Note for readers: This article provides a region-by-region agricultural weather briefing for early December using seasonal patterns and risk-based guidance. It does not include live observations from the last 24 hours or model-derived forecasts. For precise, location-specific details, consult your local National Weather Service office, the Weather Prediction Center, and the Climate Prediction Center.
What producers should review from the past 24 hours
Because day-to-day variability is high in early December and conditions can differ markedly over short distances, use the following checklist to benchmark your fields and operations against local reports from trusted sources (NWS summaries, state mesonet networks, extension offices):
- Freeze and frost occurrences: Note any hard freezes (≤28°F/-2°C) across the Plains, Midwest, and interior Southeast that could advance winter wheat dormancy or stress tender vegetables and citrus. Document duration below 32°F (0°C) for fall-planted crops and cover crops.
- Wind and wind chill impacts on livestock: Gusty post-frontal winds commonly raise cold-stress risk in the Northern/Central Plains and Upper Midwest. Verify overnight minimums and wind chills in open lots and on rangeland.
- Moisture additions: Identify areas with measurable rain or snow that may have improved topsoil moisture for emerging winter wheat, but reduced fieldwork windows for any remaining harvest or fall tillage.
- Snow cover and ice: Note any accumulating snow in the Northern Rockies, Northern Plains, and Upper Midwest that could insulate winter wheat crowns yet complicate transport and livestock access to forage.
- Fog and dew: In the Delta and Southeast, fog or heavy dew can slow drying; monitor leaf wetness duration for disease risks in specialty crops and winter vegetables.
Seven-day outlook for major U.S. agricultural regions
The following guidance offers a practical, risk-based framework for the next seven days. Treat it as a planning aid and confirm timing and amounts through your local forecast.
West: California, Great Basin, Desert Southwest
- Temperature: Seasonable to cool nights in interior valleys; occasional cold mornings in high desert basins. Radiation fog possible in the Central Valley on calm nights.
- Precipitation: Intervals of dry weather are common in early December. If a Pacific disturbance approaches, expect light to locally moderate rain in coastal/valley zones and mountain snow that supports early snowpack building.
- Agricultural implications:
- Central Valley: Fog may limit spraying windows; cool nights support chill-hour accumulation for orchards.
- Low desert vegetables: Mostly favorable field access with cool mornings; monitor for any brief cold snaps in outlying valleys.
- Rangeland: Any mountain snow improves water supply outlook; otherwise, dry spells limit near-term pasture recovery.
- Risks to monitor: Post-frontal gusts over passes, patchy frost in wind-sheltered basins, and air quality/stagnation during extended dry, calm periods.
Pacific Northwest
- Temperature: Cool to seasonably cold, especially east of the Cascades; valley inversions possible on quiet nights.
- Precipitation: Typical early-winter pattern alternates between showery periods and breaks. Look for mountain snow that benefits spring/summer water supply; valley rain can be frequent along the coast and I-5 corridor when systems pass.
- Agricultural implications: Winter wheat east of the Cascades benefits from periodic moisture; brief freeze-thaw cycles can affect topsoil structure and livestock footing.
- Risks to monitor: Heavy, wet snow loading in the Cascades; slick travel/hauling conditions during mixed precipitation or freezing fog.
Northern Rockies and High Plains
- Temperature: Chilly pattern favored, with bouts of subfreezing highs in the coldest snaps. Wind chills can be hazardous during frontal passages.
- Precipitation: Light to moderate snow events are a recurring risk; blowing snow possible on the open plains.
- Agricultural implications: Snow cover can insulate winter wheat; protect livestock with wind breaks and plan extra feed during cold, windy periods.
- Risks to monitor: Rapid temperature drops, black ice, and drifting snow affecting rural roads and access to water points.
Central and Southern Plains (winter wheat, cattle country)
- Temperature: Variable; early December often swings between mild downslope warm-ups and sharp cool-downs behind fronts.
- Precipitation: Generally light and spotty with frontal passages unless a stronger southern-stream wave taps Gulf moisture, which could bring a broader light-to-moderate event.
- Agricultural implications:
- Winter wheat: Moisture remains the limiting factor in drier belts; even light precipitation improves establishment and grazing potential.
- Livestock: Prepare for wind-driven chill and mud where light rains overlap colder air.
- Risks to monitor: Hard freeze potential in the Panhandles and western Kansas; localized icing if shallow cold air meets light precipitation.
Midwest/Corn Belt
- Temperature: On average near to below seasonal for early December, with intermittent short warm-ups before new fronts.
- Precipitation: Quick-moving clippers bring light snow to the Upper Midwest/Great Lakes; rain or a rain/snow mix more likely farther south and east with passing systems.
