Nebraska Extension Meteorologist Eric Hunt returned as a guest on the Market to Market podcast this week for a wide-ranging look at this year’s weather — and he didn’t hold back on what it means for growers in Nebraska and the broader Midwest. From surprising yield drag to renewed drought pockets, Hunt connected the dots on several trends that shaped 2025 and may set the stage for early 2026.
Hunt described 2025 as Nebraska’s best moisture year of the decade, yet one that ended with a concerning dry turn in the northeast. Across the Midwest, he pointed to the band from central Illinois to western Ohio as the region’s biggest current trouble spot — an area where severe drought has deepened at a time of year when recovery is hardest. Even so, he noted that parts of the Corn Belt may be in better shape heading into winter than they’ve been in years.
What really caught his attention, though, were the factors behind this season’s uneven yields. Persistent cloud cover sharply reduced solar radiation during grain fill — a “skip-supper-before-a-marathon” scenario for corn. Some counties were drenched while others swung dry, and warm nighttime temperatures added stress at key growth stages. Pair all that with some of the most aggressive southern rust pressure in recent memory, and it’s no surprise some of the region’s most reliable fields fell short of expectations.
Hunt also offered an early look at winter: signals for a colder-than-normal start to December across the northern Plains and western Corn Belt, a possible wobble into deeper drought for parts of Nebraska and the Dakotas, and improving moisture chances for the eastern Corn Belt. But he hinted there may be more twists ahead — and that the ingredients for a turbulent start to winter are already showing up in multiple model runs.
Curious what this all means for your farm? Hunt’s full conversation dives deeper into drought trends, winter signals and the surprising weather quirks that shaped this year’s crop performance. Watch it here.
Market to Market is an Iowa PBS podcast dedicated to delivering expert analyses of major commodity markets and insight into trends and strategies to producers.
