Ia-crop-weather State Iowa Crops & Weather Released February 8, 2005 For the Month of January 2005 Issue IA-CW0605 Mild Weather Good for Livestock Agricultural Summary: Grain movement is picking up slightly, and corn piled outside on the ground continues to diminish. Reporters note that some beans are moving, but not much corn has been delivered yet from farms as elevators are finding space for the outside piles of corn. Producers are concerned about Asian Rust and some are attending sessions to learn more. At the end of January, the average depth of snow cover across Iowa was visibly 4 inches, compared to 5 inches at the same time last year. The average depth of frost penetration for the state was 16 inches, compared to last year's 15 inches. Soil moisture availability was rated 2 percent very short, 15 percent short, 72 percent adequate, and 11 percent surplus. Movement of grain for the state was 28 percent none, 45 percent light, 23 percent moderate, and 4 percent heavy. Availability of hay and roughage supplies was 7 percent short, 78 percent adequate, and 15 percent surplus. Quality of hay and roughage supplies was 8 percent poor, 35 percent fair, and 57 percent good. Utilization of stubble fields for grazing rated 37 percent none, 28 percent limited, 24 percent moderate, and 11 percent extensive. Hog and pig losses in January were 20 percent below average, 73 percent average, and 7 percent above average. Cattle and calf losses were 28 percent below average, 68 percent average, and 4 percent above average. Reporters across the state indicate it has been a great winter for livestock, not too cold or snowy. Some feedlots had icy conditions and then got muddy when temperatures warmed up. The lack of snow left stubble fields for much extended livestock use. There were scattered reports of some early calving underway. Iowa Preliminary Weather Summary - January 2005 General Summary: Iowa temperatures averaged 19.6 degrees or 1.8 degrees above normal while precipitation totaled 1.38 inches or 0.43 inches above normal. This ranks as the 61st warmest and 33rd wettest January among 133 years of state weather records. Temperatures: Temperatures fluctuated from above to below normal about every four days for the first two-thirds of the month until warmer than normal weather finally persisted for the last eight days of January. The coldest weather came at mid month. Temperatures fell to -20 degrees at Spencer and Sibley on the morning of the 15th and again at Waterloo on the morning of the 17th. The month's warmest weather arrived on the 25th when readings climbed into the 50's across much of the southwest one-half of Iowa and even reached 61 degrees at Leon. Heating Degree Day Totals: Home heating requirements, as estimated by heating degree day totals, averaged 4 percent less than last year and 4 percent less than normal. Thus far this season (since July 1) degree day totals are running 5 percent less than last season and 10 percent less than normal. Precipitation: January began with an extremely wet weather pattern. Rain and freezing rain fell statewide on New Year's Day into the morning of the 2nd. Considerable ice accumulated over the northwest one-third of the state with amounts near six-tenths of an inch at Mason City. Rain fell nearly statewide again from late on the 2nd to midday on the 3rd with light freezing rain across the northwestern two-thirds of Iowa. Yet another storm system moved into the state late on the 3rd. This began as freezing rain in most areas before changing over to snow during the daytime and evening hours of the 4th. Heavy snow, accumulating from 10 to 15 inches, fell from Omaha-Council Bluffs northeastward through Waterloo and into Wisconsin. Seventy-eight percent of the month's precipitation fell during these first 6 days of January. Light freezing rain was again common across eastern Iowa on the nights of the 10th and 11th. Locally heavy rain fell across southeastern Iowa on the 12th with 1.45 inches at West Branch. There was even a report of nickel sized hail from Davis County on the afternoon of the 12th. This was the first report of large hail in Iowa during January since the major tornado outbreak of January 24, 1967. Monthly precipitation totals varied from 0.24 inches at Spencer to 3.35 inches at Maquoketa where this was the wettest January since 1960. Snowfall for the month averaged 9.8 inches