ia-crop-weather

State
Iowa Crops & Weather

Released
November 21, 2005

Week Ending Date
November 20, 2005

Issue
IA-CW4705


Precipitation Hinders Fieldwork

Cooler temperatures, rain and snow throughout much of Iowa slowed fieldwork 
this past week.  All weather stations reported some precipitation.  In spite 
of the precipitation, over half of the state's topsoil moisture remained in 
the very short to short categories.  When conditions permitted, farmers 
continued corn harvesting, fertilizing and tilling.

There were 3.5 days suitable for fieldwork, compared to 6.3 days the previous 
week.  Topsoil moisture improved from a week ago and rated 22 percent very 
short, 35 percent short, 39 percent adequate and 4 percent surplus across 
Iowa.  Subsoil moisture rated lower than a week ago at 33 percent very short, 
33 percent short, 32 percent adequate and 2 percent surplus across Iowa.

Field Crops Report:  Corn harvested reached 98 percent complete which was 
5 percentage points  above a year ago but equal to the  normal pace.  Fall 
fertilizer application was 56 percent complete statewide which is 12 
percentage points above the 5-year average.  Grain movement from farm to 
elevator was rated 36 percent none, 36 percent light, 23 percent moderate and 
5 percent heavy.  Off-farm grain storage availability rated 65 percent short, 
34 percent adequate and 1 percent surplus.  On-farm grain storage 
availability rated 56 percent short, 43 percent adequate and 1 percent 
surplus.  Hay and roughage availability rated 8 percent short, 79 percent 
adequate and 13 percent surplus.  The quality of hay and roughage rated 
7 percent poor, 31 percent fair and 62 percent good.  Utilization of stubble 
fields for grazing rated 33 percent none, 28 percent light, 31 percent 
moderate and 8 percent heavy.  

Livestock, Pasture and Range Report: Reports of calves having been weaned and 
marketed were received.  Favorable Fall weather was expected to lower calf 
losses.  

Iowa Weather Summary

The past work week began with seasonal temperatures on Monday (14th) with 
light rain falling across the southeast one-half of the state.  The season's 
first winter storm moved into western Iowa early on Tuesday (15th) and exited 
northeast Iowa on Wednesday (16th) afternoon.  Snowfall of one to two inches 
fell over most of the northwest three-fourths of Iowa with a few locally 
higher amounts.  The snow was preceded with light to moderate rain over most 
of the state and accompanied by very gusty northwest winds.  Sharply colder 
air followed this storm system with temperatures falling into the single 
digits in most areas by Wednesday (16th) morning while daytime highs remained 
below freezing on Wednesday and Thursday.  Temperatures were back above 
normal by Friday (18th) afternoon with daytime highs mostly in the 40's 
through the weekend.  Finally, light rain fell across portions of western 
Iowa on Saturday (19th).  Temperature extremes for the week ranged from a 
Wednesday (16th) morning low of -1 degree at Sibley to a Saturday (19th) 
afternoon high of 54 degrees at Burlington.  Sibley's Wednesday minimum was 
Iowa's earliest subzero reading since 1997.  Temperatures for the week as a 
whole averaged 3.3 degrees below normal.  Precipitation totals for the week 
varied from 0.22 inches at Alton to 1.04 inches at Marion.  The statewide 
average precipitation was 0.58 inches or just slightly greater than the 
weekly normal of 0.50 inches.  This breaks a string of seven consecutive 
drier than normal weeks across Iowa.  Finally, soil temperatures as of Sunday 
(20th) were averaging in the upper 30's to lower 40's across the state.




                                                       
             State Post-Harvest Conditions             
                as of November 20, 2005                
-------------------------------------------------------
           Item          : None :Light :Moderate:Heavy 
-------------------------------------------------------
                         :           Percent           
                         :                             
Grain movement           :  36     36      23      5   
Grazing on stubble fields:  33     28      31      8   
-------------------------------------------------------


                                           
    Statewide Hay/Roughage Availability    
          as of November 20, 2005          
-------------------------------------------
     Item    :  Short  :Adequate : Surplus 
-------------------------------------------
             :           Percent           
             :                             
Hay/Roughage :    8        79        13    
-------------------------------------------


