Rain showers hindered fieldwork in Iowa during the week ending May 29, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Statewide there were 3.0 days suitable for fieldwork, but only 2.1 days in west central Iowa. Standing water was reported in some fields. Field activities included planting and replanting.
Topsoil moisture levels rated 3 percent short, 82 percent adequate and 15 percent surplus. Topsoil moisture levels in west central Iowa rated 1 percent short, 83 percent adequate and 16 percent surplus.
Subsoil moisture levels statewide rated 3 percent short, 81 percent adequate and 16 percent surplus. The western third of Iowa continues to have the highest percentage of surplus subsoil. In west central Iowa levels were 77 percent adequate and 23 percent surplus.
Virtually all of Iowa’s corn crop has been planted. Corn emerged reached 90 percent, two days ahead of last year and five days ahead of normal. Seventy-seven percent of the corn crop was rated in good to excellent condition.
Soybean planting reached 88 percent complete, nine days ahead of last year and 10 days ahead of normal. Soybean emergence reached 55 percent, three days ahead of both last year and normal. Soybeans in west central Iowa are lagging behind the state average, with 82 percent planted and 49 percent emerged.
Although frequent rains slowed progress, the first cutting of alfalfa hay was 35 percent complete, six days ahead of last year and five days ahead of the 5-year average. Both hay and pasture conditions rated 78 percent good to excellent. Livestock conditions were described as good with very little stress.
Iowa preliminary weather summary by Harry Hillaker, state climatologist, Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship: It was a warm and wet week across Iowa.
Showers and thunderstorms were a daily occurrence across Iowa with the most widespread rain falling on Wednesday and Friday nights. Rain totals were highly variable but once again were generally greatest in western portions of the state with weekly amounts ranging from 0.40 inches at Maquoketa to 6.06 inches at Atlantic. The statewide average precipitation was 1.78 inches while normal for the week is 1.05 inches.
Severe thunderstorms occurred somewhere in Iowa on each day of the reporting week except Friday. The most widespread severe weather, mostly coming as high winds, occurred late Wednesday into Thursday morning with reports received from 19 counties over central and northern Iowa.
Temperatures were well above seasonal normals every day of the week with daytime highs mostly in the 80s. Temperature extremes for the week varied from an afternoon high of 88 degrees Tuesday, May 24, at Davenport to a morning low of 50 degrees Sunday, May 29, at Mount Ayr.
Temperatures for the week as a whole averaged 6.5 degrees above normal with eastern Iowa generally a little warmer than the west. Soil temperatures climbed substantially in response to the persistent warm weather and were mostly averaging in the upper 60s over the north and lower 70s across the south.
