The weather in Iowa last week was colder and wetter than normal for mid-September, and although crops weren’t damaged by an early frost, they weren’t helped much by the weather, either.
Heavy rains restricted fieldwork to only 2.6 days suitable across Iowa during the week ending Sept. 14, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Farmers in west central Iowa had only 1.5 days suitable to work. Average temperatures for the week were below normal, slowing crop development. Frost was reported across much of the state but caused little damage. Activities for the week included chopping silage, harvesting hay, and seeding cover crops.
Yet another week of above normal precipitation increased soil moisture levels across the state. Topsoil moisture statewide rated 4 percent short, 76 percent adequate, and 20 percent surplus. In west central Iowa the topsoil moisture levels rated 1 percent short, 72 percent adequate and 27 percent surplus.
Subsoil moisture levels statewide rated 1 percent very short, 8 percent short, 79 percent adequate, and 12 percent surplus. Levels in west central Iowa were 3 percent short, 83 percent adequate and 16 percent surplus.
Iowa’s corn crop reached 83 percent (91 percent WC Iowa) in or beyond the dent stage, five days ahead of the previous year but four days behind the five-year average. Nineteen percent (35 percent in WC Iowa) of the corn acreage was mature, three days ahead of last year but 11 days behind normal. Unchanged from previous two weeks, 76 percent of the corn acreage was reported in good to excellent condition.
Leaves were changing color on 51 percent (52 percent in WC Iowa) of soybean crop, four days ahead of the previous year, but four days behind average. Seventy-four percent of the soybean acreage was in good to excellent condition.
The third cutting of alfalfa hay was 71 percent complete, just more than two weeks behind both last year and the five-year average. Pasture condition rated 66 percent good to excellent. Reports indicated hay conditions were wet with concerns that a third cutting may not be completed.
Iowa preliminary weather summary by Harry Hillaker, state climatologist, Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship: Iowa endured a very cool and wet week. Frost was scattered across much of the state on Saturday morning (Sept. 13) with official temperatures dipping to 31 degrees at Elkader, Estherville, Mason City, Sheldon, Sioux Center, Stanley and Webster City. These were the lowest temperatures recorded in Iowa for so early in the season since a 29 degree reading near Elkader on Sept. 10, 1976.
Sidney recorded the highest temperature with a high of 85 degrees on Monday(Sept. 8). Temperatures were far below normal from Thursday through the weekend with daytime highs only in the 40s in many areas on Friday. Overall, temperatures for the week averaged 9.0 degrees below normal.
Volunteer weather observer John Beltz reported a low temperature of 43 degrees for the week ending Friday at 7 am. The Saturday morning temperature will be in next week’s report. High temperature for the week was 77 degrees on Sept. 10.
Also of note were torrential rains over portions of the southern one-half of the state between Tuesday morning (Sept. 9) and Wednesday morning (Sept. 10).
Weekly rain totals varied from 0.38 inches at Estherville to 5.65 inches at Hartford (Warren Co.). Beltz reported 1.88 inches of rain in Jefferson, with 1.23 of that Tuesday into Wednesday morning.
The statewide average precipitation was 2.26 inches, while normal for the week is 0.82 inches. This was the fourth consecutive wetter than normal week. The statewide average month-to-date rainfall has already exceeded the normal for the entire month.
