Rainfall 3X average for the week
Heavy rains fell across much of Iowa with just 3.7 days suitable for fieldwork statewide during the week ending Sept. 15, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Fieldwork activities included harvesting hay and seed corn, chopping silage, and seeding cover crops.
Topsoil moisture condition across the state was rated 1 percent very short, 13 percent short, 81 percent adequate and 5 percent surplus. Precipitation this past week helped increase topsoil moisture levels in all districts. However, the topsoil moisture rating in east central, south central and southeast Iowa districts remains above 25 percent short to very short. Ratings in west central Iowa rated 7 percent short, 86 percent adequate and 7 percent surplus.
Subsoil moisture condition statewide was rated 3 percent very short, 18 percent short, 76 percent adequate and 3 percent surplus. In west central Iowa ratings were 8percent short, 87 percent adequate and 5 percent surplus.
Ninety-four percent of the corn crop was in or beyond the dough stage, over two weeks behind both last year and the 5-year average. Seventy-four percent of the crop has reached the dented stage, 15 days behind last year and 10 days behind average. Eight percent of corn reached maturity, 19 days behind last year and 13 days behind average. Corn condition improved slightly from the previous week to 65 percent good to excellent.
Nearly all of the soybean crop has started setting pods at 96 percent statewide, over two weeks behind average. Forty percent of the crop has begun coloring, 11 days behind last year and 8 days behind average. Five percent of soybeans began dropping
leaves, almost 2 weeks behind last year and 10 days behind average. Soybean condition also improved slightly from the previous week to 63 percent good to excellent.
The third cutting of alfalfa hay reached 84 percent, 4 days behind average. Pasture condition rated 43 percent good to excellent. There were a few reports of high numbers of insects around livestock and concerns for livestock in permanent pastures.
Iowa preliminary weather summary provided by Justin Glisan, Ph.D., state climatologist, Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship – An active weather pattern returned to Iowa bringing unseasonably wet conditions across much of the state. Parts of northeastern Iowa observed rainfall totals from three to six inches more than average while south central Iowa experienced up to one inch deficits. Unseasonable warmth was also observed across the entire state with temperatures up to seven degrees warmer than normal. The statewide average temperature was 70.3 degrees, 5.2 degrees warmer than expected.
Rain showers moved through parts of Iowa during the day on Sunday, Sept. 8, with cloudy conditions statewide. Temperatures stayed in the 60s across much of the state with low 70s across the south.
Stronger thunderstorms popped up across central Iowa during the early morning hours of Monday. As the storms moved northeast, locally heavy downpours were reported at multiple stations; three stations in Ames (Story County) observed totals from 1.21 inches to 1.39 inches. Monday afternoon saw active conditions as a warm front lifted into central Iowa, creating unstable atmospheric conditions that helped force severe weather. A thunderstorm complex moved from west central Iowa northeast through the evening hours. There were reports of severe straight-line winds across 22 counties with multiple observed wind gusts of 60 mph and a 70-mph wind gust in Colo (Story County). More than 80 stations reported rainfall above one inch with multiple stations in northeastern Iowa observing more than two inches. Rain totals ranged from 0.01 inch to 2.85 inches in Persia (Harrison County) with the statewide average rainfall at 0.62 inch.
Thunderstorms lingered into Tuesday, Sept. 10, as an outflow boundary from northern storms moved west to east across Iowa. The storms dissipated just after noon as partly sunny conditions prevailed. Highs reached into the low to mid 80s. A line of thunderstorms moved into northwestern Iowa just after midnight on Wednesday with some embedded severe cells. The line lost strength during the morning hours and fizzled out in the afternoon. Clouds and rain kept highs in the mid 70s in the north with mid to upper 80s in southern Iowa. Isolated storms re-developed in eastern Iowa later in the evening with some storms moving over the same region. Rain totals were in the range of 0.50 inch to an inch across northern Iowa with heavier totals in the northeast; Dubuque (Dubuque County) reported 3.70 inches.
Thursday, Sept. 12, was another active weather day as a warm front lifted north across Iowa in the early morning hours with multiple lines of showers and thunderstorms. Strong storms began to fire in an unstable atmosphere during the afternoon as a cold front swept west to east across the state. Thunderstorms became severe in northeastern Iowa during late afternoon with several reports of straight-line wind damage to trees. There was also a preliminary report of a weak tornado in Ossian (Winneshiek County). Rain totals at 7 am on Friday ranged from 0.01 inch at multiple stations to 4.07 inches at St. Ansgar (Mitchell County).
With the passage of the cold front, Friday conditions were unseasonably cool with clouds gradually clearing the state. Highs reached into the mid 70s across the state’s southern half and upper 60s in the north; the statewide average high was 72 degrees, four degrees cooler than normal.
Saturday, Sept. 14, began with showers and thunderstorms across western Iowa that moved east through the early afternoon. Some of the storms turned severe with multiple reports of pea- to dime-sized hail across central Iowa. Another wave of storms brought locally heavy rain totals to eastern Iowa with Muscatine (Muscatine County) observing 2.96 inches. These thunderstorms continued to exit southeast Iowa into Sunday morning.
Weekly rainfall totals ranged from 0.03 inch in Beaconsfield (Ringgold County) to 8.88 inches at Guttenberg Lock and Dam (Clayton County). The statewide weekly average precipitation was 2.54 inches, three times the normal of 0.81 inch.
The week’s high temperature of 93 degrees was reported Sept.12 in Muscatine (Muscatine County), 14 degrees above average. Cresco (Howard County) reported the week’s low temperature of 44 degrees on Sept. 15, three degrees below normal.
