With only six days until Christmas, many men I know are just starting their shopping while others are helping put the finishing touches on the holiday feast.  It’s not likely that many people will pay much thought to last week’s rainfall now, but weather will likely be a topic of major conversation at some point when farm families gather together.  (At least it is at our house!)  That’s why today on The Field Position we’re providing you with a little extra “food for thought.”

Most of the Midwest is suffering drought conditions, as Latham Product Manager Mark Grundmeier posted last Thursday.  We need moisture.  Interestingly enough, not all areas of the state are in such dire straits.

Precipitation totals have been extremely variable this fall, says State Climatologist Harry Hillaker with the Iowa Department of Agriculture & Land Stewardship (IDALS).  Soil moisture levels vary from near field capacity in extreme southeast Iowa (where Keokuk has seen 8.79 inches of rain since Nov. 1) to far below the typical early winter levels in the northwest (where total precipitation since Sept. 1 has been only about an inch in some areas centered around Cherokee County).

“The rain event of December 13-14 brought a statewide average of 0.76 inches of precipitation,” says Hillaker.  “As expected, the greatest rains fell in the southeast and the least in the northwest.”  Only 0.2 to 0.4 inches of rain fell the northwest quarter of Iowa while the Keosauqua and Mount Pleasant areas received 2 to 2.5 inches last week.  Fortunately, there is not much frozen soil across Iowa allowing most of this rain to soak into the ground.

So just how dry is your area?  You can click view the latest Drought Map by region or by state.  You can also find estimated soil moisture levels by clicking here.

Can we make up for a lack of fall rain with snow?  Hillaker says snowfall generally does not provide much benefit to soil moisture levels in Iowa for two main reason.  First, snowfall on average accounts for less than 10% of our annual precipitation.  Second, much of the moisture falls on frozen ground and doesn’t easily make its way into the soil as it melts.   Nevertheless, snow cover helps eliminate wind erosion as wet top soil is not easily blown away.

I’ve been known to whistle as I work, and I’ve been known to whistle as I walk the halls at Latham Hi‑Tech Seeds.  But this week, I’m singing a new tune:

Let it rain, let it rain, let it rain!

Some may question my sanity, especially since it’s December in Iowa.  But as Paul Harvey would say, “Now for the rest of the story.”

The story is that Iowa – and much of the Upper Midwest – is suffering from a drought.  Our great state just completed its driest July-November period since 1976, according to a recent article in The Des Moines Register.  About three-quarters of the state officially classified as being in a drought.

With no autumn rainfall, we need moisture over the winter or in early spring.  Snowfall may or may not be of benefit, depends on when it comes and how it melts.  Snowfall on frozen ground that eventually melts is not of great benefit because it usually just runs off the frozen ground into the streams and rivers without filtering down into the soil profile.

Precipitation, like we’ve experienced here this week, is of great importance.  The ground isn’t completely frozen yet, so this rain and rain/snow can sink into the parched soil.

Sufficient moisture is critical in the spring for seeds to germinate and for seedlings to grow.  While fall precipitation can play a role, we can still make up for moisture deficiencies with snowmelt and spring rains.

And on that note, I’ll change my tune to something a little more appropriate to the season and to our climate:

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

Listen to: Let It Snow