OTTUMWA —
Iowa's harvest doesn't have much longer to run.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture says more than three quarters of the state's corn crop is already out of the fields, along with 80 percent of the soybean crop. The corn crop is a full month ahead of the fall norms. Soybeans aren't quite that far ahead, but are still running two weeks ahead of a normal harvest season.
To put those numbers in perspective, at this time in 2011 less than a quarter of the state's corn had been harvested.
In southeast Iowa, things are behind the state average. Sixty-nine percent of the corn in the area has been harvested. Only 58 percent of the soybeans in southeast Iowa have been harvested.
The new report comes as some forecasters have increased projections for the corn crop. That's a change from the summer's relentless pessimism and drought. Still, the drought has had a major impact and it shows as 99 percent of Iowa reports adequate or surplus off-farm storage capacity.
Weather turned sharply colder last week. It was cold enough that State Climatologist Harry Hillaker says Battle Creek tied a record. The town's low temperature Saturday was 12 degrees, "tied for the lowest temperature for so early in the season." The record was set back in 1935.
While some areas saw rain with the colder weather, it still wasn't enough. Hillaker says this was the 20th week out of the past 22 with below average rainfall.
That's becoming a concern, as experts say Iowa needs to see rains before the ground freezes this winter. After that, the amount that soaks into the earth will drop dramatically.
CNHI/SE Iowa
Corn harvest a month ahead of normal
- CNHI/SE Iowa
-
-
Twitter introduces website security tool after AP account hacked
Twitter is adding a new security tool to its website, making it harder for outsiders to gain access to accounts, a month after a false posting triggered a stock-market decline.
-
Siblings withstand storm in fridge
Brother and sister co-owners of a Chinese takeout restaurant huddled inside a refrigerator to survive Monday’s deadly tornado that claimed 24 lives.
-
Pursuit that began in Marion County ends in Wayne County
CORYDON — A pursuit that began in Marion County Tuesday evening ended in Wayne County Tuesday night. The two-hour, high speed chase that went through several counties, with an alleged short stint in Missouri as well, involved several agencies with a
-
Mom delivered baby as tornado struck
Shayla Taylor was so far along in labor that her nurses at Moore Medical Center decided not to move her when Monday's tornado hit. They waited out the storm in an operating room, where the wall disappeared as the tornado hit the building.
-
Stabbing trial pushed back
OTTUMWA -- The trial of an Ottumwa man accused of stabbing another man to death has been pushed back. Twenty-year-old Brandon Seim was charged in November 2011, when he was 18, with the stabbing death of Andy Madren, 34. When officers arrived at the
-
Offering a few helping hands
Two area women formed a business around the idea that people who have lost loved ones may need assistance in getting estates squared away.
-
TIMELAPSE: Take a tour through the damage in Moore
Take a driving tour of the damage in Moore caused by Monday's tornado.
-
Mayor wants tornado shelters in new homes
Moore Mayor Glenn Lewis wants tornado shelters in all new homes in his city, where an EF-5 tornado damaged or destroyed more than 12,500 homes Monday afternoon. A proposed ordinance would require a shelter inside or outside each new residence.
-
Officials release storm survey results
DES MOINES -- Officials with the National Weather Service have released a report on this week's severe weather, confirming that three tornadoes hit Iowa. That broke a nearly year-long streak without tornadoes in the state.
-
AUDIO: Residents share their tornado experiences
Moore, Okla., residents talk about living through Monday's EF-5 tornado.
- More CNHI/SE Iowa Headlines
-
Officials: Truck Hit Bridge Before Collapse
Sheriff: No Sign Killing of 2 Kids Was Planned
Obama Defends Drone Strikes, With Limits
Raw: Jurors Deadlock on Jodi Arias Penalty
Boy Scouts Decision "First Step" Say Activists
Raw: Utah Teen Arrested in Death of His Brothers
Closer Look at Okla. School Where Children Died
Two Suspects in Murder Known to London Police
Boy Scouts Mom Supports Gay Inclusiveness
"Be Ready": NOAA Warns of Busy Hurricane Season
SeaWorld: Penguins Are Coolest Thing in Florida
Obama Renews Call to Close Gitmo
Obama Offers Drone Strike Defense
Raw: Heckler Interrupts Obama on Guantanamo
A Slice of Apple History Up for Grabs
