There were 1.7 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending Nov. 8, 2026. Topsoil moisture condition rated 2 percent short, 71 percent adequate, and 27 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture condition rated 5 percent short, 77 percent adequate, and 18 percent surplus.
Seventy-two percent of corn has been harvested, which is 17 percentage points behind the five-year average. Ninety-three percent of soybeans have been harvested, which is 2 percentage points behind the five-year average.
Weather summary provided by Justin Glisan, Ph.D., State Climatologist, Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship – The first full week of November was unseasonably wet across portions of the state with many stations reporting more than a month’s worth of rainfall. Temperatures remained unseasonably warm with the highest positive departures over northern Iowa. The statewide average temperature was 49.5 degrees, 7.8 degrees above normal.
Sunday afternoon, Nov. 1, was overcast statewide with southeasterly winds and temperatures in the low 60s. Showers pushed into western Iowa overnight into Monday as southerly winds became blustery ahead of two low pressure systems moving out of the High Plains. Rain overspread the state and held into Tuesday, Nov. 3, as the more southerly disturbance moved northeast through Iowa. Heavier rain moved in through the evening hours of Election Day as the wind field over western Iowa turned northerly. Temperatures varied from the low 50s west to upper 60s east, ahead of the low’s attendant cold front.
Morning lows on Wednesday, Nov. 4, were in the mid 40s in western Iowa and several degrees warmer farther east with westerly winds, light rain and some patchy fog. Event rain totals were highest in south central Iowa where several Clarke County stations reported more the 2.50 inches; Osceola observed 2.97 inches with three Murray stations registering 3.09 to 3.26 inches. More than 250 stations reported at least an inch with a statewide average of 1.24 inches.
Light showers pushed in behind the exiting low pressure system as northwesterly winds built in under cloudy skies and daytime highs from the low 40s to low 50s west to east across the state on Thursday. Clouds began clearing over northeastern Iowa into Friday morning, Nov. 6 with lows in the 30s north to 40s south. Sunshine returned to most of the state by the afternoon hours with high temperatures holding in the mid to upper 40s. Under starry skies and generally light winds, pockets of frozen fog were observed at several stations with temperatures at or below freezing statewide at dawn on Saturday. Southerly winds and sunshine helped boost afternoon temperatures into the mid to upper 50s. Westerly winds developed into Sunday morning, Nov. 8. with temperatures reported in the 30s; stations in southern Iowa reported low to mid 40s.
Weekly precipitation totals ranged 0.20 inch in Clinton (Clinton County) to 3.50 inches in Mount Ayr (Ringgold County). The statewide weekly average precipitation was 1.47 inches, slightly more than triple the normal of 0.48 inch. Sioux City Airport (Woodbury County) reported the week’s high temperature of 71 degrees on Nov. 2, 17 degrees above normal. Greenfield (Adair County) and Manchester (Delaware County) reported the week’s low temperature of 24 degrees on Nov. 7 and Nov. 8, on average six degrees below normal.
