Iowa Crop Progress and Condition Report

Iowa Crop Progress and Condition Report

July 27 - Aug. 2, 2026

DES MOINES, Iowa (Aug. 3, 2026) - 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.

"July will be remembered for its warm temperatures and high dew points, but it ended with widespread rainfall and a welcome break from the heat and humidity," said Secretary Naig. "As we begin August and continue the ramp-up to the Iowa State Fair, the outlook calls for warmer conditions with better chances of rainfall. Crops on the western side of the state could use the moisture as the growing season continues."

Crop Report

There were 5.7 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending Aug. 2, 2026. This is 1.9 days more than last year, when there were 3.8 days suitable for fieldwork. Topsoil moisture condition rated 10 percent very short, 25 percent short, 60 percent adequate, and 5 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture condition rated 10 percent very short, 27 percent short, 58 percent adequate, and 5 percent surplus. Corn silking reached 93 percent, which is 2 percentage points ahead of last year. Forty-eight percent of Iowa's corn crop has reached the dough stage, which is 2 percentage points behind last year. Four percent of corn reached the dent stage, which is 4 percentage points behind last year. Corn condition rated 80 percent good to excellent. Soybeans blooming reached 88 percent, which is unchanged from last year. Sixty-one percent of soybeans were setting pods, which is 2 percentage points behind last year. Soybean condition rated 78 percent good to excellent. Eighty-seven percent of oats have been harvested, which is 25 percentage points ahead of last year. Oats condition rated 82 percent good to excellent. Pasture condition rated 67 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

After a sweltering start to the week, cooler and wetter conditions returned at the end of the reporting period. Much of eastern Iowa observed above-normal rainfall. Temperatures returned to unseasonably warm for most of the reporting period with the high departures approaching six degrees; the statewide average temperature was 76.6 degrees, 3.6 degrees above normal.

Stations across Iowa reported anomalously high heat index values on Sunday (26th) afternoon as air temperatures pushed into the mid to upper 90s with dew points in the upper 70s to mid 80s; numerous Iowa airports, which record hourly to sub-hourly observations, registered dew point records. Burlington Municipal Airport (Des Moines County) recorded an 85-degree dew point temperature with a high temperature of 92 degrees, producing a heat index value of 121 degrees; the airport in Ames (Story County) hit 124 degrees as air and dew point temperatures hit 92 degrees and 86 degrees, respectively. Overnight lows into Monday (27th) remained well above average, holding in the upper 70s and low 80s at many stations; the statewide average low was 75 degrees, 12 degrees above normal under mostly clear skies and dense fog over northern Iowa. Winds gradually began to turn northwesterly as a cold front dropped southeast. Afternoon temperatures still pushed into the low to mid 90s, though dew points dropped into the 60s behind the front. Tuesday (28th) dawned with light northerly winds and temperatures from the upper 60s northeast to mid 70s southwest under partly cloudy skies. While relative humidity values were lower, mid 80s to low 90s were observed east to west across the state with wildfire smoke producing upper level haze. Easterly winds built in through the late night hours and held into Wednesday (29th) with upper 60s and low 70s reported in the morning. Daytime conditions were mostly sunny with temperatures in the 80s with some isolated thundershowers in the southwest towards the evening; New Market (Taylor County) and Sidney (Fremont County) observed 0.53 inch with lighter surrounding totals.

Conditions on Thursday (30th) were seasonal with southeasterly winds and temperatures in upper 70s north to low 80s south. Clouds increased over the daylight hours as a low pressure system pushed through the Upper Midwest. Thunderstorms moved into western Iowa by midnight with a cluster of lighter showers farther east. Moderate showers expanded across much of Iowa's eastern half by Friday (31st) morning with heavier rainfall reported from northeast to eastern portions of the state. More than 75 stations collected at least 1.00 inch with the highest totals from Cedar Rapids (Linn County) where 2.51 inches was reported to 4.15 inches in Anamosa (Jones County). Additional mesoscale lines of thundershowers formed behind the disturbance as the low's attendant cold front swept out of state as gusty northwesterly wind built in. Stars were visible across western Iowa into Saturday (1st) morning with morning temperatures in the low to mid 60s. Cloud cover and moderate to heavy rain were still present in eastern Iowa, helping temperatures stay several degrees warmer. Showers persisted through the day along the Iowa-Illinois border, before dissipating as the low pressure system moved into the Great Lakes. Additional rainfall totals were significant at several eastern stations, ranging from 3.65 inches in Dubuque to 6.22 inches in Manchester (Delaware County); sixty-five stations registered at least 2.00 inches with a statewide average total of 0.90 inch. With clearing skies and temperatures in the upper 70s and low 80s, the remains of the day were pleasant and light northerly winds. Sunday (2nd) morning began with patchy fog in northwest and east-central Iowa with mid 50s in western Iowa and low to mid 60s back in eastern Iowa.

Weekly rain totals ranged from 0.05 inch at Spirit Lake (Dickinson County) to 6.93 inches in Manchester (Delaware County). The statewide weekly average rainfall was 1.31 inch; the normal is 0.90 inch. Little Sioux (Harrison County) reported the week's high temperature of 102 degrees on the 27th, 16 degrees above normal; this is also Iowa's warmest high temperature of the year thus far. Emmetsburg (Palo Alto County) reported the week's low temperature of 52 degrees on the 28th, 11 degrees below normal.