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.
“It was another active weather week as a line of storms pushed through central and southeast Iowa last Wednesday, with strong winds leaving behind pockets of property and crop damage. The week ended with widespread and steady rainfall across Iowa,” Secretary Naig said. “Looking ahead, cooler temperatures are likely through the end of the week. Outlooks show warmer temperatures will likely return as we get closer to the 4th of July. The crops would benefit from some sun and warmer weather as we enter the heart of the growing season.”
Crop report
Farmers had 4.5 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending June 21, 2026, which is 0.2 more days than last year. Topsoil moisture condition rated 2 percent very short, 16 percent short, 60 percent adequate, and 22 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture condition rated 2 percent very short, 21 percent short, 60 percent adequate, and 17 percent surplus.
Corn emerged reached 99 percent, which is unchanged from last year. Corn condition rated 77 percent good to excellent. Soybeans emerged reached 98 percent, which is 2 percentage points ahead of last year. Soybeans blooming reached 3 percent, which is 9 percentage points behind last year. Soybean condition rated 74 percent good to excellent. Oats headed reached 87 percent, which is 8 percentage points ahead of last year. Oats condition rated 83 percent good to excellent. Pasture condition rated 75 percent good to excellent.
The weekly report is also available on the USDA’s website at https://www.nass.usda.gov/.
Weather summary
Provided by Justin Glisan, Ph.D., State Climatologist, Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship
A less active pattern compared to previous weeks brought one day of severe weather and then widespread, spring-like rainfall by the end of the week. Rainfall totals were highest over southeast Iowa. A shift to cooler temperatures also greeted Iowans with negative departures approaching seven degrees; the statewide average temperature was 67.8 degrees, 4.3 degrees below normal.
Chilly northwesterly winds and stratocumulus clouds slowly gave way to pleasant conditions through Sunday (14th) afternoon. Temperatures pushed into the upper 60s and low 70s as winds became gustier under mostly sunny skies. Winds died down and turned westerly overnight into Monday (15th) under starry conditions and morning lows in the 50s. Daytime temperatures were near-seasonal, warming into the upper 70s with spotty cloud cover. Showers and a few thunderstorms pushed across the state from the evening to overnight hours as a weak cold front swept southeast. Most stations that had measurable totals observed less than 0.10 inch, though West Point (Lee County) registered 0.17 inch. Winds swung back around to the northwest, becoming gusty into Tuesday (16th) afternoon with clouds clearing in eastern Iowa and temperatures in the mid to upper 70s. Winds turned southerly towards midnight as a strong low pressure disturbance propagated along the Iowa-Minnesota border towards sunrise. Initial thunderstorms in northwest Iowa coalesced into a line along the low’s attendant cold front and quickly strengthened over north-central Iowa. As a strong rear-inflow jet pushed into the center of the line, the squall bowed out and intensified. Heavy rain and severe wind gusts were reported along the path from 64 mph near Storm Lake (Buena Vista County) to 75 mph in Walford (Linn County); the strongest gust of 94 mph was observed near Marshalltown (Marshall County), producing crop and structural damage. The line increased in aerial extent in southeastern Iowa where widespread flash flood warnings were issued. The complex exited eastern Iowa around noon on Wednesday (17th). Additional severe thunderstorms fired in northeastern Iowa by the late afternoon hours, producing a longer track EF-2 rated tornado in Elon (Allamakee County) which crossed the Mississippi River into Wisconsin. A swath of stations from north-central to eastern Iowa reported higher totals with nearly 130 stations hitting at least 1.00 inch; more than 25 stations picked up more than 2.00 inches with 2.55 inches in Ely (Linn County) to 2.95 inches in Story City (Story County). Notably, four stations in Muscatine County reported totals from 3.25-4.33 inches.
Thursday (18th) dawned with clouds north and clear skies south with morning lows in the upper 50s to low 60s. Cloud cover increased over the state with afternoon temperatures holding in the mid 70s. Clear skies persisted into Friday (19th) with calm winds and morning temperatures in the low 50s north to low 60s south. Scattered showers crossed the state through the daytime hours as another cold front moved through Iowa. Behind the front, temperatures were in the low 60s while upper 70s were found in southeast Iowa. Rain totals reported at 7:00 am on Saturday (20th) were generally light, though airports in Ames (Story County) and Waterloo (Black Hawk County) registered 0.23 inch and 0.41 inch, respectively. Afternoon conditions were pleasant with ample sunshine and highs in the mid to upper 70s. Clouds increased over southwestern Iowa around sunset as moderate showers spun into the state. Showers overspread southern Iowa into Sunday (21st) where most southwest stations collected between 0.75 to 1.50 inches; Council Bluffs (Pottawattamie County) received between 2.98 to 3.09 inches at two stations.
Weekly precipitation totals ranged from a trace near Carroll (Carroll County) to 4.41 inches in Muscatine (Muscatine County). The statewide weekly average precipitation was 1.66 inches; the normal is 1.20 inches. Lamoni (Decatur County) reported the week’s high temperature of 89 degrees on the 17th, five degrees above normal. Airports in Sioux City (Woodbury County) and Spencer (Clay County) reported the week’s low temperature of 43 degrees on the 15th, on average 16 degrees below normal.
