Statewide, Iowa — Harvest season is underway in Iowa with drought conditions ranging from severe to extreme and forecasts show those conditions will likely continue well into winter.
Meteorologist Dennis Todey, director of the USDA’s Midwest Climate Hub in Ames, says there are a few benefits to the dry weather, like how the tractors aren’t getting mired in mud.
Todey says the soil continues to dry out and dry deeper across wide sections of Iowa.
Todey says there are a number of harvest time hazards for farmers and passing motorists due to the dry conditions.
Many locations in Iowa are now showing six to eight inch precipitation deficits for the year. As of this story, according to the daily weather facts from KIWA radio, Sheldon has received 15.01 inches of precipitation this year to date. The normal level of precipitation for Sheldon to date is 24.73 inches. So that means that Sheldon is currently well outside of the other locations in Iowa, coming in at 9.72 inches below normal.
