Last week’s cold temperatures may have killed as much as 15% of the Plains and Midwest’s winter wheat crops, that is according to the Commodity Weather Group.
Without a protective layer of snowfall in the regions, wheat crops were left vulnerable to winter kill. The frigid conditions stretched from Montana all the way to Texas, impacting roughly 65% of the country’s hard red winter wheat.
We likely will not know the extent of the damage until dormant crops resume growth this spring.
While many are ending January on a warmer note, the mild conditions are not expected to last.
USDA Meteorologist Brad Rippey says that more Arctic air is on the way.
“As we move into the late week and the weekend period we will see a little bit of a southward push of that Arctic cold front and we will unleash a new round of cold air, nothing like what we saw last week, but certainly colder air coming for the Plains, the Midwest as we move into the weekend and beyond,” Rippey explains.
He creds a weak La Niña weather pattern for the cooler-than-normal conditions, with cold air blowing in through the Arctic Sea from Siberia.
Lewis Williamson of HTS Commodities joined us with an update on the historic winter storm impacts and his outlook on today’s ag markets.
January 27, 2026 02:39 PM
·
Marilyn Schlake with the UNL Department of Agricultural Economics joined us for a closer look at the evolving role of livestock sale barns.
January 27, 2026 12:19 PM
·
Texas Farm Bureau President Russell Boening joined us with the latest update on storm conditions and impacts across the state.
January 26, 2026 04:30 PM
·
Mike Knotts with the Tennessee Electric Cooperative Association joined us with the latest on storm impacts, power restoration, and safety considerations following the ice storm.
January 26, 2026 04:00 PM
·
Brooks York with AgriSompo joined us with his outlook on crop insurance and risk management following the recent winter storm that tore through most of the United States, including the Midwest.
January 26, 2026 03:30 PM
·
A mid-January winter storm delivered snow, ice, and extreme cold to a broad swath of the U.S., disrupting transportation, stressing livestock systems, and adding cost and complexity to winter farm operations as producers look toward spring.
January 26, 2026 01:10 PM
·
