Harvest activities were virtually completed during the week ending Nov. 20, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Statewide there were 6.3 days suitable for fieldwork. Although parts of northwest Iowa received snow, activities for the state during the week included harvesting, baling corn stalks, tiling, terracing, hauling and spreading manure, and anhydrous application.
Topsoil moisture levels statewide rated 3 percent very short, 14 percent short, 80 percent adequate and 3 percent surplus. Levels in west central Iowa rated 6 percent very short, 16 percent short, 75 percent adequate and 3 percent surplus.
Subsoil moisture levels statewide rated 2 percent very short, 9 percent short, 81 percent adequate and 8 percent surplus. In west central Iowa subsoil moisture levels rated 1 percent very short, 9 percent short, 85 percent adequate and 5 percent surplus.
Ninety-eight percent of the corn crop for grain has been harvested, two days ahead of the 5-year average. Moisture content of all corn for grain being harvested in Iowa was 16 percent. Southwest and south central Iowa were still lagging slightly behind with approximately 8 percent of the corn crop and 5 percent of the soybean crop remaining to be harvested.
Grain movement from farm to elevator was rated 51 percent moderate to heavy, down 4 percentage points from the previous week. Off-farm grain storage availability was rated 63 percent adequate to surplus. On-farm grain storage availability was rated 58 percent adequate to surplus.
Livestock conditions were described as good and many fields have cows out in the corn stalks.
Iowa preliminary weather summary by Harry Hillaker, state climatologist, Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship – The exceptionally mild run of late autumn weather finally came to an end with a strong cold front moving across the state on Friday, Noc. 18. A storm system associated with the frontal passage brought the first accumulating snow of the season to the far northwest corner of Iowa on Friday with 4.5 inches of snow reported near Lester in Lyon County and 3.5 inches at Sioux Center.
Measurable rainfall was limited to portions of the northwest one-half of the state with amounts mostly under one-tenth of an inch although the moisture equivalent of the snowfall was a quarter-inch or greater along and northwest of a Sioux City to Estherville line. No measurable precipitation fell across the southeast one-half of the state.
The statewide average precipitation was only 0.05 inches while normal for the week is 0.48 inches.
Temperatures were far above normal from Monday through Thursday, Nov. 14-17, with the highest temperatures occurring on Thursday when Ottumwa, Donnellson and Mount Pleasant reached 77 degrees. Mild weather held on into late Friday morning over eastern Iowa with temperatures in the 60s.
The coldest weather so far this season prevailed over the weekend with daytime highs reaching only 26 degrees at Rock Rapids and Sibley on Saturday, Nov. 19, while Rock Rapids reported a Sunday morning low of 13 degrees.
The cold weather finally broke a string of 28 consecutive days with above normal statewide average temperatures (Oct. 22 through Nov. 18). Temperatures for the week as a whole averaged 7.3 degrees above normal.
