WASHINGTON, D.C. (RFD News) — Wheat growers are keeping a close eye on the weather as heat continues to affect crop conditions across parts of the country.
AccuWeather’s Paul Pastelok said cold temperatures earlier this year damaged the winter wheat crop, while spring wheat is also falling behind.
“It’s not as good as last year, but it’s still pretty good. They’ve had some precipitation in the Dakotas and Montana, but it’s been pretty hot at times. I do think the yields will be a little bit less going into October and September there. Actually September mostly, but I do feel that they’re going to be a little lower than last year. The corn, we planted a little less this year. And so people have been asking me, ‘What do you think about this heat? Is it going to be bad?’ I think if we get through early August with nothing too high as far as 100-degree heat, I think we’re going to be pretty good.”
USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey said recent weather patterns have broken temperature records that stood for nearly 100 years.
“Some daily records from 1936, the heart of the Dust Bowl, were broken on Sunday, July 26, in places like McCook, Nebraska, 111 degrees. Goodland, Kansas, also beat a record from 1936 at 107 degrees. A few of the records even went back further than that. As you move into Wyoming, Cheyenne reached 99 degrees, breaking a daily record that had been set way back in 1910.”
Other regions are expected to see triple-digit heat later this week.
