The Iowa Crop Progress and Condition Report has been released by the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service. There were 6 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending July 26, 2026. This is 2.4 days more than last year, when there were 3.6 days suitable for fieldwork. Topsoil moisture condition rated 9 percent very short, 27 percent short, 61 percent adequate, and 3 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture condition rated 7 percent very short, 28 percent short, 62 percent adequate, and 3 percent surplus.
Corn condition rated 80 percent good to excellent. Soybeans blooming reached 80 percent, which is 1 percentage point ahead of last year. Forty-eight percent of soybeans were setting pods, which is 1 percentage point behind last year. Soybean condition rated 78 percent good to excellent. Sixty-seven percent of oats has been harvested, which is 20 percentage points ahead of last year. Oats condition rated 82 percent good to excellent. Pasture condition rated 65 percent good to excellent.
An active start to the week brought severe thunderstorms from central to eastern Iowa. The remainder of the reporting period was much less active with rainfall reported on a few days. Temperatures swung to below normal for much of the state with departure of up to three degrees below average; the statewide average temperature was 72.2 degrees, 1.3 degrees below normal.
Weekly precipitation totals ranged from no measurable amounts at a few of Iowa’s stations to 5.84 inches in Dallas Center (Dallas County). The statewide weekly average precipitation was 0.99 inches; the normal is 0.89 inches. Multiple stations reported the week’s high temperature of 101 degrees on the 20th, on average 15 degrees above normal. Spencer Municipal Airport (Clay County) reported the week’s low temperature of 45 degrees on the 23rd, 18 degrees below normal.
