Across the vast agricultural landscape of the United States, farmers are grappling with a dynamic weather pattern that presents both opportunities and challenges for their crops and fieldwork. According to USDA Meteorologist Brad Rippey’s agricultural weather highlights from Wednesday, June 18, 2025, a significant shift in conditions is underway, with implications for everything from spring wheat in Washington to corn in the Midwest.
Out West, a familiar foe has returned: heat. “Hot, dry weather favors fieldwork and crop development,” Rippey noted, but this benefit comes with a cost. “The heat is also reducing topsoil moisture reserves and boosting irrigation demands.” The data underscores this concern, with Oregon reporting 56% of its topsoil moisture as very short to short on June 15, and Washington close behind at 45%. Despite the dry conditions, Washington’s spring wheat is pushing ahead, with 39% headed – significantly ahead of the five-year average of 27%.
Meanwhile, on the Great Plains, a brief reprieve from the oppressive heat was experienced, though western Texas remained an exception. Recent thunderstorms, which had caused localized flooding and “lodged” (blown over) maturing winter wheat, have begun their eastward migration. This shift has brought dry weather back to the High Plains, allowing for a limited return to crucial fieldwork.
The Corn Belt, the nation’s breadbasket for corn and soybeans, is currently under the influence of showers and thunderstorms. These precipitation events are “slowing fieldwork but maintaining mostly abundant moisture reserves,” Rippey explained. The cloud cover and rain are also keeping maximum temperatures in check, with expectations of 75 to 85°F later today. High humidity is a notable factor, “limiting evaporation rates even in areas where no rain is falling.”
In the South, a pattern of “very warm, humid weather” persists. Showers are scattered across the region, with some becoming “locally heavy in the mid-South, including parts of Arkansas.” While these rains are contributing to lush pastures, with Alabama and Kentucky reporting at least 80% of their pastures in good to excellent condition, and every Southern state boasting over 50% in good to excellent shape, many crops would benefit from a stretch of drier weather, and producers are eager for more fieldwork opportunities.
Looking ahead, the forecast points to a significant eastward shift in active weather over the next couple of days, paving the way for “a hotter, drier pattern [to develop] across the nation’s mid-section and begin to expand.” The eastern half of the U.S. could still see 1 to 3 inches of additional rainfall, with the Great Lakes States and northern Maine potentially experiencing the highest amounts. Heavy showers are also possible in parts of the mid-South and lower Midwest.
However, by the end of the week, the focus of significant precipitation will narrow to parts of the North, with the rest of the country bracing for hot and dry conditions. The weekend forecast is particularly concerning for the western Corn Belt, where high temperatures are expected to soar above 100°F as far north as South Dakota. Nearly all areas of the Midwest can anticipate readings of 95°F or higher.
A glimmer of hope for cooler temperatures emerges by Sunday, with cooler air projected to spread as far east as the northern High Plains. This transition will bring showers to the Pacific Northwest and Montana. The National Weather Service’s 6- to 10-day outlook for June 23-27 predicts above-normal temperatures across the eastern half of the U.S., contrasting with cooler-than-normal conditions from California to the High Plains. Most of the country can expect near- or above-normal rainfall, while the Atlantic Coast States from the Carolinas to southern New England are projected to be drier than normal.
Farmers across the nation will undoubtedly be keeping a close eye on these shifting weather patterns, adapting their strategies to mitigate risks and capitalize on opportunities as the summer growing season progresses.
