This post examines how a string of extreme weather events in 2025 — from heat waves to flash floods — has taken a toll on pumpkin production across the United States and beyond. Drawing on observations from researchers and growers, it explains the mechanisms by which erratic temperature and rainfall patterns affect pumpkin crops. The post also highlights what these trends mean for farmers, consumers, and food-system resilience.
2025 Extreme Weather and the Pumpkin Patch
During the 2025 growing season, unusually volatile weather produced mixed outcomes for pumpkin yields: some regions recorded respectable harvests while others experienced sharp losses. These disparities illustrate how the same climate drivers can benefit crops in one location and devastate them in another.
How heat and rainfall affected yields
Heavy spring rains are a double-edged sword for pumpkins. In some cases, they replenish soil moisture and support vigorous vine growth.
In others, excessive water leads to flooded fields, root oxygen deprivation, and stunted plants.
Extreme heat presents a more uniformly negative stress. High temperatures interfere with flowering and fruit set — the physiological processes by which pumpkins form and grow.
This leads to fewer marketable fruits and undersized harvests. As Dr. Alan Walters of Southern Illinois University told AccuWeather, unpredictable temperature and rainfall patterns create complex and often contradictory effects on crop yields.
Regional patterns and broader implications
In 2025 we saw clear regional differences: Pennsylvania growers reported relatively decent harvests. Farmers in Ohio, Illinois, and Arizona faced notable losses driven by heat and drought.
These localized outcomes reveal the spatial complexity of climate impacts on agriculture.
What this means for food supply and prices
Uneven yields do more than affect country fairs or seasonal markets; they have real consequences for the food supply chain and consumer prices. Reduced pumpkin output contributes to tighter supply.
This, combined with broader agricultural losses, can push up costs for consumers and strain processing industries that depend on a predictable volume of produce.
When weather becomes more erratic, planning horizons shorten, pest and disease pressures shift, and farm incomes become more uncertain. All of these changes ripple through local and global food systems.
Practical responses for growers and policymakers
Adaptation and preparation can mitigate some of the risks posed by extreme weather.
From my 30 years in agricultural research and extension, successful strategies typically combine on-farm changes with supportive policy and research investments.
Key measures include:
Here is the source article for this story: Expert sounds alarm over growing trend in pumpkin harvests: ‘We have a lot of stuff that can happen’