West Virginia Field Office
RELEASED: September 16, 2008 
VOL. 08 NO.27
FOR WEEK OF: September 8 - 14

GENERAL

Unusually warm weather continued this week with most of the state reporting temperatures four to six degrees above normal. Once again, a majority of the observing sites hit the low 90s for at least one day. Southwestern and North Central sections of the Mountain State were the warmest. The average temperatures for the entire week were in the low to mid 70s for those regions. Rainfall was up a bit, with a state average of 0.85 of an inch. Weston brought the average up a bit with 2.95 inches. The bulk of that fell with a single storm. Five other locations had more than an inch of rainfall. 

Temperatures: Huntington had the highest recorded temperature of 94 degrees. Marlinton had the lowest recorded temperature of 50 degrees. The state average temperature was 71 degrees.

Precipitation: Weston had the highest recorded amount of precipitation with 2.95 inches. Charleston had the lowest recorded amount of precipitation with 0.20 of an inch.

Number of  days suitable for  fieldwork averaged 6 days last week.  

TOPSOIL MOISTURE CONDITION

	Very Short	Short	Adequate	Surplus	
	PERCENT	
Current Week	6	44	50	--	
Last
Week	22	33	45	--	
Last
 Year	34	40	26	--	

Farm activities included: cutting hay, chopping corn for silage, moving cattle, hauling water for livestock, harvesting vegetables, clipping pastures and picking apples and peaches.  

FRUIT

Based on degree day accumulations since biofix (first moth capture in pheromone traps), egg hatch of fourth generation oriental fruit moth is over, and egg hatch of third generation codling moth is estimated at 74 percent complete. Apple conditions ranged from poor to excellent with most orchards in fair condition. Apples were 31 percent harvested, compared with 23 percent last year and 22 percent for the 5-yr average.

CROP AND LIVESTOCK CONDITIONS

	Very Poor	Poor	Fair	Good	Exc	
	PERCENT	
Cattle & Calves	--	2	14	80	4	
Sheep & Lambs	--	1	8	88	3	
Apples	--	10	50	30	10	
Peaches	--	20	50	30	--	
Corn	-- 	2	10	67	21	
Hay	1	9	45	42	3	
Soybeans	--	--	2	87	11	
Pasture	3	16	40	40	1	

Peach conditions ranged from poor to good with most orchards in fair condition. Peaches were 73 percent harvested, compared with 82 percent last year and 86 percent for the 5-yr average. 

GRAINS and HAY

Corn conditions ranged from poor to excellent, but most fields were reported in good condition. Corn was 78 percent doughing, compared with 91 percent last year and 88 percent for the 5-yr average. Corn was 48 percent dented, compared with 59 percent last year and 61 percent for the 5-yr average. Corn was 3 percent mature, compared with 12 percent last year and 14 percent for the 5-yr average. Soybean conditions ranged from fair to excellent, but most fields were reported in good condition. Soybeans were 26 percent dropping leaves, compared with 33 percent last year and 34 percent for the 5-yr average. Wheat was 3 percent planted, compared with 2 percent last year and 5 percent for the 5-yr average. Hay conditions ranged from very poor to excellent, but fields were reported in mostly fair to good condition. Second-cutting was 88 percent complete, compared with 81 percent last year and 82 percent for the 5-yr average. Third-cutting was 19 percent complete, compared with 14 percent last year, 5-yr average comparison data not available.

LIVESTOCK and PASTURE

Cattle conditions ranged from poor to excellent, but most herds were reported in good condition. Sheep conditions ranged from poor to excellent, but most flocks were reported in good condition. Pasture conditions ranged from very poor to excellent, but most fields were reported in fair to good condition.

YEAR	
APPLES
	 
PEACHES	
CORN	
SOYBEANS	
WHEAT	
HAY	
	HARV.	HARV.	DOUGHING	DENTED	MATURE	DROP. LVS.	PLANTED	2nd Cut 	3rd Cut	
2008	31	73	78	48	3	26	3	88	19	
2007	23	82	91	59	12	33	2	81	14	
5 YR AVG	22	86	88	61	14	34	5	82	N/A	
HISTORICAL CROP PROGRESS
N/A-Not Available  

Temperature and Precipitation Data for the Week Ending 09-14-08	
	Temperature	Precipitation		
			Weekly	Week’s	Since April 1st
2008	Same Week	Season	
Station	High	Low	Average	Departure	Total	Norm		Last Year	Normal	
										
--NORTHWEST----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------	
WHEELING	87	51	70		1.10	 	18.58	16.09		
PARKERSBURG	92	55	72	4	0.33	0.77	22.86	15.06	21.75	
CRESTON	90	51	70		0.90		29.14	      16.46		
--NORTHCENTRAL-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------	
MORGANTOWN	89	54	70		1.08		25.83	22.99		
CLARKSBURG	90	54	71	4	1.10	0.80	26.62	20.70	22.73	
BELINGTON	89	53	69		0.96		29.49	24.99		
WESTON	90	55	71		2.95		23.84	19.12		
--SOUTHWEST-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------	
WILLIAMSON	93	56	76		1.01		21.74	18.51		
HUNTINGTON	94	57	75	6	0.40	0.63	19.69	13.88	21.25	
CHARLESTON	93	56	74	6	0.20	0.84	23.85	18.70	22.43	
RIPLEY	90	56	73		0.66		21.87	20.21		
--CENTRAL---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------	
TERRA ALTA	84	51	67		0.81		34.35	27.19		
ELKINS	89	52	71	7	0.88	0.91	23.49	24.72	  23.99	
MARLINTON	83	50	65		0.68		18.97	15.47		
BECKLEY	82	53	68	6	0.98	0.77	26.76	17.68	  20.72	
--SOUTHERN-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------	
PINEVILLE	88	59	73		0.58		21.63	19.20		
BLUEFIELD	88	54	70	4	0.41	0.77	21.64	15.54	20.40	
WHITE SUL SP	90	55	70		1.01		18.52	15.47		
BLUESTONE DAM	88	63	74		0.56		20.59	17.14		
--NORTHEASTERN-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------	
MARTINSBURG	91	56	71	2	0.42	0.84	26.78	13.53	19.68	
KEYSER	93	54	70		0.90		27.86	      *		
MOOREFIELD	92	55	71		0.67		22.65	      *		
										
State Average Temperature	71									
State Average Precipitation	0.85									
*No comparison data available.										
										
Source: Dept. of Commerce, National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration
National Weather Service, Charleston, WV	

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