Wet conditions continued to slow down fieldwork in Iowa during the week ending April 12, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Statewide there were 2.7 days suitable for fieldwork. Producers in west central Iowa had 2.6 days suitable.
Parts of Iowa experienced snow during the week and cool soil temperatures remain a concern. After a slow start, farmers in northern Iowa continued to apply anhydrous, while applications in the southern two-thirds of the state were winding down.
Topsoil moisture levels at the beginning of the growing season are much more favorable than in the previous two years. See the accompanying graph.
Topsoil moisture levels statewide rated 2 percent very short, 17 percent short, 76 percent adequate and 5 percent surplus. West central Iowa is just a bit wetter, with ratings at 1 percent very short, 9 percent short, 87 percent adequate and 3 percent surplus.
Subsoil moisture levels statewide rated 2 percent very short, 20 percent short, 75 percent adequate and 3 percent surplus. Those ratings in west central Iowa were 2 percent very short, 12 percent short, 85 percent adequate and 1 percent surplus. North central Iowa reported the highest soil moisture levels with topsoil and subsoil moisture levels rated 95 percent and 87 percent in adequate to surplus, respectively.
One-quarter of the state’s expected oat crop (62 percent in west central Iowa) was planted during the week ending April 12. Statewide, 42 percent of oats have been planted, five days ahead of last year, but slightly behind normal. Four percent of oats have emerged, five days ahead of last year, but six days behind the average.
Pasture condition rated 41 percent good to excellent. Pastures are greening up, but use by livestock has been limited due to slow growth. Livestock conditions were reported as mostly good with some reports of calving nearing completion.
Iowa preliminary weather summary by Harry Hillaker, state climatologist, Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship: Showers and thunderstorms were widespread across Iowa each day from Monday (April 6) through Thursday (April 9). Dry weather returned for Friday and Saturday. Finally, widespread showers and thunderstorms brought rain to much of the state late Sunday (April 12) into Monday but fell too late to be included in this week’s totals. Scattered reports of large hail were received across southeast Iowa on Tuesday night as well as across central and southwestern areas on Wednesday. The most damaging severe weather occurred across eastern Iowa on Thursday with tornadoes confirmed in Clinton and northern Scott counties.
Snow also accumulated from west central to north central Iowa Thursday afternoon with greatest amounts of two to four inches reported from parts of Crawford, Sac and Calhoun counties. However, all of the snow was melted by noon Friday. Rain totals varied widely each day with weekly totals varying from only 0.01 inches at Bettendorf to 4.45 inches at Lake Mills. The most widespread significant rainfall generally fell from west central into north central Iowa where one to two inch weekly totals were common. The statewide average precipitation was 0.88 inches while normal for the week is 0.74 inches.
Temperatures also varied widely with daytime highs only in the 40s over parts of northern Iowa from Tuesday through Friday while readings soared into the low 80s over potions of southeast Iowa on Thursday. There were scattered freezes on Monday (April 6) and Friday (April 10) mornings with a freeze over most of the northeast one-half of the state on Saturday morning. Strong southerly winds rapidly pushed temperatures back above seasonal normals by Saturday afternoon and into Sunday.
Temperature extremes for the week varied from a low of 23 degrees at Belle Plaine on Saturday morning to a Thursday (April 9) afternoon high of 81 degrees at Bloomfield and a Sunday afternoon high of 80 degrees at Little Sioux. Temperatures for the week as a whole averaged 2.7 degrees above normal. Soil temperatures at the four inch depth as of Sunday were averaging in the low to mid-50s over most of Iowa.
