Iowa experienced scattered storms across the state that delivered high winds and hail, limiting opportunities for fieldwork during the week ending June 30, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Statewide there were 4.4 days suitable for fieldwork. Fieldwork activities included planting, harvesting hay and spraying.
Topsoil moisture condition across the state was rated 2 percent short, 74 percent adequate and 24 percent surplus. Topsoil conditions in west central Iowa were rated 1 percent very short, 8 percent short, 84 percent adequate and 7 percent surplus.
Subsoil moisture condition statewide was rated 1 percent short, 69 percent adequate and 30 percent surplus. Ratings in west central Iowa were 4 percent short, 87 percent adequate and 9 percent surplus.
Corn condition improved to 64 percent good to excellent. Soybean planting has nearly finished with 97 percent of the expected soybean crop planted. Ninety percent of the crop has emerged, more than two weeks behind the 5-year average, and one percent has started to bloom. Soybean condition rated 64 percent good to excellent, also an improvement from last week.
Eighty-three percent of the first cutting of alfalfa hay has been cut, two weeks behind average. There are reports that a second cutting of alfalfa hay has also begun across the state. Hay condition declined to 63 percent good to excellent. Pasture condition rated 70 percent good to excellent.
Iowa preliminary weather summary provided by Justin Glisan, Ph.D., state climatologist, Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship – Unseasonably dry conditions were reported across a majority of the state with locations across northern Iowa observing above average rainfall; west-central Iowa experienced rainfall deficits of more than an inch below normal. Unseasonable warmness also returned to the state over the reporting period with the average temperature 2.50 degrees above the normal of 73.0 degrees.
A low pressure system and attendant cold front propagated across Iowa on Sunday, June 23, producing showers and thunderstorms. Partly to mostly cloudy conditions prevailed across the state with highs only reaching into the low to mid 70s. Rainfall totals at 7 am on Monday, June 24, ranged from 0.01 inch in Sioux City (Woodbury County) to 2.22 inches in Ringsted (Emmet County).
Tuesday, June 25, was an active weather day for Iowa’s southern half. Thunderstorms began to pop up in the early afternoon hours with some becoming severe. Thunderstorms continued to form over this region into the nighttime hours. There were multiple reports of hail across nine counties with Murray (Clarke County) reporting a 2.00 inch hailstone. There were also a few reports of severe straight-line winds causing tree damage from Decatur to Davis counties. Rainfall totals were in the general range of 0.25 to 1.00 inch across the southern third of Iowa. Locally heavy rain also accompanied some of these thunderstorms; Creston (Union County) reported 1.92 inches, 1.78 inches more than average. Thunderstorm activity continued across western Iowa into Wednesday until the system dissipated around midday. Skies cleared allowing highs to reach into the low to mid 80s.
Strong thunderstorms, some of which turned severe, moved across northern Iowa during the early morning hours of Thursday,June 27. Multiple occurrences of severe straight-line winds and large hail were reported from Sioux County to Jones County. Locally heavy rain totals were also observed. Thirteen stations reported rainfall above two inches with New Hampton (Chickasaw County) observing 3.52 inches, 3.34 inches more than normal. High temperatures across the northern third of Iowa stayed in the low to mid 70s where clouds and rain were present. The rest of the state saw temperatures in the upper 80s and low 90s, four to five degrees above average.
A large swath of east-central Iowa experienced thunderstorms on Friday as a mesoscale convective system (MCS) moved south from Minnesota. The storms intensified as they moved into southern Iowa, producing downpours and severe straight-line wind reports from Marion County to Des Moines County; 11 counties had high wind reports with minor tree and/or structural damage. Bloomfield (Davis County) also reported quarter-sized hail. Much of eastern Iowa observed measurable rain with totals along the path of the MCS between 0.50 and 1.00 inch. Eight stations reported totals over an inch with Albia (Monroe County) observing 1.68 inches.
Saturday, June 29, was the warmest day of the year statewide with average highs in the low 90s across northeastern Iowa and mid to upper 90s across the rest of the state; the average high was 95 degrees, eight degrees above average. Isolated thunderstorms popped up in eastern Iowa, leaving behind 1.14 inches in Dubuque (Dubuque County). Overnight lows into Sunday remained well above average under generally clear skies. Under light southerly winds, the average low was 71 degrees, nine degrees above normal statewide.
Weekly rainfall totals ranged from 0.01 inch in Des Moines (Polk County) to 4.27 inches in Creston (Union County). The statewide weekly average precipitation was 0.95 inch, while the normal is 1.16 inches. The week’s high temperature of 98 degrees was observed in Little Sioux (Harrison County) and Mapleton (Monona County) on June 29, 13 degrees above normal. Cresco (Howard County) reported the week’s low temperature of 53 degrees on June 26th, five degrees below average.
