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.
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
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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
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Mike Steenhoek with the Soy Transportation Coalition discusses supply chain challenges facing agriculture as snow, sleet and ice threaten most of the Eastern U.S.
January 23, 2026 01:36 PM
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Large Brazilian crops heighten downside price risk if the weather allows production to reach projected levels.
January 22, 2026 12:38 PM
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While row crops are expected to see softer impacts, analysts say severe weather of this magnitude will not be as kind to cattle producers.
January 22, 2026 11:05 AM
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Alissa White with American Farmland Trust joined us to provide insight into climate resilience efforts and strategies to help farmers manage weather-related risks.
January 14, 2026 02:20 PM
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