FREMONT COUNTY, Iowa (IOWA CAPITAL DISPATCH) – Iowa farmers made headway planting corn, soybeans and oats early last week, but were slowed by storms that caused destruction in southwest Iowa, according to the Iowa crop progress and condition report. The report, covering April 14 through April 20, shows Iowa has 68% of oats planted, 18% of corn and 11% of soybeans. Planting rates for all three of these crops are ahead of the five-year average.

Topsoil and subsoil moisture conditions improved slightly from the week prior, though both have more than 60% rated as adequate moisture. Soil moisture conditions are slightly better than last year at this time. Soil temperatures measured at a depth of four inches show the ground has warmed up, with most counties measuring in the upper 40s to low 50s. Other field activities for the period included tiling, building waterways and spraying.

Average precipitation for April 14-20 was 0.35 inches across the state, though several areas measured more than an inch and up to nearly 2.5 inches following thunderstorms April 17. Some counties observed hail as large as 4 inches during the storms and two tornadoes touched down, one in Fremont County near Tabor, and the other moved across Fremont and Page counties.

According to State Climatologist Justin Glisan, hail and wind damage was reported in Sioux City, Storm Lake and Waverly, in addition to the counties that saw tornadoes. Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig visited some of areas hit by the storms. “I visited southwest Iowa over the weekend, where I saw firsthand some of the damage caused by the tornadoes and large hail,” Naig said in a statement. “My heart goes out to all the Iowans who were impacted by these storms.”

Precipitation predictions for the coming week suggest Iowa will have above average rainfall across most of the state, which Naig said might slow spring planting progress as it did the week prior. “While more delays may occur, the rain will help replenish soil moisture, which would be a welcome development in many areas,” Naig said.