Fields began to dry for most of Iowa early in the week ending April 12, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. However, northwest Iowa saw accumulating snow on Sunday, April 12, with rain falling over much of the rest of the state. Statewide there were 4.1 days suitable for fieldwork during the week. Field activities for the week included applying anhydrous and dry fertilizer, spreading manure, and tilling fields. In addition to planting oats, there were reports of corn and soybeans being planted.
Topsoil moisture levels across Iowa rated 2 percent short, 79 percent adequate and 19 percent surplus. Ratings in west central Iowa were 1 percent short, 89 percent adequate and 10 percent surplus.
Subsoil moisture levels statewide rated 1 percent short, 80 percent adequate and 19 percent surplus. Ratings in west central Iowa were 92 percent adequate and 8 percent surplus.
Twenty-nine percent of the expected oat crop has been planted, five days ahead of last year and one day ahead of the 5-year average. There were scattered reports of oats emerged.
Pastures and hay continue to green. Calving continues with very few health problems reported.
Preliminary weather summary by Justin Glisan, Ph.D., state climatologist, Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship – While measurable rain fell across a majority of Iowa, drier than normal conditions prevailed throughout the state during the reporting period. Rainfall departures were generally in the 0.40 to 0.80-inch range with the driest conditions in west central Iowa. Slightly warmer than normal conditions were also observed across much of Iowa with sections of northern Iowa reporting near-normal temperatures. The statewide average temperature was 47.7 degrees, 2.2 degrees warmer than normal.
Unseasonable warmth greeted Iowa on Sunday afternoon, April 5, with highs topping out in the upper 50s and low 60s; overnight lows into Monday remained in the mid to upper 40s. Warm conditions continued statewide with upper 60s reported in southwestern Iowa during the afternoon. Isolated showers and a few thunderstorms popped up in central and eastern Iowa but dissipated in the evening. Rainfall amounts at 7 am on Tuesday, April 7, were light, though Lowden (Cedar County) reported a 0.64-inch total. Morning fog was reported across much of Iowa, though it burned off as clouds cleared from west to east; skies were sunny through the rest of the day as a warm front lifted north across Iowa. Temperatures soared into the upper 80s across southern Iowa with mid to upper 70s across Iowa’s northern third. The average daytime high was 77 degrees, 19 degrees warmer than normal; more than 20 stations reported record highs for the date.
A cold front swept through Iowa on Wednesday, April 8, bringing rain to northern Iowa. A few severe thunderstorms raced through southeastern Iowa during the late afternoon with up to golf ball sized hail reported in Lowell (Henry County). Rain totals of around a few tenths of an inch were reported in Iowa’s eastern quarter. Heavier amounts were observed in a handful of northeastern counties; Cresco (Howard County) reported 0.40 inch while Decorah (Winneshiek County) reported 0.42 inch. Northwest winds increased behind the front as temperatures fell into the upper 40s and low 50s.
Clear skies remained into Thursday morning as temperatures dipped into the low to mid 30s, up to 10 degrees colder normal. Cloud cover increased throughout the day as winds picked up with light rain and a few snowflakes reported across northeastern Iowa. Daytime highs ranged from the upper 30s north to low 50s south. Cloud cover gradually cleared overnight with light and variable winds. Under these conditions, lows dropped into the 20s, with the average statewide temperature at 24 degrees, 11 degrees colder than normal.
With a southerly wind, highs on Friday, April 10, reached into the 50s, though still colder than average. Light showers pushed through western Iowa during Saturday morning and reformed into the afternoon. Showers and thunderstorms continued to pop up over portions of southern Iowa during the evening, persisting overnight into Sunday morning, April 12. Some early morning thunderstorms were severe with reports of one-inch hail in Murray (Clarke County). Rain totals varied from lighter amounts in western Iowa to near 0.50 inch in portions of eastern Iowa.
Weekly precipitation totals ranged from no accumulation at stations in western Iowa to 1.08 inches at Cedar Rapids No. 1 (Linn County). The statewide weekly average precipitation was 0.21 inch while the normal is 0.69 inch. Red Oak (Montgomery County) and Shenandoah (Page County) reported the week’s high temperature of 87 degrees on April 7, on average 26 degrees above average. Little Sioux (Harrison County) reported the week’s low temperature of 16 degrees on the 10th, 17 degrees below normal. Four-inch soil temperatures were in the low 40s north to upper 40s south as of Sunday.