                                                  
       Statewide Grain Storage Availability       
              as of November 20, 2005             
--------------------------------------------------
          Item         : Short  :Adequate:Surplus 
--------------------------------------------------
                       :         Percent          
                       :                          
On-farm, grain storage :   56       43       1    
Off-farm, grain storage:   65       34       1    
--------------------------------------------------


                                                                                
                                  Field Work and Crop Progress as of November 20, 2005                                  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                          :                      Districts                      :     :     :     :     
                   Item                   :-----------------------------------------------------:State:Last :Last :Nor- 
                                          : NW  : NC  : NE  : WC  :  C  : EC  : SW  : SC  : SE  :     :Week :Year : mal 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                          :                                   Percent                                   
                                          :                                                                             
Fertilizer application completed          : 52    77    69    54    60    54    35    37    46    56    44    40    44  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


                                                                                
                          Days Suitable & Soil Moisture Condition as of November 20, 2005                         
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                  :                               Districts                               :       :       :       
       Item       :-----------------------------------------------------------------------: State : Last  : Last  
                  :  NW   :  NC   :  NE   :  WC   :   C   :  EC   :  SW   :  SC   :  SE   :       : Week  : Year  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                  :                                             Days                                              
                  :                                                                                               
Days suitable     :  3.2     3.5     4.3     3.1     3.0     4.3     2.7     3.0     5.3     3.5     6.3     3.9  
                  :                                                                                               
                  :                                            Percent                                            
                  :                                                                                               
Topsoil moisture  :                                                                                               
  Very short      :    4       0      11      27      23      34      37      44      23      22      30       2  
  Short           :   20      13      27      34      40      47      49      42      51      35      32      11  
  Adequate        :   75      64      55      39      37      19      14       9      26      39      36      71  
  Surplus         :    1      23       7       0       0       0       0       5       0       4       2      16  
                  :                                                                                               
Subsoil moisture  :                                                                                               
  Very short      :    3       0      19      34      22      70      55      65      44      33      33       6  
  Short           :   16      17      29      51      43      29      35      32      43      33      29      22  
  Adequate        :   81      69      47      15      35       1      10       3      13      32      36      63  
  Surplus         :    0      14       5       0       0       0       0       0       0       2       2       9  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------




