Much of Iowa received more than twice its normal rainfall during the latest reporting week, but western and Northwest Iowa did not receive enough moisture to improve drought conditions.
The statewide average was 1.87 inches during the week ending August 9, compared with a normal of 0.88 of an inch. However, rainfall varied significantly across the state.
“Widespread rain during the week and storms over the weekend brought welcome moisture to many parts of Iowa,” Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig said. “Unfortunately, western and northwestern portions of the state did not receive enough rain to improve drought conditions.”
Statewide soil moisture numbers showed some continuing dryness. Twenty-eight percent of Iowa’s topsoil was rated short or very short on moisture, while 34 percent of subsoil fell into those categories.
Crop Conditions Remain Strong
Despite the uneven rainfall, Iowa’s corn and soybean crops remain mostly in good-to-excellent condition.
The USDA’s latest Crop Progress and Condition Report rated 78 percent of corn and 77 percent of soybeans good to excellent.
Corn silking reached 97 percent, two percentage points ahead of last year. Sixty-nine percent of corn had reached the dough stage, three points ahead of last year, while 12 percent had reached the dent stage, two points behind last year.
Soybean blooming reached 93 percent, one point ahead of last year. Seventy-two percent of soybeans were setting pods, two points behind last year.
Iowa’s oat harvest reached 93 percent complete, 13 percentage points ahead of last year. Oats were rated 82 percent good to excellent, while pasture conditions were rated 66 percent good to excellent.
Farmers had 5.1 days suitable for fieldwork during the week, four-tenths of a day more than during the same period last year.
Storms Bring Heavy Rain and Damage Elsewhere
Several rounds of showers and thunderstorms produced well-above-normal rainfall in portions of Iowa. The heaviest weekly total was 5.77 inches at Murray in southern Iowa, where some locations received more than a month’s worth of rain.
Severe weather was concentrated primarily in eastern Iowa. An EF-2 tornado was reported near Fairbank in Buchanan County, while an EF-1 tornado occurred near Prairieburg in Linn County. Other storms produced damaging winds, hail and flash flooding.
Temperatures averaged 74.5 degrees statewide, four-tenths of a degree above normal. Des Moines recorded the week’s high of 91 degrees on August 9.
Spencer Municipal Airport recorded Iowa’s weekly low of 47 degrees on August 8, which was 14 degrees below normal.
It should be noted that the report covers conditions through Sunday, August 9, and does not include rainfall Northwest Iowa has received since then.