or 1.6 inches more than normal. Of this total, 8.6 inches came in the storm of the 4th-6th. This ranks as the 24th snowiest January among 118 years of records. Outlook: Weak El Nino conditions are persisting in the Pacific. This slightly favors warmer than normal weather in Iowa for February and near normal precipitation. Snow Cover and Frost Penetration for the Month of January ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : Districts : : : Item :-----------------------------------------------------------------------: State : Last : Last : NW : NC : NE : WC : C : EC : SW : SC : SE : : Month : Year ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : Inches : Snow cover : 2 3 9 2 7 5 6 3 2 4 0 5 Frost penetration : 23 18 22 20 19 11 13 9 7 16 9 15 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ January Weather Summary For Iowa Agricultural Statistics Service Prepared by AWIS, Inc. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : : : : :DAYS:DAYS : AIR TEMPERATURE : PRECIPITATION : : : OF : OF STATION :-----------------------------------------: HDD : HDD : 32 : 28 : HI : LO :AVG :DFN : TOTAL : DFN :DAYS : TOT : DFN :COLD:COLD ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- : North West District : Estherville : 50 -16 16 4 0.29 -0.42 3 1,511 -113 31 30 Sioux Center : 52 -17 18 3 0.36 -0.27 3 1,459 -74 31 29 Spencer : 51 -20 17 5 0.38 -0.14 3 1,469 -117 31 29 Spirit Lake : 49 -15 15 3 0.38 -0.18 3 1,549 157 31 31 : North Central District : Britt : 46 -15 15 2 0.80 -0.11 5 1,556 -22 31 31 Humboldt : 47 -14 16 -1 0.60 -0.13 5 1,511 -16 31 31 Mason City : 41 -16 16 4 1.01 0.12 5 1,509 -98 31 31 Northwood : 44 -18 14 3 1.64 0.82 10 1,579 -75 31 31 : North East District : Decorah : 40 -18 18 3 1.70 0.96 12 1,464 -80 31 30 Dubuque : 40 -9 20 5 1.82 0.56 8 1,381 -144 30 27 Elkader : 43 -19 16 1 1.87 0.91 11 1,497 155 31 31 Independence : 43 -18 17 4 1.30 0.33 7 1,471 65 31 31 Waterloo : 44 -19 19 5 1.36 0.56 6 1,425 -139 30 27 : West Central District : Audubon : 50 -15 18 -2 0.97 0.09 3 1,457 40 31 29 Carroll : 53 -14 18 2 0.84 0.07 2 1,454 -39 31 29 Castana : 55 -8 18 -2 0.51 -0.04 4 1,452 -106 31 29 Guthrie Center : 51 -18 17 -1 1.16 0.32 8 1,468 8 31 30 Harlan : 50 -11 18 -2 1.12 0.45 3 1,449 -65 31 29 Jefferson : 51 -12 18 2 1.31 0.54 7 1,439 -54 31 30 Logan : 56 -16 18 0 1.01 0.23 5 1,447 4 31 30 Rockwell City : 50 -12 17 -1 0.49 -0.16 4 1,491 14 31 31 Sioux City : 57 -11 21 4 0.39 -0.16 5 1,360 -108 29 26 : Central District : Ames : 45 -15 20 5 1.00 0.26 6 1,394 -125 30 27 Boone : 50 -14 17 1 1.58 0.67 8 1,474 -25 31 31 Des Moines : 50 -6 22 3 0.82 -0.14 8 1,319 -95 29 26 Eldora : 42 -11 17 2 1.21 0.37 6 1,494 -41 31 31 Marshalltown : 42 -16 19 3 1.05 0.22 8 1,407 -84 31 27 Newton : 48 -10 19 1 0.98 0.14 8 1,425 -23 31 31 Perry : 50 -15 18 2 1.25 0.55 10 1,440 -40 31 30 Toledo : 45 -16 17 2 0.67 -0.18 7 1,474 -34 31 31 : East Central District : Cedar Rapids : 42 -10 21 4 0.85 -0.16 11 1,354 -115 30 26 Davenport : 49 -5 23 4 1.86 0.79 12 1,281 -111 29 23 Iowa City : 48 -4 25 5 2.21 1.21 6 1,228 -148 27 23 Lowden : 46 -8 20 3 3.35 2.16 13 1,397 -69 31 30 Maquoketa : 41 -8 19 3 3.35 2.24 9 1,419 -71 31 31 Muscatine : 53 -5 23 3 2.57 1.32 11 1,304 -254 31 27 : South West District : Clarinda : 53 -14 20 0 1.23 0.35 3 1,376 -19 31 30 Glenwood : 55 -10 21 2 1.00 0.26 5 1,365 -10 31 29 Oakland : 54 -12 19 2 1.27 0.55 11 1,417 -32 31 28 Red Oak : 54 -12 21 -1 0.90 0.10 6 1,355 5 31 30 Sidney : 55 -6 21 0 0.84 0.15 6 1,352 -7 30 28 : South Central District : Allerton : 56 -5 21 2 2.29 1.29 12 1,340 -325 31 31 Beaconsfield : 56 -8 21 2 1.63 0.93 8 1,352 -49 31 30 Chariton : 55 -9 22 3 1.88 0.93 8 1,331 -90 31 28 Indianola : 58 -11 21 2 0.86 -0.10 6 1,367 -40 31 31 Leon : 61 -7 23 3 1.59 0.62 9 1,308 -85 31 30 : South East District : Bloomfield : 58 -5 23 1 2.54 1.42 10 1,285 -29 31 28 Burlington : 55 -2 27 6 2.09 0.85 8 1,165 -176 28 20 Ottumwa : 53 -6 24 4 2.19 1.21 7 1,275 -95 29 24 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Precipitation (rain, melted snow or ice) in inches. Precipitation Days = Days with precipitation of 0.01 inch or more. Air Temperatures in Degrees Fahrenheit. Copyright 2005: AWIS, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Contact Information: Iowa Agricultural Statistics 210 Walnut St., Rm 833 Des Moines, IA 50309 1-800-772-0825 Fax 515-284-4342 nass-ia@nass.usda.gov