Although we are still experiencing more winter-like than spring weather, this is the first week Iowa Secretary of Agriculture, Mike Naig, issues the Iowa Crop Progress and Condition Report for 2018. This cold snap is, of course, the main topic of the report. Naig says the cool, wet weather is keeping farmers out of the field and is also creating some challenges for cow and calf producers. “It looks like this weather pattern could stay in place and continue to prevent farmers from getting a start on spring fieldwork,” Naig says. Statewide, the past week only produced 0.4 days suitable for fieldwork and the heavy snow and muddy lot conditions have been an issue for calving in many areas across the state. The average temperatures over the past week have been from six to 10 degrees below normal with the warmest reading from Sioux City on March 28 at 64 degrees. The coolest readings in the state were in the northern portion mid-week with temperatures dropping into the mid-teens. Cresco, in northeastern Iowa, fell to 13 degrees on March 29. Soil temperatures on April 1 were reported in the 30s across the state with readings near freezing in some northern locations.
