Dry weather conditions allowed farmers to make good progress on spring planting during the week ending June 4, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Statewide there were 6.0 days suitable for fieldwork, which were the most Iowa has had all season. Field activities for the week included planting and re-planting, applying herbicides, and harvesting the first crop of alfalfa hay.
Topsoil moisture levels statewide rated 9 percent short, 85 percent adequate and 6 percent surplus. Levels in west central Iowa were 5 percent short, 88 percent adequate and 7 percent surplus.
Subsoil moisture levels statewide rated 3 percent short, 87 percent adequate and 10 percent surplus. Ratings in west central Iowa were 1 percent short, 87 percent adequate and 12 percent surplus.
Ninety percent of corn crop has emerged, six days behind last year and one day behind the 5-year average. Corn condition improved and rated 77 percent good to excellent.
Soybean planting reached 91 percent complete, two days behind last year, but over a week ahead of average. Soybean emergence reached 62 percent, one day behind average. The first soybean condition rating of the season came in at 1 percent very poor, 3 percent poor, 23 percent fair, 62 percent good and 11 percent excellent.
Dry weather allowed one-third of the first cutting of alfalfa hay to be harvested last week. Hay conditions improved to 85 percent good to excellent. Livestock conditions were reported as good with very little stress.
Iowa preliminary weather summary by Harry Hillaker, state climatologist, Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship – The past reporting week was very dry across Iowa with only occasional isolated to scattered showers and thunderstorms.
The week began with seasonal temperatures on Sunday, May 28, with daytime high temperatures mostly in the 70s with a few isolated thunderstorms over the northwest on Sunday night. Monday through Thursday morning were unseasonably cool with overnight low temperatures mostly in the 40s with daytime highs mostly in the 70s.
There were a few isolated showers over the extreme north on Monday evening with dry weather statewide on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.
Much warmer air began to move into the state on Thursday with highs in the 80s statewide. Friday, June 2, brought high temperatures into the 90s over the northwest and warmer still on Saturday with highs in the 90s across most of the state.
The most widespread rain of the week came on Friday when scattered thunderstorms brought rain to parts of southwest and south central Iowa. A few isolated thunderstorms developed over the northwest one-third of the state on Saturday afternoon and evening. Finally a few light showers dampened some isolated areas of east central and southeast Iowa on Sunday morning, June 4.
Temperature extremes for the week varied from Wednesday morning lows of 39 degrees at Chariton and Grinnell to a Friday afternoon high of 95 degrees at Sioux City, only two degrees shy of the record high for the date at that location.
Temperatures for the week as a whole averaged 0.9 degrees above normal. Creston reported the most rain for the week with 1.28 inches while over one-half of the state recorded no rain at all. The statewide average rainfall was 0.05 inches while normal for the week is 1.10 inches. This was the driest week in 16 weeks (mid-February).
