OTTUMWA —
After a couple of relatively damp weeks, Iowa's hotter, drier weather last week was a step back.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported last week's weather "promoted rapid maturation in Iowa's drought-damaged crops." The weekly crop report said topsoil moisture declined, with half of Iowa's farmland now considered very short and an additional 34 percent short.
Subsoil moisture is in worse shape, with two-thirds of the soil rated very short.
Half of the state's corn crop is now mature, but the summer drought hit it hard. More than half is rated poor (32 percent) or very poor (23 percent). Soybeans are in better shape, with 40 percent of the crop rated fair and 23 percent good or excellent.
State Climatologist Harry Hillaker said the past week marked a return to July's hot temperatures, with the state averaging 6.9 degrees above normal. Sioux City hit triple digits twice during the week.
Only 11 of Iowa's 99 counties saw more than 0.05 inches of rain last week.
"The remnants of Hurricane Isaac brought light to moderate rain to far southeast Iowa from Friday night into Sunday morning. However, no measureable rain fell anywhere else in Iowa during the week," Hillaker wrote.
Southeast Iowa
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