Continued precipitation, heavy in some areas of the state, resulted in 4.7 days suitable for fieldwork for the week ending Aug. 21, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Precipitation and cooler nights benefitted grain and pod fill. Activities for the week included harvesting oats and cutting hay when ground conditions were dry enough.
Topsoil moisture levels statewide rated 1 percent very short, 6 percent short, 85 percent adequate and 8 percent surplus. Levels in west central Iowa were 2 percent short, 91 percent adequate and 7 percent surplus.
Subsoil moisture levels statewide rated 1 percent very short, 8 percent short, 84 percent adequate and 7 percent surplus. Levels in WC Iowa were 1 percent very short, 11 percent short, 82 percent adequate and 6 percent surplus. South central and southeast Iowa continue to report the lowest subsoil moisture levels in the state.
Ninety percent of the corn crop reached the dough stage or beyond, 10 days ahead of the 5-year average, with 45 percent dented or beyond, six days ahead of last year and four days ahead of normal. There were scattered reports of corn showing signs of maturity. Corn condition rated 83 percent good to excellent.
Soybeans setting pods reached 92 percent (96 percent in WC Iowa), five days ahead of last year and four days ahead of normal. Three percent of soybeans have started to turn color. Soybean condition rated 82 percent good to excellent, although there were reports of sudden death and white mold in some soybean fields.
The third cutting of alfalfa hay was 66 percent complete (80 percent in WC Iowa), four days ahead of average. Pasture condition rated 64 percent good to excellent. Livestock experienced little stress with near ideal conditions.
Iowa preliminary weather summary by Harry Hillaker, state climatologist, Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship – Both temperatures and precipitation averaged close to seasonal normals across Iowa.
The reporting week began with slightly cooler than normal weather on Monday, Aug. 15, when Estherville reported a morning low of 54 degrees. Warmer than normal weather prevailed from Tuesday through Friday, Aug. 16-19, with Thursday being the hottest day in most areas with highs in the upper 80s to lower 90s. Finally, the weekend brought much cooler weather with highs in the 70s statewide.
Temperature extremes for the week ranged from Thursday afternoon highs of 92 degrees at Des Moines, Sioux City, Osceola and Sigourney while Spencer and Sheldon reported the lowest temperatures with 46 degree minimums on Sunday morning, Aug. 21. Temperatures for the week as a whole averaged 0.3 degrees above normal.
Monday was mostly dry while rain was scattered over the western one-third of Iowa on Tuesday and across the eastern two-thirds of the state on Wednesday with a few central and north central locations picking up more than an inch of rain.
Rain fell mostly over far northeast Iowa on Thursday night with locally heavy amounts more than 3 inches near Elkader. Finally, rain fell statewide from Friday afternoon into Saturday morning with rain amounts of 1-2 inches common from west central into north central and northeast Iowa. Rain totals for the week varied from only 0.03 inches at Doon in Lyon County to 4.19 inches near Volga in Clayton County. The statewide average precipitation was 1.07 inches, or just slightly above the weekly normal of 0.96 inches.
