DES MOINES — Iowa’s corn and soybean crops remained overwhelmingly good to excellent during the week ending July 26, 2026, despite large hail, tornadoes, damaging winds and sharp differences in rainfall across the state.
The latest Iowa Crop Progress and Condition Report, released Monday, July 27, by the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, showed 80 percent of corn and 78 percent of soybeans rated in good-to-excellent condition.
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig said his recent travels across the state have generally revealed strong crop conditions, although not every farm has shared equally in the favorable growing season.
“The week started with severe weather and ended with stifling temperatures and humidity,” Naig said. “As I’ve traveled across Iowa in recent weeks, I’ve generally seen strong crop conditions, though wind, hail and pockets of both excessive rainfall and persistent dryness have created some variability. Many areas could certainly use a good rain.”
Farmers had six days suitable for fieldwork during the reporting period of July 20 through July 26. That was 2.4 days more than the same week last year, when farmers had only 3.6 suitable days.
Topsoil moisture was rated 9 percent very short, 27 percent short, 61 percent adequate and 3 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture was rated 7 percent very short, 28 percent short, 62 percent adequate and 3 percent surplus.
Corn development continued ahead of last year in some categories. Corn silking reached 87 percent, six percentage points ahead of last year. Twenty-eight percent of the crop reached the dough stage, four percentage points behind last year.
Soybean blooming reached 80 percent, one percentage point ahead of last year. Forty-eight percent of soybeans were setting pods, one percentage point behind last year.
Iowa’s oat harvest advanced rapidly, reaching 67 percent complete. That was 20 percentage points ahead of last year. The oat crop was rated 82 percent good to excellent.
Pasture conditions were rated 65 percent good to excellent.
Northern Iowa endured some of the week’s most dramatic weather.
A line of strong thunderstorms entered northwest Iowa from southeastern Minnesota around sunrise Monday, July 20, before moving across eastern Iowa. Later that day, two supercell thunderstorms rapidly developed over north-central Iowa ahead of a powerful cold front.
Temperatures ahead of the front climbed into the low and middle 90s, while dew points reached the upper 70s and created an atmosphere capable of producing destructive storms.
The supercells merged and intensified while moving southeast. Storms traveling along the Interstate 35 corridor produced hail measuring between 2 and 3 inches in diameter.
Two tornadoes were reported in Hamilton County, including one south of Webster City and another near Kamrar. Wind gusts between 40 and 60 mph were widespread as the storms raced toward the Iowa-Missouri border.
Heavy rainfall fell across central, south-central and portions of northeastern Iowa, but much of northwest Iowa remained dry. The uneven distribution left some farms dealing with excessive moisture while others continued waiting for needed rain.
More than half of Iowa’s reporting stations collected at least an inch of rain during the major storm event, and nearly 75 stations received 2 inches or more. Weekly precipitation totals ranged from no measurable rainfall at several locations to 5.84 inches at Dallas Center.
The statewide weekly precipitation average was 0.99 inch, slightly above the normal 0.89 inch.
Temperatures fluctuated sharply during the week. Multiple stations reached 101 degrees July 20, approximately 15 degrees above normal. Only three days later, Spencer Municipal Airport recorded the week’s lowest temperature at 45 degrees — 18 degrees below normal.
Despite the swings, Iowa’s statewide average temperature was 72.2 degrees, or 1.3 degrees below normal.
Dense smoke from wildfires in Ontario also reached the surface across eastern Iowa early in the reporting period, creating air-quality concerns.
Conditions turned cooler and more comfortable Tuesday and Wednesday before showers returned to parts of northwest Iowa Thursday night. Heat and humidity rebuilt during the weekend, leaving Iowans waking to air temperatures and dew points in the 70s Sunday morning.
Naig said the oppressive heat was expected to ease, with additional chances for thunderstorms returning.
The complete weekly crop report is available on the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service website.