OTTUMWA —
The US Department of Agriculture says dry weather in Iowa helped get crops into the ground faster than normal. But now they want rain.
The weekly crops and weather report says a lack of rainfall combined with winds over the past week dried out the ground. Southern Iowa is the driest part of the state.
The good news is that there is rain on the way. Several days of persistent rain are expected beginning tonight. Rain is expected to continue through the day Thursday and into Thursday night. As much as an inch may fall in some areas.
Even better is how the rain is expected to fall. A strong thunderstorm may drop a lot of rain, but it happens in a short period. Much of that rain can run off into streams before the ground has a chance to take it in. Sustained, slower rains, like the rain in the forecast, is easier for the ground to absorb.
Ninety-five percent of Iowa's corn crop has emerged, according to the USDA. The crop hit that mark 11 days ahead of the average. Soybeans are at 97 percent planted, which is also well ahead of the average.
Farmers in southeast Iowa will certainly welcome the rain. The Ottumwa area is more than a half-inch behind normal precipitation, while Bloomfield is 1.24 inches below the norm.
CNHI/Southeast Iowa
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