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Cold, lack of precipitation not helping wheat cropSouth Dakota Cold and dry conditions, with no major severe weather activities across the state in February meant few surprises for South Dakota agriculture, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service, South Dakota Field Office, March 3. The average snow depth for the state is 1.4 inches. Central and western parts of the state are short of moisture. County road conditions were rated at 100 percent open. Township road conditions were rated at 97 percent open and 3 percent difficult. Farm activities focused on caring for livestock, calving and lambing activities, marketing grain, and purchasing seed and inputs for spring planting. Lack of precipitation and cold temperatures were the two big stories for the month over most of the state, according to the State Climate Office of South Dakota. Several cold air masses traversed the state during February bringing all locations well below zero all over the state. Temperatures fell well into the -20s F northeast of a line form Roscoe to Madison at the most extreme. These cold air masses also kept average temperatures for the month well below average over the whole state with the most extreme being 9 to 10 F below average in the far southeast few counties. Temperatures were less extreme in the west, with parts of the far southwest from Philip toward Oral actually slightly above average for the month. Temperatures moderated very quickly during the last few days of the month starting to bring soil temperatures back toward freezing across most of the bare ground areas. Remaining snow cover in the far northeast counties and Sioux Falls and surrounding areas was also eroding quickly. While all stations received precipitation during the month, nearly all the state was below average precipitation. The only locations above average were the northern Black Hills and a few stations in the northwest counties. A few stations in the southeast along the Missouri River were also above average. The rest of the state was well below average. This has been the case throughout most of the winter over most of the state. The biggest impact of the lack of snowfall will be in surface water availability. In much of the southeast quarter of the state, this will not be a big issue because fall precipitation recharged the soil moisture. Across much of the western part of the state, where surface water is more limited, the lack of snowfall is more of an issue. Cold temperatures across the state kept soil temperatures at the end of February mostly in the mid to high 20s. The lowest four-inch soil temperature was recorded in Brookings, at 23 F, and the highest was recorded in Aberdeen, at 32 F. The U.S. Drought Monitor continues to classify the western third of the state in moderate to severe drought conditions. Producers across the state continue to be concerned about the lack of snow cover protection for the winter wheat crop. Winter wheat condition is rated as 2 percent very poor, 11 percent poor, 34 percent fair, 42 percent good, and 11 percent excellent, with snow cover rated at 85 percent poor, 12 percent adequate, and 3 percent excellent. Alfalfa snow cover is rated as 69 percent poor, 24 percent adequate, and 7 percent excellent. The dry weather led to good conditions for calving and lambing across the state, with only minor livestock losses due to extreme cold temperatures. The lack of moisture, however, could lead to tighter feed and stock water supplies later in the spring. Feed supplies are rated at 90 percent adequate to surplus, up 25 percentage points from last year. Stock water supplies are rated 73 percent adequate to surplus, up 17 percentage points from last year. Cattle are rated 86 percent in good to excellent condition, with calf death losses since February 1 rated at 25 percent below average, 73 percent average and 2 percent above average. Sheep are rated 90 percent in good to excellent condition, with sheep and lamb death losses since February 1 rated at 18 percent below average, 80 percent average and 2 percent above average. 3/10/08 Date: 3/5/08
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