TOPEKA – Temperatures were above normal throughout the State last week as high temperatures ranged from the 60’s in the southeast to 75 degrees in Hays and Alton, while the southeast district received substantial precipitation.

In the north central, southwest and west central sistricts, all reporting stations reached high temperatures of 70-degrees or warmer. Low temperatures ranged from 13-degrees in Oberlin to 34-degrees in Columbus and Pittsburg. The northwest district experienced lows ranging from 13-to-17 degrees. The eastern districts all experienced lows in the 20’s and low 30’s.

Five of 52-weather stations received more than 1.5 inches of rain last week, though 24-stations received less than half an inch of moisture. The northwest and west central districts received little to no precipitation, while in the southeast district all stations received more than 1.3 inches of rain. The Pittsburg reporting station received the most precipitation at 2.59 inches.

Kansas farmers averaged 5.5 days suitable for field work last week. Topsoil moisture supplies were rated at 19-percent very short, 25-percent short, 53-percent adequate, and 3-percent surplus. Subsoil moisture supplies were rated 31-percent very short, 32-percent short, 36- percent adequate, and 1-percent surplus. Some producers were busy finishing harvest during the holiday week and others were applying anhydrous ammonia to fields.

Harvest is coming to a close as cotton farmers harvested 15-percent of the cotton crop last week, sunflowers harvested increased an additional 4-points, and sorghum harvested increased 2-points from the previous week. Only 3-percent of the sorghum acreage remained to be harvested as of Sunday, compared to being all harvested last year, and 7-percent remaining to be harvested for the 5-year average.

Cotton harvest advanced to 88-percent complete as of Sunday, ahead of 74-percent last year and well ahead of the 5-year average of 55-percent. Ninety-five percent of the sunflower crop has been harvested, compared to 97-percent for the previous year and the 5-year average of 91-percent.

Three percent of the winter wheat crop has yet to emerge, ahead of 5-percent left for the previous year and 4-percent left for the 5-year average. Wheat condition was rated as 4-percent very poor, 9-percent poor, 40-percent fair, 42-percent good, and 5-percent excellent.