Iowa continued to experience hot and dry conditions this week allowing Iowa farmers 6.5 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending September 29, 2024, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Field activities included harvesting both corn and soybeans.
Topsoil moisture condition across Iowa rated 15 percent very short, 44 percent short, and 41 percent adequate. Ratings in west central Iowa were 17 percent very short, 40 percent short, and 43 percent adequate.
Subsoil moisture condition statewide rated 11 percent very short, 44 percent short, 44 percent adequate and 1 percent surplus. In west central Iowa ratings were 12 percent very short, 44 percent short and 44 percent adequate.
Corn in the dent stage or beyond reached 97 percent this week. Corn mature reached 75 percent, one week behind last year but two days ahead of normal. Corn harvested for grain reached 11 percent, three days behind last year but equal to the five-year average. Corn condition remained at 77 percent good to excellent. Soybeans coloring or beyond reached 95 percent. Soybeans dropping leaves reached 80 percent, two days behind last year but three days ahead of average. Soybeans harvested reached 27 percent this week, three days ahead of both last year and the five-year average. Soybean condition rated 77 percent good to excellent.
Pasture condition continued to deteriorate with 44 percent rated good to excellent this week. With the continued dry conditions, some producers have had to begin hauling water to cattle.
Weather Summary provided by Justin Glisan, Ph.D., state climatologist, Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship – Conditions remained warmer and drier during the last reporting period of September with the highest temperature departures in northern Iowa; the statewide average temperature was 63.4 degrees, 4.7 degrees warmer than normal. Rain was again sparce across the region with totals under 20 percent of normal for the week, capping off one of the driest Septembers in 152 years of statewide records.
Light showers persisted into the afternoon hours of Sunday, Sept. 22, as a cold front pushed southeast across Iowa. Northerly winds built in behind the front with clearing skies and daytime temperatures in the mid to upper 60s. Rain totals were generally under a tenth of an inch over southern Iowa though multiple stations reported higher totals; Davis City (Decatur County) registered 0.30 inch while Council Bluffs (Pottawattamie County) observed 0.56 inch.
Cloudy skies redeveloped over southern Iowa into Monday with morning lows ranging from the upper 30s northwest to low 50s southeast. Partly to mostly cloudy skies were observed in southeastern Iowa with high temperatures in the upper 60s and low 70s.
Showers formed along the Iowa-Illinois border around midnight and pushed farther east as showers along a cold front moved into western Iowa close to sunrise on Tuesday, Sept. 24. The complex of showers continued east through the day as isolated thundershowers popped into the afternoon and evening hours over southern Iowa. Rain totals were highest in east central and southeastern Iowa with more than 30 stations observing at least 0.25 inch along with multiple gauges in Lee County collecting moderate amounts; Fort Madison observed 0.32 inch with a 0.64-inch reading in Keokuk. Most of the stations that received rainfall reported an average of 0.06 inch. Afternoon conditions improved as partly cloudy skies gave way to peeks of sunshine with seasonal temperatures in the upper 60s and low 70s under light winds.
Wednesday morning began chilly across northern and western Iowa where low to mid 40s were reported. Afternoon temperatures rebounded into the upper 70s and low 80s with clouds hanging around in eastern Iowa.
Clearing skies and calm to light winds into Thursday, Sept. 26, helped the surface cool back into the mid 40s to low 50s with patchy fog in southern Iowa. Daytime highs returned to the previous day’s readings with southerly to southeasterly winds. Morning lows on Friday varied from the upper 50s southeast to mid 40s northwest under cloudless skies. Afternoon temperatures, in the upper 70s to mid 80s east to west, were five to 10 degrees above normal with comfortable humidity levels. Overnight conditions into Saturday, Sept. 28, remained clear with northerly winds and temperatures from the upper 40s at several northern stations to low 60s farther south. Daytime temperatures quickly rose into the upper 80s and low 90s across the northwestern half of Iowa; the statewide average temperature was 85 degrees, 13 degrees warmer than normal. Starry skies and light northerly winds persisted into Sunday with a broad range of temperatures varying from the upper 40s in western Iowa to the mid 50s south and east.
Weekly precipitation totals ranged from no accumulation across northeastern Iowa to 0.67 inch in Keokuk. The statewide weekly average precipitation was 0.11 inch while the normal is 0.76 inch. Little Sioux (Harrison County) reported the week’s high temperature of 91 degrees on Sept. 28, 18 degrees warmer than normal. Lake Park (Dickinson County) reported the week’s low temperature of 36 degrees on Sept. 23, 12 degrees cooler than normal.
