Drought’s Impact On 2025 Wheat

Timing is everything, and no place is that more true than this year’s spring wheat crop.  USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey has mentioned multiple times this summer how the dry conditions have resulted in a poor crop.

“Drought was pretty expansive early in the growing season for spring wheat, and on August 5th, 35% of the U.S. spring wheat production area was in drought," Rippey said.  "That was actually down from a peak in July of 43% of the production area in drought. And even though we did see some late summer rain that reduced spring wheat in drought to 13% by September 2nd, that, of course, came largely too late for the crop, which is now being harvested.”

Currently 86% of the Idaho spring wheat crop has been harvested, while 90% of Washington crop has been cut.

Drought Expected To Impact 2026's Winter Wheat Crop

But, as Rippey pointed out, this year’s drought may not be done with wheat growers yet.  He said if it hasn’t started already, winter wheat planting will soon begin.

“It is worth noting that 34% of the U.S. winter wheat production area is in drought on September 2nd," Rippey pointed out.  "But interestingly, almost all of the Plains production areas, the hard red winter wheat belt, is free of drought at this time, at 34% mostly due to drought in the white wheat production areas of the Northwest and the soft red production areas of the Mid-South and lower Midwest.”

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