Southwest Iowa Faces Drought Conditions.
It was hot and dry the first full week of July according to the Iowa Crop Progress Report.
State Climatologist Harry Hillaker says it’s getting dryer across most of the state.
Southeast and south central Iowa have about 80 percent short to very short topsoil moisture rating, those are also areas of moderate drought according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.
And unfortunately the weather outlook doesn’t look very favorable either.
Last year, temperatures cooled down and timely rains popped up about the second week of July.
On the crop conditions side of the report, 7 percent of Iowa’s corn crop has reached the that stage, six days behind the five-year average.
Seventy-seven percent of the corn crop was rated in good to excellent condition, down a percent from last week.
A third of the state’s soybean crop is now blooming, with five percent already setting pods about three days ahead of the average.
Soybean conditions are 67 percent good or excellent, down five percent from last week.