Iowa Crop Progress and Condition Report

Iowa Crop Progress and Condition Report

Iowa Crop Progress and Condition Report

May 4 - 10, 2026

DES MOINES, Iowa (May 11, 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.

"Farmers made a lot of planting progress last week thanks to drier conditions across the state," said Secretary Naig. "Although parts of northern Iowa had a few mornings of frost, the forecast through-mid May indicates warmer temperatures and the potential for more near-normal rainfall. As long as conditions are favorable, farmers will keep the planters rolling this week." 

Crop Report

There were 6.5 days suitable for fieldwork during the week ending May 10, 2026, which is 0.1 day more than last year, when there were 6.4 days suitable for fieldwork. Topsoil moisture conditions rated 3 percent very short, 23 percent short, 68 percent adequate and 6 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture conditions rated 3 percent very short, 18 percent short, 74 percent adequate and 5 percent surplus. Corn planting in Iowa reached 72 percent complete, which is even with last year and 9 percentage points above the five-year average. Corn emergence reached 19 percent, 8 percentage points below last year but even with the five-year average. Soybean planting reached 60 percent, which is the same as 2025 and 12 percentage points above the five-year average. 7 percent of the soybean crop has emerged. Oats planted in Iowa reached 94 percent, 2 percentage points behind last year when 96 percent of the crop had been planted.

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

For the first time in several weeks, rainfall was sparse across most of Iowa, with all stations reporting unseasonably dry conditions. Only the southeastern corner of the state recorded near-normal precipitation totals. Temperatures also remained cooler than normal throughout the week, with the coldest conditions occurring in northern Iowa. The statewide average temperature was 54.1 degrees, 2.4 degrees below normal.

Gusty northwesterly winds died down into Sunday (3rd) afternoon under sunny skies and temperatures in the 70s. Winds shifted back to a southerly direction into early Monday (4th) with morning lows in the upper 40s and low 50s at most locations; temperatures were several degrees cooler over portions of western Iowa. Isolated showers developed in northwest Iowa early in the day, though rainfall totals were minimal. Stronger thunderstorms fired in southeastern Iowa later in the day as a cold front dropped through the state. Afternoon conditions were warm with mid 60s over northern Iowa and upper 70s to low 80s across the south. A few storms were severe warned due to small hail and a few 60 mph wind gusts. Several stations in Lee County reported heavier rainfall, varying from 0.33 inch in Fort Madison to 0.74 inch in Hillsboro and 0.96 inch in Augusta. Many other southeastern stations registered a few tenths of an inch at most. Tuesday (5th) and Wednesday (6th) were generally pleasant days with northwesterly winds, partly cloudy skies and daytime temperatures in the 50s. Thursday (7th) dawned with variable winds and cloudy skies for much of southern and eastern Iowa. Morning lows under cloud cover were in the 40s while clear skies in the northwest allowed for more radiational cooling, allowing temperatures to drop into the mid to upper 30s. Spotty showers pushed through central to eastern Iowa from the morning to early afternoon, leaving behind widespread totals under 0.10 inch. Higher totals were observed farther east from additional showers later in the evening; North English (Iowa County) reported 0.21 inch with 0.30 inch in Muscatine (Muscatine County). Southwestern Iowa started Friday (8th) under cloud cover with partly cloudy skies developing through the day statewide. Winds shifted westerly later in the day as temperatures rose into the 70s. Gusty northwesterly winds built in on Saturday (9th) with daylight conditions in the mid to upper 60s for most of the state; southern Iowa stations made it back into the mid to upper 70s. Winds turned more northerly towards midnight before swinging back to the west by daybreak with Sunday (10th) morning temperatures in the 30s west to 40s east.

Weekly precipitation totals ranged from no accumulation across northern Iowa to 0.96 inch at Augusta. The statewide weekly average precipitation was 0.03 inch; the normal is 1.04 inches. Davenport (Scott County) reported the week's high temperature of 86 degrees on the 4th, 18 degrees above normal. Sioux City Airport (Woodbury County) reported the week's low temperature of 22 degrees on the 7th, 21 degrees below normal. Four-inch soil temperatures were in the low 50s north to upper 50s south as of Sunday.