- Agricultural implications: Remaining fieldwork windows tighten when light snow or rain increases soil moisture; freeze-thaw cycles can improve soil tilth but hinder heavy equipment movement.
- Risks to monitor: Light glaze potential near frontal boundaries, lake-effect snow bursts downwind of the Great Lakes, and visibility reductions in flurries/fog.
Delta and Lower Mississippi Valley
- Temperature: Seasonable to cool; occasional chilly mornings after frontal passage.
- Precipitation: Intermittent showers possible with fronts; heavier rain requires a stronger Gulf connection, which is uncertain in any given week.
- Agricultural implications: Short, usable fieldwork windows between shower periods; monitor soil temperatures for small grains and cover crop establishment.
- Risks to monitor: Localized ponding in heavier showers, fog formation in humid post-rain air masses.
Southeast (including Florida specialty crops)
- Temperature: Generally mild days with periodic cool mornings; interior zones and the Piedmont are more prone to near-freezing pre-dawn lows after fronts.
- Precipitation: Scattered showers with frontal passages; coastal locales see higher humidity and cloud cover.
- Agricultural implications: Citrus and winter vegetables: monitor for brief radiational freezes inland on calm, clear nights; frost protection may be necessary in cold pockets.
- Risks to monitor: Patchy frost/freeze inland, reduced spray windows due to humidity and light showers, and fog affecting early harvest and transport.
Northeast
- Temperature: Seasonable to cold, with brief warm-ups ahead of fronts and quick returns to chilly conditions.
- Precipitation: Light synoptic events and lake-effect snow in favored belts; coastal lows, if they develop, can deliver mixed precipitation inland.
- Agricultural implications: Winterization tasks continue; orchard operations watch for ice accretion risk during mixed events and manage soil conditions to prevent rutting.
- Risks to monitor: Slippery conditions from wintry mixes, ponding in poor-drainage fields during rain-on-snow situations.
Day-by-day planning framework (next 7 days)
The timing and strength of individual systems can shift. Use this as a sequencing guide and verify locally:
- Days 1–2: A passing front is often followed by a cooler, drier push across the Plains and Midwest, scattered light snow in the Upper Midwest/Great Lakes, and breezy conditions. West: windows of valley fog; mountains may see periodic snow if a weak disturbance clips the region. Southeast/Delta: brief showers with frontal passage, then cooler mornings.
- Days 3–5: A transient rebound in temperatures can occur ahead of the next wave. Plains: potential for a modest warm-up and increasing winds. Midwest: light precipitation chances return late in the period. West: watch for the next Pacific impulse—mountain snow likely if it materializes. Southeast: another round of scattered showers possible.
- Days 6–7: Confidence typically lowers at this range. Two common early-December scenarios:
- Scenario A (more active): A stronger system organizes, drawing Gulf moisture northward for broader rain in the Southern/Eastern U.S. with snow potential on the cold side in the Northern Plains/Upper Midwest and interior Northeast.
- Scenario B (less active): Weaker, progressive waves keep precipitation light and scattered; temperatures oscillate around seasonal norms with localized wintry mix near fronts.
Key agricultural risks and mitigations
- Freeze pockets and frost: Interior Southeast and Southern Plains can see brief radiational freezes after cold fronts. Mitigate with frost protection for tender crops, and water lines winterized for livestock.
- Livestock cold stress: Northern/Central Plains and Upper Midwest: prepare windbreaks, ensure access to unfrozen water, and adjust ration energy during windy cold snaps.
- Field access and soil structure: Light rains or snow followed by freeze-thaw can soften topsoil. Use controlled traffic where possible and delay heavy passes until bearing strength improves.
- Transport and logistics: Monitor for fog in California’s Central Valley and the Southeast, mixed precipitation in the Midwest/Northeast, and blowing snow on High Plains corridors.
- Snowpack and water supply (West): Track mountain snow during any Pacific systems; early-season accumulation is pivotal for 2026 irrigation planning.
What to monitor daily
- Local NWS forecasts, watches, and advisories for your county.
- Short-term forecasts (0–72 hours) for exact timing of frontal passages and wind shifts.
- Minimum temperature forecasts versus crop thresholds: 32°F (frost), 28°F (hard freeze), and citrus-specific thresholds.
- Wind forecasts for livestock cold stress and drift-sensitive applications.
- Precipitation type/snow ratios along rain–snow lines and lake-effect belts.
Authoritative resources: weather.gov (local offices), wpc.ncep.noaa.gov (national precipitation and hazards), cpc.ncep.noaa.gov (week-ahead outlooks), and state/land-grant extension networks.