WHETHER WE LIKE IT OR NOT....
Whether the weather be cold, or whether the weather be hot;
Whether the weather be fine, or whether the weather be not,
We'll weather the weather whatever the weather,
Whether we like it or not! Cardiff Camera Club, c.1921
Like it or not, (and I'm assuming most of you do), the weather has undergone quite a change since the arrival of August. Northwest flow aloft has dominated the Midwest turning away summers heat and humidity and bringing cool, dry rain free days to the central Midwest. Just look at the temperature departures the past 7 days.
Here's the 7 day rainfall estimates, a sharp down-turn in my northeast counties. A continuation of dry conditions in my southwestern zones.
As of August 6th, here in Cedar Rapids we are enjoying the coolest start to August since 2009 with an average temperature of 67.9. That's more typical of September 4th. Just look at the extent of the comfortable readings all around the eastern 2/3rds of the country at 6:00pm Monday.
Even better was the lack of moisture. Dew points in much of my area were in the low to mid 50s, well below what's typical.
Humidity levels were down around 39% in Waterloo.
Going forward the next two days look uneventful as sunny dry weather continues to hold. If rainfall is something you're looking for, there's only 1 front that holds any promise. It's expected late Wednesday night or Thursday. The GFS shows this for rainfall through Friday.
The 10 day forecast is not much better for my area showing these meager totals.
This is certainly grim news for southern Iowa where severe drought continues to persist. Here's the latest crop report from Iowa Ag. Secretary Bill Northey issued Monday...
NORTHEY COMMENTS ON IOWA CROP PROGRESS AND CONDITION REPORT
DES MOINES – Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey today commented on the Iowa Crop Progress and Condition report released by the USDA National Agricultural Statistical Service. The report is released weekly from April through October.
“The cooler temperatures we saw last week were welcome, but the lack of significant rainfall means drought conditions remain in place for many parts of Iowa, with severe drought in much of south central and south east Iowa,” Northey said.
The weekly report is also available on the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship’s website at www.IowaAgriculture.gov or on USDA’s site at www.nass.usda.gov/ia. The report summary follows here:
CROP REPORT
All of Iowa experienced cooler than normal temperatures and most of the State received below normal precipitation during the week ending August 6, 2017, according to the USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service. Statewide there were 5.9 days suitable for fieldwork. Activities for the week included applying fungicides and insecticides, hauling grain, and haying.
Topsoil moisture levels declined to 24 percent very short, 32 percent short, 44 percent adequate and 0 percent surplus. According to the August 1, 2017 U.S. Drought Monitor, Iowa’s region of severe drought expanded to include 16 counties in south central and southeast Iowa. Subsoil moisture levels rated 19 percent very short, 32 percent short, 48 percent adequate and 1 percent surplus.
Ninety-five percent of Iowa’s corn crop has reached the silking stage, 5 days ahead of the five-year average. Forty-two percent of the corn crop has reached the dough stage, 4 days behind last year. Corn condition declined to 2 percent very poor, 8 percent poor, 26 percent fair, 53 percent good and 11 percent excellent. Soybeans blooming reached 89 percent, 1 week behind last year and 3 days behind average. Two-thirds of soybeans were setting pods, 5 days behind last year but equal to average. Soybean condition rated 3 percent very poor, 9 percent poor, 29 percent fair, 50 percent good and 9 percent excellent. Eighty-eight percent of the oat crop for grain or seed has been harvested, 1 day ahead of average.
The second cutting of alfalfa hay was nearly complete. The third cutting of alfalfa hay was 38 percent complete, 3 days ahead of average. Hay condition dropped to 51 percent good to excellent. Pasture condition also dropped to 34 percent good to excellent. Cooler temperatures improved livestock conditions, but supplemental feeding has been required in some areas.
IOWA PRELIMINARY WEATHER SUMMARY
By Harry Hillaker, State Climatologist, Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship
It was an unseasonably cool week across Iowa but with less than normal rainfall over most of the state. Temperatures were near normal on Tuesday (1st) and Wednesday (2nd) and well below normal for the remainder of the reporting week. Highs reached into the low nineties over far southeast Iowa on Tuesday and Wednesday but failed to climb out of the sixties over far northwest Iowa on Thursday (3rd) and over much of the western one-third of the state on Saturday afternoon (5th). Temperature extremes for the week varied from a Wednesday afternoon high of 93 degrees at Donnellson to morning lows of 46 degrees at several northwest Iowa locations on Friday (4th) morning and scattered locations over the southeast one-half of the state on Saturday (5th) morning. Temperatures for the week as a whole averaged 4.6 degrees below normal. Most of the week’s rain fell on Thursday when thunderstorms dampened all but extreme southeast Iowa. There were some scattered showers on Tuesday over central and northwestern Iowa and some isolated thunderstorms over east central Iowa on Wednesday. Finally, some light rain fell across about the southwest one-half of the state on Saturday (5th). Only a few locations received more than an inch of rain during the week, mostly in west central and northeast Iowa. Guthrie Center reported the most rain with 1.76 inches while Burlington, Donnellson and Davenport had no rain. The statewide average precipitation was 0.41 inches, or less than one-half of the weekly normal of 0.96 inches.
Longer term it does appear that a warmer pattern will kick-in during the 3rd week of August. Along with the warmth will likely come an increase in humidity. I'll have more on that development in coming posts. Until then, roll weather...TS
