Iowa saw a return to mild, dry weather last week following the season’s first snowfall, according to the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship’s weekly weather summary for the week ending Nov. 16. It was not uncommon to see temperatures rebound into the 60s and even low 70s last week, which allowed farmers to finish the last of the corn harvest and catch up on fall fieldwork. Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig says, “Those dry days allowed farmers to make a final push to harvest the remaining corn and move onto other fieldwork. With dry conditions and drought creeping back in, many will welcome the forecasted moisture that could help recharge our soils as we head toward Thanksgiving.” According to State Climatologist Justin Glisan, the reporting period featured warmer-than-normal temperatures and little precipitation, with only a few stations recording measurable rainfall. The statewide average temperature was 41.6 degrees Fahrenheit (F), about 3.6 degrees above normal. Low temperatures last week were in the single digits, with just six degrees recorded in Clay County, while the high temperature of 76 degrees F was observed at multiple locations. The average precipitation total failed to reach a measurable threshold, well below the normal 0.44 inch.
