Iowa experienced drier than normal weather combined with cooler than average temperatures for most of the week ending August 11, 2013, according to the weekly Crops & Weather report issued August 12 by USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. "Although significant rainfall was not widespread, enough moisture was received to be beneficial in some areas of the state," says Greg Thessen, director of the Iowa Office of USDA/NASS in Des Moines. The survey shows Iowa's corn crop statewide declined slightly from the previous week. As of August 11, Iowa corn rated 49% good to excellent, 34% fair, 12% poor and 5% very poor.

SPOTTY SHOWERS, COOLER TEMPS: Iowa corn and soybean crops are still running behind normal in development, despite variable amounts of rain in some areas of the state during week ending August 11. Cooler temperatures also helped crops cope with dry conditions. Data for the USDA weekly report was gathered through Sunday, so early Monday rain was not included. This photo was taken near Marengo in Iowa County on August 6.

Statewide there was an average of 6.2 days suitable for fieldwork. Field activities included aerial and ground applications of fungicides, herbicides and insecticides.

A total of 41% of topsoil was in the adequate and surplus moisture categories as of August 11, unchanged from the previous week. Topsoil moisture rated 24% very short, 35% short, 40% adequate and 1% surplus. Forty-seven percent of Iowa's subsoil was in the adequate and surplus categories, down 7% from the previous week. As of August 11 subsoil moisture levels rated 14%very short, 39% short, 46% adequate, 1% surplus.

Southwest Iowa continues to be the driest crop reporting district, with just 5% of topsoil and 17% of subsoil in the adequate and surplus categories

As of August 11 the survey shows 94% of Iowa's corn crop has tasseled, trailing the 5-year average of 99%. Eighty-five percent of the crop was silking, 10% behind normal. Forty-two percent of the corn crop has reached milk stage, well behind the normal 72%. And 9% of the crop has reached dough stage, about two weeks behind normal.

Iowa corn condition on August 11 declined slightly from the previous week, and was rated at 5% very poor, 12% poor, 34% fair, 39% good and 10% excellent. Ninety percent of Iowa's soybean crop was blooming, behind the 5-year average of 96%. Pods were being set on 53% of the soybean crop, well behind last year's 86% and the normal 80%. Soybean condition declined slightly from last week and was rated 4% very poor, 11% poor, 37% fair, 39% good and 9% excellent. Ninety-two percent of Iowa's oat crop has been harvested, which is now equal to the normal pace.~~~PAGE_BREAK_HERE~~~

Hay and pasture conditions: Iowa's second cutting of alfalfa advanced to 93% complete as of August 11, that's 1 percentage point ahead of normal. Third cutting of alfalfa has reached 17% compete, trailing the normal of 38%. Hay and pasture conditions continued to deteriorate last week, as the amount rated in good and excellent categories fell 4% and 6% respectively. Hay condition statewide was rated 3% very poor, 12% poor, 35% fair, 42% good and 8% excellent on August 11. Pasture condition rated 8% very poor, 20% poor, 41% fair, 27% good and 4% excellent. Although pasture conditions were on the decline, livestock benefitted from the cool weather.

IOWA PRELIMINARY WEATHER SUMMARY—for week ending August 11, 2013

By Harry Hillaker, State Climatologist, Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship

Showers and thunderstorms were frequent across the state over the week ending August 11. However, coverage of significant rainfall was limited to just a few scattered locations. Rain fell over much of the northeast one-third of Iowa, as well as most of west central sections of the state on Monday (Aug. 5) morning with a maximum of 3.32 inches of rain reported at Elma in Howard County. Widely scattered thunderstorms, some accompanied by high winds and hail, brought rain to portions of the southern one-half of Iowa Tuesday (Aug. 6) evening into Wednesday (Aug. 7) morning with a maximum rain amount of 2.02 inches at Indianola. Finally light to moderate rain fell over most of northwest and north central Iowa Saturday (Aug. 10) evening into Sunday (Aug. 11) with a maximum reported rain total of 2.40 inches at Granville in Sioux County.

Last week was the fifth week of the past six with less than normal rainfall for the statewide average

Meanwhile no rain fell during the week at scattered locations across central, southwest and southeast Iowa such as Fort Dodge, Johnston, Shenandoah, Clarinda, Keokuk and Burlington. The statewide average precipitation for the week was 0.61 inches or about two-thirds of the normal total of 0.96 inches. The week ending August 11 was the fifth week of the past six with less than normal rainfall. Meanwhile temperatures averaged below normal every day except Tuesday (Aug. 6) when highs reached the 80's or higher statewide. Temperature extremes varied from Tuesday afternoon highs of 92 degrees at Des Moines and Bloomfield to lows of 49 degrees at Cresco and Stanley on Thursday (Aug. 8) morning and again at Cresco on Saturday (Aug. 10) morning. Temperatures for the week as a whole averaged 2.7 degrees below normal.