While hot and dry conditions allowed many farmers to get caught up on fieldwork, others could do nothing but watch it rain during the week ending June 10, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Statewide there were 5.1 days suitable for fieldwork. Activities for the week included hay harvest, wrapping up planting for the year and post-emergent weed and fertilizer applications.
Topsoil moisture levels statewide rated 4 percent very short, 15 percent short, 71 percent adequate and 10 percent surplus. Levels in west central Iowa rated 1 percent very short, 9 percent short, 73 percent adequate and 17 percent surplus.
Subsoil moisture levels statewide rated 5 percent very short, 17 percent short, 69 percent adequate and 9 percent surplus. In west central Iowa those levels were 1 percent very short, 10 percent short, 81 percent adequate and 8 percent surplus. Drought concerns continue in south central and southeast Iowa as subsoil moisture ratings of very short to short reached 70 percent or more.
Ninety-seven percent of the corn crop has emerged with 81 percent rated in good to excellent condition. Soybean growers have 98 percent of the expected crop planted, two weeks ahead of the 5-year average.
Eighty-nine percent of soybeans have emerged, five days ahead of last year. Seventy-eight percent of the soybean crop was rated in good to excellent condition. Nearly all the oat crop has emerged, with 38 percent headed. Eighty-one percent of the oat crop was rated in good to excellent condition.
Hay condition was rated 69 percent good to excellent. Pasture conditions rated 60 percent good to excellent. High temperatures have strained pastures in areas lacking rainfall. Cattle continued to experience heat stress.
Iowa preliminary weather summary by Dr. Justin Glisan, state climatologist, Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship – The week began with warmer temperatures across northern Iowa, ranging from 2-7 degrees above normal. With the exception of the southwest corner, where average temperatures were 2-3 degrees cooler than expected, the rest of Iowa had near normal values in the upper 70s.
On June 4, Swea City (Kossuth County) reported a high of 91 degrees. Sioux City observed a high of 94 degrees, 15 degrees above average on June 5. Mid-week through the weekend saw above average temperatures across most of Iowa; 95 degrees was observed in Rock Rapids June 6 and Little Sioux June 7. Lamoni ended the week with a high of 93 degrees.
Between June 4-5, the state was dry, with only a few reports of measurable precipitation from pop-up thunderstorms. Guttenberg recorded 0.2 inches on June 4; Dubuque observed 0.05 inches June 5.
An organized line of storms moved between Mason City and Des Moines on the morning of June 6. Quarter size hail was reported in Buchanan County. Widespread convective activity in the afternoon and evening brought heavy rain, hail and straight-line winds to east central Iowa. Ames received 1.41 inches of rain along with dime to quarter size hail; Stanhope reported golf ball size hail. Overall, there were more than 50 reports of severe hail and high winds.
Thunderstorms brought above normal amounts of rain, around 0.2 – 0.4 inches, to central Iowa mid-week. From June 7-10, flooding occurred in northeastern Iowa, including Mitchell and Floyd Counties, as slow moving thunderstorms produced multiple inches of rain. Iowa’s southern third reported measurable rainfall on Sunday, as a line of thunderstorms slowly progressed across the region. Forest City reported a brief touch down of a rope tornado on June 9. Slow moving storms in northeastern Iowa also produced flash flooding in multiple locations on June 10.
