The vast majority of the 2025 crop has been harvested, but persistent rains last week slowed farmers’ efforts to bring in what remains. According to the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship’s (IDALS) weather summary for the week ending Nov. 2, Iowa averaged 0.7 inches of precipitation statewide, about two-tenths higher than normal, with highs recorded in Pottawattamie County at 1.6 inches and a low of 0.06 inches in Clayton County. Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig says, “Based on crop progress reports published over the past five years, Iowa farmers typically have more than 96 percent of soybeans and 85 percent of corn harvested by the first week of November. Wet weather, especially in western Iowa, kept many farmers out of the field for several days last week. Looking ahead, weather outlooks indicate warmer temperatures and a stretch of drier days ahead, which should allow many farmers to wrap up harvest soon.” As for temperatures, the statewide average last week was 45.3 degrees Fahrenheit (F), 0.8 degrees above normal. The week’s high was 68 degrees F on Oct. 26 at multiple reporting sites, while the low was 21 degrees on Nov. 2 in Wayne County.
