The Climate Prediction Center Outlook for March shows the Southeastern states with normal temperature and precipitation. If current trends persist, precipitation is likely to total a bit less than the average.

Temperatures are expected to warm rapidly during the first half of the month. Weather pattern are keeping the coldest air to our north. Southerly winds and only partly cloudy skies will warm the air.

With this in mind, soil temperatures should warm on schedule as soils dry allowing the spring planting season to get on track early. Watch soil temperature at planting depth and plan to get the corn crop in as soon as temperatures average above 50 for several days in a row. Remember that this means lowest temperatures will still act to slow germination so consider any forecast of heavy precipitation immediately after planting as a signal to wait a couple of days.

For the strawberry growers, nighttime low temperatures still have the chance to fall into the upper 20s for several more weeks. Watch your crop as it approaches bloom and have your irrigation system prepared to fight frost and freezing temperatures.

Peach bloom is still a few weeks away. Even though daytime highs early in the month will be pushing toward the 70s, cool night temperatures will help keep bud progress in check.

For the remainder of the Spring-time season, temperatures and rainfall are both expected to be near normal. It will not be until we get into June that we will see temperatures rise above normal and remain there through the summer months.

Summer precipitation will be as usual, afternoon thundershowers whose totals cannot be predicted using current climate models.

Those models do show the upper Midwestern drought continuing. Winter precipitation has not been very heavy in most of the upper Midwest. Drought in the wheat growing areas from Texas northward to the Dakotas may have an impact this year on yields. These same locations may not get rain needed to fill the soil profile enough to assure a good summer crop of corn or soybeans. Keep your eye on precipitation in those areas.

I looked at the South American weather patterns in Brazil and Argentina. The Argentine soybean growing states are in a drought. Their yield should be well under normal amounts. Brazil growing areas, on the other hand, continue to have timely rainfall. Check the latest crop reports from the USDA as you decide how many acres to plant this season. Argentine production will be dependent upon how many acres are harvested this year.  They did go heavy on soybeans when corn planting was being curtailed by dry soils.

What is the bottom line for South Carolina growers? Planting should be on schedule with very few delays this spring-time. It looks as if we should then enter into the heart of the growing season with adequate soil moisture. Timing of showers through the summer control plant stress and final yields. Growers who use irrigation should have sufficient surface water supplies to carry them through the critical parts of the season.

Warmer than normal summertime temperatures will probably be the result of higher daytime temperatures than we experienced last year. Nighttime low temperatures will be controlled by the frequency of rainfall adding moisture to the air. The more moisture, the higher the nighttime temperatures and the more humid the climate.

Recent Freeze Information

Cold temperatures across the state for the past three mornings reminded us that Spring is always full of cold weather surprises. These events seem to happen each year close to Clemson’s spring break.

Here is information that I gleaned from the reporting stations and from a review of the satellite pictures. The GOES satellite IR pictures show coldest locations across the area that I cross referenced with actual temperature reports to get a better idea of where the cold spots were located.

Temperatures in the Ridge peach growing area were from 25 to 29 degrees. Johnston reported 25 with a secondary source in the area saying 26. Sites just a short distance away were in the 27 to 29 degree range. Critical temperatures post-bloom are 23 to 25 degrees so some of the ridge peaches were thinned. They do not need another cold snap since this was a very good second thinning.

Temperatures in the Chesterfield growing area were 26 at Cheraw, 25 at Chesterfield. This puts that peach area into a very good thinning depending upon crop stage. Critical temperatures for late bloom are 23 to 24 degrees.

Temperatures in the apple area of Oconee county dropped into the 18 to 20 degree range. Thank goodness the apples are not quite far enough along to really taking a hit. The Hendersonville, NC, apple crop area temperatures dropped into the teens.

It did get cold in the Allendale and Hampton County area where cantaloupe and watermelon are grown. 27 at Allendale, 31 at Walterboro, 31 Orangeburg. These temperatures are low enough to damage the young transplants. There should be fields that will require replanting of those crops.

Cold temperature in the remainder of the coastal plains made it down to the upper 20s. If there were little corn plants pushing up, they made a quick retreat. These temperatures will slow corn and it will have to start a new leaf. At least it does not completely kill the small plant.

Hopefully the strawberry growers took measures to protect their crop. Both overhead irrigation and row covers should have worked in the coastal plains since temperatures were only into the upper 20s.

Island locations where tomatoes may have been in the ground fell to the 33 to 35 degree range. This may have been close enough to cause some damage to the crop.

For additional information on the Climate Outlook or other weather relates questions, contact the Agricultural Weather Office at Clemson University.

Dr. Dale E. Linvill
Agricultural Weather Office
Clemson University, Clemson SC 29634-0357
tel: 864.656.4070 fax: 864.656.0338