Iowa farmers had 3.6 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending June 14, which is 1.9 days less than last year. Topsoil moisture condition rated 1 percent very short, 14 percent short, 66 percent adequate, and 19 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture condition rated 2 percent very short, 15 percent short, 70 percent adequate, and 13 percent surplus.
Corn emerged reached 97 percent, 1 percentage point ahead of last year. Corn condition rated 79 percent good to excellent. Soybean planting reached 98 percent complete, which is 1 percentage point behind last year. Soybeans emerged reached 95 percent, which is 3 percentage points ahead of last year. Soybean condition rated 77 percent good to excellent.
Pasture condition rated 77 percent good to excellent.
Weather summary provided by Justin Glisan, Ph.D., state climatologist, Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship – An active pattern over Iowa brought multiple waves of severe weather, including a derecho and tornadoes. Heavy rain across portions of the state also produced localized flooding and unseasonably high rainfall totals. Temperatures remained above average with departures in the four to six degree range; the statewide average temperature was 73.2 degrees, 4.2 degrees above normal.
A low pressure system moving through eastern Iowa continued to bring showers and a few thunderstorms across eastern Iowa into Sunday afternoon, June 7. Scattered showers also brought measurable but lower totals over western Iowa. Most stations in eastern Iowa reported at least 0.50 inch of rain with the highest totals from 2.00 inches in Iowa City (Johnson County) to 3.56 inches in Elma (Howard County).
Southeasterly winds, overcast conditions and temperatures in the low 70s persisted on Monday morning with showers lingering in eastern Iowa. Skies cleared across western Iowa into the afternoon hours with clouds and light rain hanging on in eastern Iowa. Daytime highs varied from the upper 80s west where sunshine was present to mid 70s east. Rain totals reported at 7 am on Tuesday were highest in east central Iowa where 2.20 inches was observed in Parnell (Iowa County) and 3.03 inches in Vinton (Benton County). Daytime conditions were mostly sunny with gusty southerly winds and temperatures in the mid 80s to low 90s; dewpoints in the upper 60s and low 70s pushed heat index values into the low 100s.
A low pressure center pushing northeast into Minnesota fired strong thunderstorms along the cold front over northwest Iowa into the morning hours on Wednesday, June 10. A secondary complex of thunderstorms formed ahead of the surface boundary where moisture, lift and instability were ample. The thunderstorms coalesced into a squall line as they approached the Iowa-Illinois border. Widespread wind gusts above 58 mph were observed as the line pushed across Illinois and farther east; this line would later meet the criteria for a derecho. Several hours later, the cold front slammed into an unstable airmass and quickly fired severe thunderstorms from south central to eastern Iowa. Several weak tornadoes were observed in Decatur and Davis counties along with large hail and strong wind gusts.
A second low pressure disturbance followed the wake of the previous day’s activity, as rapidly developing thunderstorms intensified into a tornado-warned line in southwest Iowa by daybreak on Thursday. Several tornadoes were spawned along with co-located straight-line wind gusts and isolated large hail; Essex (Page County) measured a 90-mph wind gust while large grain bins were crumpled and thrown off their footings near Villisca (Page County). Nearly 45 stations from southern to eastern Iowa registered at least 2.00 inches of rain with the highest totals of 4.15 inches in Davis City (Decatur County) to 6.63 inches in Russell (Lucas County); the statewide average rainfall was 0.90 inch.
As the squall line approached eastern Iowa, it began to bow out, producing numerous straight-line wind reports. Winds turned northwesterly behind the passing system, with the atmosphere over southeastern Iowa recovering from morning convection, again becoming highly unstable. Strong southeasterly winds were aided with low-level wind shear as thunderstorms reformed into the afternoon hours. One additional tornado, “needle-like” in appearance, was observed near Ainsworth (Washington County). The line lost some strength as it moved out of Iowa before sunset. Rain totals registered on Friday showed almost 140 stations hitting at least 1.00 inch. Stations farther east experienced the highest amounts with 2.50 inches in Fayette (Fayette County) and 2.85 inches in Monticello (Jones County). The daytime hours were pleasant as temperatures rose into the upper 70s and lower 80s with sunshine and westerly winds.
Another round of showers and thunderstorms along a cold front moved through Saturday, June 13, with many stations over the state’s southwest half collecting amounts in the 0.25-0.75 inch range. Sunday dawned with lows in the upper 50s and low 60s with gusty northwesterly winds and fair weather cumulus over northern Iowa. Weekly precipitation totals ranged 0.04 inch at Spencer Municipal Airport (Clay County) to 7.44 inches in Russell. The statewide weekly average precipitation was 2.37 inches; the normal is 1.27 inches. Several stations reported the week’s high temperature of 95 degrees on June 9, on average 15 degrees above normal. Cherokee (Cherokee County) and Spencer Municipal Airport reported the week’s low temperature of 47 degrees on June14, on average 11 degrees below normal.
