Iowa Crop Progress and Condition Report — Week of July 5
Released by the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig commented 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.
“Late last week, parts of central Iowa received 8-11 inches of rain in just 36 hours, more than twice the rainfall typically expected during the entire month of July. There have been widespread reports of flooded fields and basements, swollen streams and rivers, and impacts to roads and other infrastructure. Our hearts go out to the lowans and communities affected by the flooding as recovery efforts continue,” Secretary Naig said. “At the same time, other areas of the state, including drought-affected portions of northwest and north-central Iowa, received much-needed rainfall. Looking ahead, the forecast calls for additional chances of thunderstorms across much of the state through midweek, with warmer and drier conditions expected through mid-July.”
Crop report
Farmers had 4.2 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending July 5, 2026. This is 0.6 days less than last year, when there were 4.8 days suitable for fieldwork. Topsoil moisture condition rated 1 percent very short, 10 percent short, 71 percent adequate and 18 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture condition rated 3 percent very short, 16 percent short, 65 percent adequate and 16 percent surplus. Corn silking in Iowa reached 8 percent, which is 5 percentage points behind last year. Corn condition rated 78 percent good to excellent.
Soybeans blooming reached 37 percent, which is 3 percentage points ahead of last year.
Soybeans setting pods reached 3 percent, which is 5 percentage points behind last year.
Soybean condition rated 74 percent good to excellent. Oats headed reached 96 percent, which is 3 percentage points ahead of last year. Oats condition rated 82 percent good to excellent. Pasture condition rated 73 percent good to excellent.
Weather summary
A “Ring of Fire” pattern around the periphery of the persisting heat dome brought several days of active weather with thunderstorms delivering significant rain totals to northwest, central and northeast Iowa. Some stations reported nearly 250 percent of normal, which represents more than two months’ worth of rainfall over just 36 hours. Unseasonably warm temperatures held on with the warmest conditions in eastern Iowa; the statewide average temperature was 79.0 degrees, 6.0 degrees above normal.
A line of severe thunderstorms sped across northern Iowa before dissipating over the state’s far eastern extent during Sunday (28th) afternoon. Britt (Hancock County) experienced a 58-mph wind gust while 2-inch hail was reported in Delmar (Clinton County). A wide swath of north-central to northeast Iowa collected at least 1.00 inch with 2.85 inches in Nashua (Floyd County). Starry skies were visible into Monday (29th) with southerly winds, high dew points and air temperatures on the mid to upper 70s. Winds became gusty by the afternoon hours as temperatures rose into the upper 80s and low 90s. A line of stronger thunderstorms moved into northwest Iowa after sunset, bringing strong wind gusts and heavy downpours.
Fostoria (Dickinson County) observed a wind gust of 75 miles per hour while Ireton (Sioux County) reported 1.45 inches of rain. Several stations in the northwest registered 0.75 to 1.25 inches with lesser totals farther east. Afternoon conditions were similar to the previous day with winds shifting slightly to the southwest. Stronger storms redeveloped after midnight on Tuesday (30th) along the Iowa-Nebraska border and pushed into the northwest corner. More showers fanned out across the state’s northwestern one-third through the day as instability built up. Initial isolated thunderstorms fired during the late evening hours with some cells becoming severe warned; a short-lived weak tornado was spotted by a chaser near Stacyville (Mitchell County). Thunderstorms continued across northern Iowa into Wednesday (1st) with morning temperatures holding in the 70s.
A more compact line of severe thunderstorms moved into northeastern Iowa into the early afternoon hours, bringing 3.5-inch hail to Maynard (Fayette County) along with a few high wind reports. Additional thunderstorms blossomed over central Iowa along existing outflow boundaries into the evening hours, feeding off ample atmospheric water vapor. Thunderstorms overspread much of the state on Thursday (2nd) with concentrated, slow moving cells training over the same locations and saturating soil profiles. As the complex slowly dissipated, streams and rivers became inundated with runoff with stations collecting more than a month’s worth of rainfall. Nearly 200 stations had at least 2 inches with 42 over 3 inches. The highest totals were found from Nevada (Story County) which reported 6.50 inches to two Polk City (Polk County) gauges that registered 8.90 to 9.41 inches; the statewide average rainfall over the 24-hour period was 1.30 inches.
Friday (3rd) morning was generally quiet with patchy fog over northern Iowa and cloud cover east. Temperatures held in the upper 60s and low 70s with light and variable winds.
Winds shifted northerly later in the day as a weak cold front dropped through the state.
Daytime highs were more comfortable, reaching into the low 80s with less surface humidity.
Anomalous mid-level moisture was an ample source for thunderstorms to reform in southwest and southeast Iowa toward sunset. Storms filled in across central Iowa into the early morning hours of Saturday (4th), producing moderate to heavy rain over soaked landscapes.
Story County became the bullseye for the heaviest amounts with five stations in Ames measuring between 4.20 to 6.36 inches. Nearly 120 stations hit 1.00 inch with 43 stations at 2.00 inches and a statewide average of 0.83 inch. Iowans celebrating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence had to dodge scattered thunderstorms over northern and eastern Iowa toward dusk. Fireworks, no wind and higher dew points led to air quality issues into Sunday (5th). Rainfall totals were generally under a few tenths of an inch, though Le Claire (Scott County) reported 1.02 inches with 1.86 inches in Clarence (Cedar County).
Weekly precipitation totals ranged from no measurable amounts at multiple southern stations to 10.99 inches in Polk City (Polk County). The statewide weekly average precipitation was 2.53 inches; more than double the normal 1.10 inches. Little Sioux (Harrison County) and Sioux City Airport (Woodbury County) reported the week’s high temperature of 97 degrees on the 28th and 29th, respectively, on average 12 degrees above normal. Sanborn (O’Brien County) reported the week’s low temperature of 56 degrees on the 5th, six degrees below normal.
Linda Lee Richey, 80, daughter of Leland Eugene and Marjory Bess (McLaughlin) Gilmore, was born Jan. 27, 1946, in Des Moines. She passed away peacefully surrounded by her loving family on Saturday, July 4, 2026, at Unity Point-Iowa Methodist Medical Center, Des Moines.
LaVerne Leroy Jensen, son of Christian Peter and Elena (Christoffersen) Jensen, was born on Feb. 5, 1942, in Kimballton. He passed away on July 1, 2026, in Guthrie Center at the New Homestead.