For the second week in a row, mostly dry weather conditions allowed Iowa farmers to get work done in their fields. Statewide there were 5.3 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending June 16, according to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Fieldwork activities included planting and replanting of crops, harvesting hay, spraying and applying nitrogen.
Topsoil moisture levels statewide rated 4 percent short, 77 percent adequate and 19 percent surplus. In west central Iowa ratings were 9 percent short, 83 percent adequate and 8 percent surplus.
Subsoil moisture levels across the state rated 1 percent short, 70 percent adequate and 29 percent surplus. Ratings in west central Iowa were 1 percent short, 83 percent adequate and 6 percent surplus.
Corn planting has nearly finished with 98 percent of the expected corn crop planted. Eighty-eight percent of the crop has emerged, longer than two weeks behind last year and the 5-year average. Corn condition improved slightly to 59 percent good to excellent.
Eighty-nine percent of the expected soybean crop has been planted, 16 days behind last year and two weeks behind average. Sixty-three percent of the crop has emerged, two weeks behind average. The first soybean condition rating of the season came in at 2 percent very poor, 4 percent poor, 33 percent fair, 53 percent good and 8 percent excellent.
Dry weather allowed more than one-quarter of the first cutting of alfalfa hay to be harvested last week, reaching 61 percent complete. Hay condition improved to 65 percent good to excellent. Pasture and range condition rated 66 percent good to excellent. There were no livestock issues reported and feedlot conditions improved with the drier weather.
Preliminary weather summary provided by Justin Glisan, Ph.D, state climatologist, Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship – Unseasonably cool temperatures returned to Iowa after a week of warmer than normal conditions. Drier than normal conditions also prevailed across a majority of the state with rainfall deficits between a half to an inch below normal in the western half of Iowa. Pockets of above average rainfall were found in north-central and eastern Iowa.
A weak cold front moved through on Sunday, June 9, bringing cooler than normal conditions across western Iowa. Overnight lows into Monday remained cool, dipping into the low to mid 50s; northwestern Iowa reported lows in the upper 40s, six to nine degrees cooler than average. Monday was dry and windy under mostly sunny skies. Northwest winds behind the cold front kept highs in the upper 70s, two degrees below average statewide. Tuesday, Tuesday, June 11, saw rainy conditions across much of the state as multiple waves of showers and a few thunderstorms moved through Iowa ahead of a low pressure system. Northern and western Iowa saw the highest rainfall accumulations, with totals up to 0.20 inch above normal.
The low and attendant cold front continued to move through on Wednesday, bringing measurable rain across much of Iowa. Two-day rain totals, reported at 7 am on Thursday June 13, ranged from 0.10 inch in Van Meter (Dallas County) to 0.86 inch in Waukon (Allamakee County). The statewide average was 0.22 inch, 0.12 inch below average.
Thursday was pleasant and mostly sunny, as a high pressure system over Missouri brought nice conditions across the region. Highs were in the low to mid 70s in eastern Iowa and mid to upper 70s across the western half; temperatures statewide were six degrees below average. Friday remained unseasonably cool under partly to mostly cloudy skies with rain showers moving across much of the state. Another wave of showers moved through extreme southern Iowa into the morning hours on Saturday, June 15. Rain totals for the 24-hour period ending at 7 am were generally less than 0.10 inch with higher accumulations near the Iowa-Missouri border. Creston (Union County) reported 0.67 inch.
Saturday afternoon was active with thunderstorms firing in an unstable atmosphere, initially across northern and eastern Iowa. Many of the thunderstorms turned severe almost immediately with multiple reports of hail and straight-line winds across 12 counties. A land spout tornado also reportedly caused barn damage in Whitten (Hardin County). As the afternoon progressed, strong storms began to pop in central Iowa and eventually consolidated into a squall line that moved into eastern Iowa during the evening hours. There were pockets of moderate to heavy rainfall with totals ranging from 0.22 inch in Dakota City (Humboldt County) to 2.28 inches in Toledo (Tama County); nearly 20 stations reported measurements above one inch. The statewide average rainfall was 0.74 inch, 0.57 inch above average. Overnight lows into Sunday remained near seasonal with temperatures in the low to mid 60s.
Weekly rainfall totals ranged 0.10 inch at Allerton (Wayne County) to 2.59 inches in Garwin (Tama County). The statewide weekly average precipitation was 1.06 inches, while the normal is 1.19 inches.
Temperatures averaged 65.0 degrees, 5.2 degrees below normal. The week’s high temperature of 88 degrees was observed in Ames (Story County) and Des Moines (Polk County) on June 15, on average six degrees above normal. Estherville Municipal Airport (Emmet County) reported the week’s low temperature of 40 degrees on June 13, 17 degrees below average.