                                                                              
           Weather Summary For Iowa Agricultural Statistics Service           
                            Prepared by AWIS, Inc.                            
                For the week ending:  Sunday, November 20, 2005               
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
               :          CURRENT WEEK           : SINCE APRIL 1 :CURRENT WEEK
               :--------------------------------------------------------------
    STATION    :    TEMPERATURE    :PRECIPITATION: PRECIPITATION :GDD BASE 50F
               :--------------------------------------------------------------
               : HI : LO :AVG :DFN : TOTAL : DFN : TOTAL  : DFN  : TOTAL :DFN 
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
               :                     North West District                      
               :                                                              
Estherville    : 47    4   31   -1   0.28    0.00  22.77    -0.76    0     0  
Sioux Center   : 50    4   33   -2   0.29    0.01  20.97    -1.97    0     0  
Spencer        : 49    0   31   -3   0.31    0.05  23.03    -1.34    0     0  
Spirit Lake    : 45    6   30   -2   0.18   -0.10  26.33     3.20    0     0  
               :                    North Central District                    
               :                                                              
Britt          : 47    4   28   -7   0.45    0.10  33.16     7.55    0     0  
Humboldt       : 48    5   30   -6   0.56    0.25  30.23     4.03    0     0  
Mason City     : 49    4   31   -2   0.60    0.25  35.91     8.63    0     0  
Northwood      : 47    3   29   -4   0.56    0.21  36.71    10.05    0     0  
               :                     North East District                      
               :                                                              
Decorah        : 43    4   30   -6   0.76    0.36  26.34    -0.51    0     0  
Dubuque        : 47    4   31   -5   0.89    0.23  19.18   -10.86    0     0  
Elkader        : 46    5   29   -7   0.65    0.16  24.47    -2.48    0     0  
Independence   : 48    5   30   -5   0.69    0.27  30.15     1.75    0     0  
Waterloo       : 50    5   32   -4   0.61    0.19  25.39    -2.28    0     0  
               :                    West Central District                     
               :                                                              
Audubon        : 48    1   30   -8   0.12   -0.23  21.84    -5.32    0     0  
Carroll        : 50    3   30   -5   0.44    0.09  19.93    -7.77    0     0  
Castana        : 48    6   29   -8   0.58    0.30  21.34    -3.69    0     0  
Guthrie Center : 50    6   31   -6   0.57    0.16  29.07     1.28    0     0  
Harlan         : 52    5   31   -6   0.44    0.09  19.68    -7.84    0     0  
Jefferson      : 52    6   31   -4   0.66    0.31  22.80    -4.90    0     0  
Logan          : 52    6   32   -6   0.57    0.28  21.39    -4.56    0     0  
Rockwell City  : 51    4   30   -7   0.47    0.19  25.81    -0.87    0     0  
Sioux City     : 52    6   34   -2   0.36    0.12  21.45    -0.11    0     0  
               :                       Central District                       
               :                                                              
Ames           : 51    3   32   -4   0.56    0.18  26.23    -2.55    0     0  
Boone          : 51    4   31   -6   0.70    0.28  25.79    -2.59    0     0  
Des Moines     : 52    7   34   -5   0.56    0.14  22.09    -4.79    0     0  
Eldora         : 50    5   30   -6   0.62    0.21  24.68    -3.40    0     0  
Marshalltown   : 50    2   31   -5   0.52    0.10  21.61    -6.74    0     0  
Newton         : 50    7   30   -8   0.53    0.10  26.19    -1.56    0     0  
Perry          : 51    5   31   -6   0.55    0.20  26.76     0.05    0     0  
Toledo         : 49    5   30   -7   0.52    0.10  20.87    -7.71    0     0  
               :                    East Central District                     
               :                                                              
Cedar Rapids   : 49    7   32   -5   0.75    0.26  21.06    -6.08    0     0  
Davenport      : 59   10   36   -3   0.68    0.19  12.56   -14.37    0     0  
Iowa City      : 53   12   37   -3   0.93    0.44  14.26   -15.52    0     0  
Lowden         : 52    7   31   -6   0.97    0.34  18.79   -11.56    0     0  
Maquoketa      : 48    7   30   -6   0.77    0.21  14.58   -13.23    0     0  
Muscatine      : 51    9   33   -8   0.89    0.33  18.51    -9.87    0     0  
               :                     South West District                      
               :                                                              
Clarinda       : 51    6   32   -6   0.76    0.32  27.81    -2.77    0     0  
Glenwood       : 52    5   33   -6   0.41    0.06  21.80    -5.70    0     0  
Oakland        : 51    8   32   -4   0.58    0.29  24.03    -3.15    0     0  
Red Oak        : 53    7   33   -6   0.69    0.27  19.62   -10.11    0     0  
Sidney         : 51   11   34   -6   0.54    0.13  21.93    -6.79    0     0  
               :                    South Central District                    
               :                                                              
Allerton       : 54    6   32   -7   0.86    0.37  25.64    -4.14    0     0  
Beaconsfield   : 50    7   31   -7   0.06   -0.40  26.86    -1.71    0     0  
Chariton       : 53    5   32   -6   1.01    0.52  22.29    -8.04    0     0  
Indianola      : 53    5   32   -6   0.63    0.21  22.74    -5.27    0     0  
Leon           : 53    8   33   -6   0.50    0.02  20.90    -8.67    0     0  
               :                     South East District                      
               :                                                              
Bloomfield     : 52   11   34   -8   0.61    0.10  23.73    -6.36    0     0  
Burlington     : 55   13   37   -4   0.73    0.17  18.38    -9.72    0     0  
Ottumwa        : 52    7   34   -6   0.55    0.02  18.96    -8.90    0     0  
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Precipitation (rain, melted snow or ice) in inches.  Precipitation Days = Days
with precipitation of 0.01 inch or more.  Air Temperatures in Degrees         
Fahrenheit.  Copyright 2005:  AWIS, Inc.  All Rights Reserved.                


Contact Information:

	USDA-NASS, Iowa Field Office
	210 Walnut St., Rm 833
	Des Moines, IA  50309
	1-800-772-0825
	Fax 515-284-4342
	nass-ia@nass.usda.gov