Historical Weather (This Day in History - 1993)

• Severe thunderstorms moved from Nebraska to western Iowa at 60 mph
• Wind gusts exceeded 70 mph, with 75 mph winds in Pottawattamie County destroying barns
• Council Bluffs received 2 inches of rain in 30 minutes causing urban flooding
• Des Moines recorded 83 mph wind gust
• 1993 was record wet year for Ames (20 inches of rain in July alone vs. 8 inches in July 2025)

Current Weather Forecast

Short-term (Justin Glisan)

• Rainfall chances continue through Friday night
• Cold front broke heat dome, bringing dew points down
• Temperatures: mid-80s through weekend, then back to 90s
• Minor rainfall chances early next week
• Northern Iowa has less rain chance as storm track moves south
• Expected rainfall: 3/4 inch statewide (below normal), 1.5-2 inches in southwestern Iowa

Extended Outlook (Madelynn Wuestenberg)

• 6-10 day outlook (July 29-Aug 2): Slightly below normal temperatures in north, near normal in south; 33-40% chance above normal precipitation
• 8-14 day outlook (July 31-Aug 6): Continued slight chances of below normal temperatures; western Iowa slightly wetter, eastern Iowa near normal
• Normal temperatures: Daily highs mid-80s, lows in 60s

Recent Weather Events

Heat and Humidity

• Yesterday and prior day were hot, with cloud cover mitigating worst conditions in central Iowa
• Eastern Iowa experienced "dew point pooling" with dew points in upper 70s-low 80s
• Hottest reading: Dubuque Lock and Dam hit 95°F with heat index of 110°F

Severe Weather

• 6 AM tornado warnings in central Iowa
• Tornado warnings near Maxwell and eastern Iowa
• Caused by remnants of mesoscale convective vortex from Kansas moving along warm boundary

Rainfall Totals (Past 7 Days)

• Northeast Iowa: 4-4.5 inches (highest)
• Central Iowa: 3-3.5 inches
• Southwest Iowa: Trace to 0.25 inches (lowest, drought conditions persist)

Specialty Crop Impacts

Garlic Disease Investigation

• Farm in Chariton, Iowa had garlic crop with yellowing (suspected aster yellows)
• Testing revealed it was a virus, not aster yellows phytoplasma
• Cannot save seed for next year due to virus
• Comparison with aunt's clean stock showed dramatic difference
• At a different farm, possible Embellisia skin blotch observed on garlic wrappers

Brassica Issues

• Black rot & alternaria affecting collards, broccoli, and kale
• Wet conditions exacerbating disease problems

Nutritional Concerns

• Nitrogen leaching due to excessive moisture
• Fertilization may be necessary to supplement leached nutrients

Crop Performance Issues

• Onions in Central Minnesota: Unexpectedly bolting across all varieties (planted from seed this spring)
• Zucchini: Poor fruit set, currently "worst crop of the year" candidate
• Tomatoes: Slow growth, fruit remaining green
• General pollination: Poor across multiple crops due to hot, wet conditions
• Heat may be affecting fruit set in tomatoes and peppers (flower abortion)

Upcoming Events

• July 30: Cut flower field walk at River Root Farm (Decorah)
• July 31-Aug 1: Plant Peddler educator field day and variety day (Cresco)
• August 2: Grow Johnson County field day and food safety workshop
• August 5: Iowa State fruit and vegetable Field Day
• August 20: Midwest mechanical weed control field day

Show Notes

• Hiatus announcement: No new episodes for 3 weeks (pre-recorded content only)
• Return date: August 21st, 2025

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