The Iowa Farm Bureau opened it annual meeting today in Des Moines. IFB president Craig Hill, says farmers are looking forward to turning the page on 2019. "We've had a difficult year. One, we've had to fight Mother Nature a bit to get our seeds planted. That was a difficult time -- harvesting was … [Read more...]
Corn harvest nearing completion after more weather delays
Rain and snow continues to keep farmers from finishing up the corn harvest. The latest U.S.D.A. report shows 92% of the corn has now been harvested. That is six percent more than last week. The report shows the northeast and south-central districts had more than 15% of their crop left to be … [Read more...]
November was below normal in temperature and precipitation
State Climatologist Justin Glissan says November was below normal in a couple of areas. "Temperature wise -- we were at 32.4 degrees Fahrenheit -- which is four degrees below average," according to Glissan. "Looking at the precipitation side of things, we were at 1.4 inches. Which is about … [Read more...]
Wild weather of 2019 has been hard on Iowa’s trees
Iowa's rapidly changing range of weather conditions can pose a challenge for people -- as well as for many types of plants. Jeff Iles, a horticulture professor at Iowa State University, says the wide weather swings we've seen in the past year have had a significant impact on many trees across the … [Read more...]
NWS predicts precipitation hit by Thanksgiving evening
Forecasters say the break in precipitation should last overnight, but National Weather Service meteorologist Brad Small says a "wintry mix" of rain, sleet and snow is predicted to move into the state by Thursday evening. "That'll continue into early Friday, so there could some minor travel … [Read more...]
‘Dry slot’ pushes heavier snowfall out of Iowa, into Minnesota
Deep snow did not materialize in northwest Iowa, but the wind is whipping up the snow that did fall. National Weather Service meteorologist Brad Small says between two and five inches of snow fell north of a Storm Lake to Mason City line. "With these strong winds this morning, it's produced areas … [Read more...]
State Patrol advises you to prepare for winter driving conditions now
Travel conditions are expected to deteriorate as a winter storm approaches the state. State Patrol Trooper Tom Williams of Mason City says if you do plan to travel, pack a winter survival kit in case something happens. “Things that are important to have in a vehicle include an ice scraper, cell … [Read more...]
Heavy snow predicted, forecaster expects it to stick around a while
The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Watch for the northwest quarter of the state throughout the day, into the early evening and into the early morning hours of Wednesday. Todd Heitkamp, the chief meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in Sioux Falls, expects the … [Read more...]
Cold weather can help corn crop until harvest
An Iowa State University grain quality specialist, Charles Hurburgh says some growers are choosing to leave corn in the fields because the kernels’ moisture content is too high for safe storage. The late harvest and cold weather have strained the delivery system for the propane needed to dry the … [Read more...]
As much as nine inches of snow predicted for northwest Iowa
Forecasters say a storm system will move into the state Tuesday, with the potential for rain, freezing rain and high winds and well over half a foot of snow in some areas. Kenny Podrazik, a meteorologist based at the National Weather Service office in Johnston, says a winter storm watch has been … [Read more...]