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December weather fairly normal for stateSouth Dakota With below-average temperatures and scattered precipitation, the month of December has been fairly normal for South Dakota agriculture, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service, South Dakota Field Office, Jan. 7. Average snow depth for the state is 3.4 inches. The western part of the state remains short of moisture. Major farm activities included caring for livestock, marketing grain, purchasing crop inputs for the coming year and end of the year tax preparation. Snowfall and temperature conditions were intricately linked during most of December, according to the State Climate Office of South Dakota. Parts of the southwest and most of the eastern third of the state received snowfall during the month. Snow cover remained over most of these areas except for some locations along the boundary with Minnesota and some of the locations west of the river where snow cover was marginal. The areas that retained snow cover through most of the month had below average temperatures for the month. Places in west and south central South Dakota without snow cover had near to above average temperatures because of the open ground conditions. While colder than average overall, the extreme temperatures reaching the teens below zero were far from what is possible during December. The wettest area was in the far southeast from Yankton to Sioux Falls, where several storms dropped well over an inch of liquid equivalent during December in rain, freezing rain and snow. Most of the snow fell across the state on frozen ground doing little for soil moisture conditions, also preserving the mainly frozen soil conditions across the state. Weather conditions have had little long term effect on road conditions. County roads are rated at 100 percent open and township roads are rated at 97 percent open, 2 percent difficult and 1 percent closed. Soil temperatures for Dec. 31, 2007 have dropped to the 20s and low 30s. The lowest four-inch soil temperature was recorded in Beresford at 22 F, and the highest was recorded in Redfield, at 33 F. The U.S. Drought Monitor continues to classify the western third of the state in moderate drought conditions, with some areas being moved up to severe drought conditions. Some producers in western South Dakota have been concerned about the lack of snow cover protection for the upcoming winter wheat crop. Winter wheat condition is rated as 2 percent very poor, 4 percent poor, 40 percent fair, 46 percent good and 8 percent excellent, with snow cover rated at 78 percent poor, 21 percent adequate and 1 percent excellent. Alfalfa snow cover is rated as 45 percent poor, 44 percent adequate and 11 percent excellent. In some areas of the state lack of snow cover has allowed producers to extend grazing of crops stubble. However, other areas with greater snow cover have also been reporting adequate feed and water supplies. Feed supplies are rated at 90 percent adequate to surplus, up 21 percentage points from last year. Stock water supplies are rated 72 percent adequate to surplus, up 22 percentage points from last year. Cattle conditions are rated 87 percent good to excellent, with newborn calf deaths from the fall crop rated at 15 percent below average, 82 percent average and 3 percent above average. Sheep conditions are rated 89 percent good to excellent, with newborn lamb deaths from the fall crop rated at 11 percent below average and 89 percent average. 1/14/07 Date: 1/9/08
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