HINTON, IA -
Late June and early July's brutally warm weather has moved on, but farmers in Siouxland are asking: Where's the rain?
The dry weather is hurting yields for corn and soybeans alike, farmers say a few inches of rain could make all the difference.
If you take a look at a lot of the fields around Siouxland, most of the crops don't look bad, yet.
Even though it's not as hot as it has been, cornfields are still in serious need of rain.
Mark Held has been farming near Hinton for nearly 40 years, but this summer has him worried: his corn crop is fighting for its life.
It's all because of rain, or the lack of it.
April and May were wetter than normal, but June and July have been nothing but dry.
June was 1.73" inches below normal, and so far July is already nearly an inch behind.
"A lot of people pray for rain, a lot of people cuss for rain, a lot of people just hope it's going to rain, that's about all you can do," said Held. "It is what it is."
According to the University of Nebraska's drought monitor, most of the state of Iowa is in a moderate drought.
Much of Siouxland, from Woodbury County to the Minnesota border, is abnormally dry.
Those conditions make each day without a drop of rain all the more critical, because right now much of the Iowa corn crop is reaching pollination stage.
The amount of rain it gets over the next two weeks could decide whether it's a normal crop or a lost cause.
"A lot of corn will make corn," said Held. "But it's not going to be like a normal year."
Every day farmers like Mark hope "Mother Nature" lets loose, dropping a few inches of rain on the corn, because if that doesn't happen it might not make any crop at all.
Corn isn't the only crop that's hurting, soybeans need the rain too.
Mark says the beans can handle the hot, dry weather a little bit better than corn can, but if it doesn't rain soon there won't be much of a soybean crop either.
