A continued lack of precipitation throughout Iowa meant farmers had 6.8 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending Sept. 3, 2023, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Field activities included chopping corn silage as well as cutting and baling hay. Continued drought conditions have stressed corn and soybeans and dried them out to the point that some farmers were getting equipment ready for harvest.
Topsoil moisture condition statewide rated 33 percent very short, 42 percent short, and 25 percent adequate. Ratings in west central Iowa were 29 percent very short, 40 percent short, 30 percent adequate and 1 percent surplus.
Subsoil moisture condition across Iowa rated 31 percent very short, 44 percent short, 24 percent adequate and 1 percent surplus. In west central Iowa ratings were 32 percent very short, 42 percent short, 22 percent adequate and 4 percent surplus.
Corn in the dent stage or beyond was 78 percent this week, five days ahead of both last year and the 5-year average. Seventeen percent of the state’s corn crop has reached maturity, five days ahead of last year and three days ahead of normal. Corn condition declined 5 percentage points to 49 percent good to excellent.
Soybeans coloring or beyond reached 40 percent, six days ahead of last year and four days ahead of the average. Soybeans dropping leaves was 8 percent this week, one week ahead of last year and two days ahead of normal. Soybean condition fell 4 percentage points to 49 percent good to excellent.
The state’s third cutting of alfalfa hay reached 95 percent complete, 16 days ahead of last year and 19 days ahead of the average. Pasture condition rated 16 percent good to excellent, the lowest rating since Sept. 6, 2020. Hotter than normal temperatures continued to stress livestock across the state, but the reports of death loss were down this week.
Weather summary provided by Justin Glisan, Ph.D, state climatologist, Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship – Iowa experienced its driest reporting period of the season with only a few stations observing measurable amounts of moisture. Extreme Drought (D3) now covers 18 percent of Iowa, the largest extent since Spring 2013. Temperatures moderated from the previous week but were still generally unseasonably warm; the statewide average temperature was 71.1 degrees, 2.0 degrees warmer than normal.
Cooler conditions were reported across Iowa through Sunday afternoon, Aug. 27, with comfortable highs in the mid to upper 70s and light northwesterly winds. Skies were generally clear at daybreak on Monday as winds gradually shifted to the southwest with seasonal daytime highs in the low 80s. Overnight lows dropped into the mid 50s to low 60s as patchy fog formed at several locations in central and western Iowa.
Low to mid 80s were reported in the afternoon hours with very spotty showers forming in extreme southeastern Iowa into Tuesday evening, Aug. 29; Fort Madison (Lee County) observed a 0.05-inch total. Fog and hazy conditions from upper-level wildfire smoke were observed on Wednesday morning with calm to light easterly winds and temperatures in the mid to upper 50s. Daytime highs held in the upper 70s and low 80s, near average for late August; these conditions were again reported on Thursday, though winds had shifted to a southeasterly direction. Morning lows observed several hours earlier were chilly in eastern Iowa with stations registering low to mid 40s, 10 to 15 degrees below normal.
Clear conditions were present at sunrise on Friday, Sept. 1, with readings in the mid to upper 50s across much of the state. Stronger southerly winds built in throughout the day as highs in western Iowa rose into the upper 80s and low 90s; temperatures in eastern Iowa held in the low 80s.
Overnight lows into Saturday varied from the upper 50s east to mid 60s west with some scattered cloud cover. Afternoon temperatures quickly rose into the 90s with the warmest readings in northwestern Iowa; dewpoints remained in the low to mid 60s, creating a dry heat as the statewide average high hit 93 degrees, 14 degrees warmer than normal. Temperatures fell back through the 60s overnight into Sunday, Sept. 3, a light southerly wind persisted under starry skies.
Weekly precipitation totals ranged from no accumulation at nearly all of Iowa’s stations to 0.05 inch at Fort Madison. The statewide weekly average precipitation was 0.00 inch while the normal is 0.88 inch. Sioux City Airport (Woodbury County) reported the week’s high temperature of 102 degrees on Sept. 2, 22 degrees warmer than normal. Elkader (Clayton County) reported the week’s low temperature of 40 degrees on Aug. 31, 14 degrees cooler than normal.
