DES MOINES, Iowa (June 12, 2023) – Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig commented today on the Iowa Crop Progress and Condition Report released by the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. The report is released weekly April through November. Additionally, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship provides a weather summary each week during this time.

“While below average precipitation in the first half of June has been helpful for field work, soil moisture levels remain low and drought conditions have worsened across large swaths of the state,” said Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig. “Though the more seasonal temperatures have helped alleviate some moisture stress in both corn and soybeans, we are now in an ‘El Niño Advisory’ and outlooks thankfully indicate more rainfall chances through the end of the month.”

The weekly report is also available on the USDA’s website at nass.usda.gov.

Crop Report
Another dry week with some more isolated rain showers for the week left a steady 5.8 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending June 11, 2023, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Some farmers were finishing up soybean planting this week as row crop planting activities near conclusion. Other field activities included cutting hay and spraying crops. Drought concerns are increasing.

Topsoil moisture condition rated 14 percent very short, 46 percent short, 39 percent adequate and 1 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture condition rated 13 percent very short, 46 percent short, 40 percent adequate and 1 percent surplus.

Corn emergence is nearing completion at 98 percent, 1 week ahead of last year and 8 days ahead of the 5-year average. Corn condition declined to 70 percent good to excellent. Ninety-five percent of soybeans have emerged, 11 days ahead of last year and 2 weeks ahead of the average. Soybean condition dropped to 66 percent good to excellent. Sixty-six percent of the oat crop has headed, 10 days ahead of last year and 9 days ahead of normal. There were reports of some oat fields starting to turn color. Oat condition declined to 66 percent good to excellent.

Ninety-one percent of the State’s first cutting of alfalfa hay has been completed, roughly 2 weeks ahead of last year and the 5-year average. Hay condition declined to 49 percent good to excellent. Pasture condition rated 41 percent good to excellent. No major livestock concerns other than precipitation needed to improve pasture conditions.

Weather Summary
Provided by Justin Glisan, Ph.D., State Climatologist, Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship

Spotty showers and thunderstorms were reported across much of Iowa, though unseasonably dry conditions continued, especially in northeastern Iowa. Rainfall deficits were in the one- to two-inch range with only pockets in the northwest above normal. Warmer temperatures persisted across Iowa’s northwestern two-thirds while conditions were seasonal to cooler over the southeastern one-third; the statewide average temperature through the reporting period was 69.8 degrees, 1.3 degrees above normal.

Temperatures on Sunday (4th) afternoon were in the low to mid-80s, helping scattered thunderstorms form across Iowa. The large-scale steering flow pushed these storms from east to west with cells becoming severe-warned in southeastern Iowa. As the sun set and the heating of the day was lost, the remaining thunderstorms dissipated. Rain totals reported at 7:00 a.m. on Monday (5th) showed widespread 0.10-0.20 inch with isolated pockets of heavier totals; Clare (Webster County) observed 0.53 inch while West Bend (Palo Alto County) measured 0.71 inch. Light easterly winds remained through the day with conditions mostly clear and highs ranging from the low 80s south to the upper 80s north. Hit-or-miss thundershowers popped in western Iowa with Hastings (Mills County) and Sibley (Osceola County) observing 0.52- and 0.53-inch totals, respectively. Winds shifted southerly overnight though calm conditions on Tuesday (6th) morning allowed fog formation in central Iowa along with upper-level haze from lingering wildfire smoke. Clouds increased over northern Iowa, holding temperatures in the low 80s while upper 80s and isolated 90s were reported in southern Iowa. Showers and thunderstorms pushed across the state’s eastern two-thirds into the evening with another, more scattered round early on Wednesday (7th) morning. A backdoor cold front pushed west through the afternoon hours, with mid to upper 80s in western Iowa; upper 70s and appreciably lower dew points were reported in eastern Iowa. Highs in the afternoon held in the upper 70s and low 80s with winds shifting back to an easterly direction under increasingly cloudy skies.

Moderate rain showers streamed north to south in western Iowa through Thursday (8th) afternoon as skies cleared into the evening hours. Rainfall totals for the previous two days were beneficial for northwest Iowa where Estherville Municipal Airport (Emmet County) registered 2.50 inches while other nearby stations reported amounts nearing 1.00 to 1.50 inches. Totals tailed off farther south and east with many locations observing several tenths of an inch. A complex of thundershowers moved southeast along the Iowa-Nebraska border on Friday (9th) morning, bringing much needed rainfall to western stations. Airports in Sioux City (Woodbury County) and Spencer (Clay County) measured 0.80 inch and 0.94 inch, respectively, with Spirit Lake (Dickinson County) observing 0.83 inch. Clouds increased through Saturday (10th) as a low-pressure center spun across Missouri. Afternoon temperatures were unseasonably cool over northern Iowa, hovering in the upper 60s and low 70s. Scattered showers and thunderstorms spread over the state later in the evening, bringing rainfall to many Iowa stations into Sunday (11th) morning; amounts were greatest in southwestern Iowa, where Oakland (Pottawattamie County) picked up 1.41 inches. General totals farther north and east were in the 0.10- to 0.30-inch range with a statewide average of 0.16 inch.

Weekly rain totals ranged from no accumulation at multiple stations to 3.15 inches at Estherville Municipal Airport. The statewide weekly average precipitation was 0.53 inch, while the normal is 1.15 inches. Logan (Harrison County) and Sioux City Airport reported the week’s high temperature of 93 degrees on the 7th, on average 13 degrees above normal. Chariton (Lucas County) and Elkader (Clayton County) reported the week’s low temperature of 42 degrees on the 9th, on average 13 degrees below normal.