This summer saw its share of extreme weather events, and an expert told Accuweather that unseasonable swings in temperature and precipitation could adversely affect pumpkin crops.
What's happening?
Across the United States and globally, intense heat, abrupt storms, and deadly flash floods unfolded throughout 2025.
We tend to think of extreme weather in terms of activity, like wildfires and superpowered hurricanes, but its impacts can be surprisingly subtle.
Accuweather recently hosted Dr. Alan Walters, a professor of vegetable science and breeding at Southern Illinois University, to discuss the impact of extreme weather on pumpkin yields.
Walters explained that the impacts to various crops (including pumpkins) were complex, as conditions like heavy rains in the spring were a boon to some and a detriment to others. As for extreme temperatures, he spoke about how those conditions could influence pumpkin harvests.
"The heat is a major part of this because pumpkins don't set well, uh, in extreme heat, and the size is stunted during extreme heat events, and too much water can flood the fields," Walters began, citing factors that could help or harm pumpkin crops.
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"So we have a lot of stuff that can happen if it occurs in the right time for the pumpkin production season," he added.
His observations about volatile and uneven pumpkin yields appeared to bear out in the news cycle in October. Areas in Pennsylvania saw a decent harvest, whereas sustained heat and dry conditions adversely affected pumpkin growth in Ohio, Illinois, and Arizona.
Why are unpredictable pumpkin crops a problem?
A reduction in fall fun and less decor for Halloween aren't necessarily worrisome outcomes in a vacuum, but in this case, pumpkin crops are an indicator of a larger, more serious problem.
As the planet overheats and seas get warmer, that feedback loop has a distinct effect on broader weather systems, making them less predictable and more dangerous.
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Not enough time ⏳ The effect of these climate conditions on weather is similar to the effect steroids have on athletes.
While floods, hurricanes, wildfires, and heatwaves have always occurred, a rapidly warming climate makes them more destructive, in some cases more frequent, and less predictable and far deadlier.
As the news about pumpkin crops demonstrated, extreme weather also poses a broad threat to agriculture, the economy, and the food chain on which we all rely.
When crop yields are unexpectedly diminished due to volatile weather, farms and farmers' livelihoods are threatened. Poor yields also drive food prices even higher, at a time when grocery costs are surging across the country.
What's being done about it?
As Accuweather's coverage evidenced, extreme weather is a problem with broad effects on people, the environment, and the economy.
Understanding key climate issues is one way to be aware of and prepare for extreme weather events.
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