Continued dry conditions allowed farmers 6.6 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending June 13, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. In addition to planting, field activities included spraying post emergence herbicides, side dressing nitrogen, and harvesting hay.
Topsoil moisture levels across Iowa rated 24 percent very short, 46 percent short, 30 percent adequate and 0 percent surplus. The percentage of topsoil moisture rated short to very short increased from 39 percent to 70 percent over the week ending June 13. Topsoil moisture ratings in west central Iowa were 19 percent very short, 49 percent short, and 35 percent adequate.
Subsoil moisture levels statewide rated 21 percent very short, 50 percent short, 29 percent adequate and 0 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture conditions in northwest, north central, west central, central and south central Iowa rated close to 80 percent short to very short. Ratings in west central Iowa were 28 percent very short, 54 percent short, and 18 percent adequate.
Across the state, farmers saw signs of crop stress in fields due to lack of precipitation and high heat. Corn emergence is nearly complete except for some re-planted fields. Iowa’s corn condition rated 63 percent good to excellent, 14 percentage points below the previous week. Statewide, soybeans emerged reached 93 percent, nine days ahead of the 5-year average. Soybean condition rated 61 percent good to excellent, 12 percentage points worse than last week. There were scattered reports of soybeans blooming.
The first cutting of alfalfa hay reach 87 percent complete, six days ahead of normal. Hay condition fell to 55 percent good to excellent. Pasture condition dropped to 41 percent good to excellent. High temperatures were stressful for livestock.
Weather summary provided by Justin Glisan, Ph.D., state climatologist, Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship – Sweltering temperatures were the story across Iowa during the reporting period as long-term and very dry conditions persist over portions of the Midwest. The statewide average temperature was 77.8 degrees, 8.6 degrees warmer than normal. Precipitation deficits continue to accumulate through the first half of June, which is climatologically the wettest month of the year for Iowa. Measurable rain only fell on a few days last week, contributing to an increase in abnormally dry and drought conditions in Iowa.
Clear skies and southerly winds boosted afternoon temperatures into the low 80s south to the low 90s northwest Sunday, June 6. Under stable atmospheric conditions, overnight lows remained unseasonably warm, only dropping into the upper 60s and low 70s across portions of Iowa. Partly cloudy skies on Monday limited warming through the day, though afternoon highs still pushed into the mid-80s south to sporadic low 90s in the north. Tuesday, June 8, saw variable winds build in as afternoon highs continued the trend of above-average warmth. Very spotty thundershowers popped up in eastern and southern Iowa with limited rain amounts, though some downpours were reported; a rain gauge in Camanche (Clinton County) observed 0.91 inch.
Isolated showers and thunderstorms again formed in eastern and central Iowa during late afternoon on Wednesday, with three stations in Story County reporting between 0.53 inch and 0.87 inch. Overnight lows into Thursday, June 10, remained in the low 70s statewide under generally clear skies. Hot temperatures returned in the afternoon as highs jumped into the low 90s south to mid-90s north with a statewide average high of 94 degrees, 14 degrees warmer than normal.
An organized system of thunderstorms called a mesoscale convective system (MCS) propagated into western Iowa during Friday morning. Slow moving thunderstorms brought measurable rainfall to Iowa’s western half with amounts above 0.50 inch reported at several stations, though most stations observed totals under a few tenths of an inch; Greenfield (Adair County) measured 1.20 inches from slower moving thunderstorms. Scattered thunderstorms also developed in eastern Iowa ahead of a cold front with very spotty accumulations. Behind the front, relatively cooler and drier air pushed into the state. Overnight conditions were partly cloudy with northerly winds as temperatures varied from the upper 50s northwest to low 70s southeast.
Saturday, June 12, was warm but coupled with lower relative humidity behind the cold front. While winds shifted from a northernly to westerly direction, sunny skies warmed temperatures into the upper 80s with morning lows retreating to the upper 50s and low 60s. Overnight lows into Sunday were more seasonal at some stations but mostly warmer than normal; the statewide average low was 64 degrees, five degrees warmer than climatology.
Weekly precipitation totals ranged from no accumulation at several Iowa stations to 1.97 inches at Bellevue Lock and Dam (Jackson County). The statewide weekly average precipitation was 0.18 inch while the normal is 1.12 inches. Rock Rapids (Lyon County) observed the week’s high temperature of 99 degrees on the June 10, on average 19 degrees above normal. Chariton (Lucas County) reported the week’s low temperature of 49 degrees on June 13, eight degrees cooler than normal.
