Farmers had 4.8 days suitable for fieldwork to during the week ending July 6, 2025, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service.
Topsoil moisture condition across Iowa rated 1 percent very short, 10 percent short, 73 percent adequate and 16 percent surplus. Ratings in west central Iowa were 3 percent very short, 9 percent short, 71 percent adequate and 17 percent surplus.
Subsoil moisture condition statewide rated 3 percent very short, 14 percent short, 73 percent adequate and 10 percent surplus. Ratings in west central Iowa were 11 percent very short, 22 percent short, 59 percent adequate and 8 percent surplus.
Corn silking reached 15 percent, matching last year, but two days ahead of the five-year average. A few reports of corn reaching the dough stage were received. Corn condition rated 2 percent poor, 12 percent fair, 62 percent good and 24 percent excellent. Soybeans blooming reached 36 percent, three days ahead of last year and one day ahead of average. Nine percent of soybeans were setting pods. Soybean condition rated 1 percent very poor, 2 percent poor, 18 percent fair, 60 percent good and 19 percent excellent.
The State’s second cutting of alfalfa hay reached 53 percent complete and a few producers have started on the third cutting. Hay condition rated 84 percent good to excellent. Pasture condition rated 71 percent good to excellent. Livestock conditions were generally good despite the heat and high humidity.
IOWA PRELIMINARY WEATHER SUMMARY provided by Justin Glisan, Ph.D., state climatologist, Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship – Unseasonably warm and wet conditions continued into the first week of July with many stations observing positive departures in the 0.50-1.00 inch range; portions of southeast and southwest Iowa were slightly below normal. The warmest conditions were found in eastern Iowa with the statewide average temperature at 76.4 degrees, 3.2 degrees warmer than normal.
Morning thunderstorms across western and southern Iowa dissipated by Sunday afternoon. June 29, which was mostly sunny with light winds and temperatures in the low to mid 80s. Thunderstorms refired along a cold front in northeastern Iowa and held
together into the early hours of Monday before falling apart. Skies continued to clear with morning lows in the upper 60s
and low 70s and patchy fog in western Iowa. Rain amounts were highest in southern and northeast Iowa where many stations
collected more than an inch; Elkader (Clayton County) reported 1.14 inches while Promise City (Wayne County) observed 2.61
inches.
With a dome of high pressure centered over the Upper Midwest, daytime temperatures on Tuesday, July 1, held in the low to
mid 80s with lower humidity and light northwesterly winds. Nighttime skies remained clear with a small pocket of showers
pushing into southwestern Iowa by daybreak. As of 7 am on Wednesday July 2, only a handful of stations reported a trace or
more with 0.28 inch in Leon (Decatur County). Morning lows varied from the mid 60s to low 70s though conditions warmed into
the mid 80s, helped along by sunshine and southerly flow. Isolated thunderstorms popped in northeastern Iowa as the sun set,
with two cells becoming severe warned for hail and gusty winds. A few more cells moved into northwestern Iowa several hours
later but dissipated in the early morning. Rain totals covering the previous 24 hours were more prevalent northeast and southwest with 0.38 inch in Lime Springs (Howard County) and between 0.45 to 0.60 inches in Council Bluffs (Pottawattamie County).
Thursday, July 3, was unseasonably warm with partly cloudy skies and southerly winds boosting temperatures in the upper 80s and low 90s. Instability in eastern Iowa helped thunderstorms bubble into the late evening hours, some of which produced localized tree and outbuilding damage in Grundy and Jones counties. Stations from east-central to northeast Iowa reported a few tenths of an inch though several stations measured totals nearing an inch; Garwin (Tama County) had 0.65 inch with a 0.86-inch total in Independence (Buchanan County).
Friday dawned pleasantly with temperatures in the low 70s under cloudless skies. Conditions were ideal for Independence Day fireworks after a muggy afternoon of highs in the upper 80s. Cloud cover gradually increased over western Iowa into Saturday, July 5, as a cold front pushed east through Iowa. Several waves pushed across central to eastern Iowa as the day progressed, leading to several pockets of higher-end rain totals, particularly south-central to north-central Iowa. Event totals were at or above one inch for more than 200 stations and more than double for 40 stations. The highest totals were found in east-central to north-central Iowa; Fort Dodge (Webster County) registered 4.76 inches with 5.19 inches in Pella (Marion County) and statewide average at 1.15 inches. Winds swung to the north behind the front as clouds cleared west to east. Morning temperatures on Sunday, July 6, varied from mid 60s northwest to low 70s southeast.
Weekly precipitation totals ranged from 0.22 inch in Salem (Henry County) to 5.19 inches in Pella. The statewide weekly average
precipitation was 1.36 inches; the normal is 1.08 inches. Ames (Story County) reported the week’s high temperature of 95 degrees on July 3, 11 degrees warmer than normal. Several stations reported the week’s low temperature of 57 degrees on July 1, on average six degrees cooler than normal.
