As planting season nears, Iowa farmers can use a new tool to help determine when, on average, soil temperatures will be optimal for seeding corn and soybeans.

The Soil Temperature Climatology Tool provides 4-inch soil temperature statistics based on 30 years of data gathered from across the north central United States, including Iowa.

The tool is county specific, using data calculated from information provided by North American Regional Reanalysis (NARR) from 1991-2020.

Farmers can ask the tool for information on soil temperatures such as when certain areas...