Weather remains the most important short-term driver of field operations, winter livestock care, and perennial crop risk. The guidance below organizes the most relevant agricultural weather considerations by major U.S. production regions for the coming week, followed by practical, crop- and livestock-focused implications. Conditions vary significantly by county and elevation; use local National Weather Service forecasts and advisories for decisions on timing and safety-sensitive work.

Over the past day, many producers across the country have encountered one or more of the following seasonal conditions. Use these checkpoints to translate recent weather into on-farm actions:

• Freeze and frost: Subfreezing temperatures can accelerate dormancy in tree fruit and grapes but risk damage to sensitive leafy greens, winter vegetables, and unprotected citrus. For perennial crops, the impact depends on chill accumulation and hardening status.
• Wind and dry air: Strong, dry winds elevate wildfire risk in rangeland and can desiccate topsoil, complicating small grain emergence in areas with marginal moisture.
• Rain and mixed precipitation: Even light precipitation can tip fields out of trafficable range on heavy soils. Watch for nutrient loss from surface-applied manure or fertilizer where runoff occurred.
• Snow cover: A few inches of snow insulate winter wheat and alfalfa crowns from hard freezes, but wet snow followed by a freeze can cause ice crusting and smothering. Livestock require sheltered access and water supply protection.
• Fog and low clouds: Persistent valley fog in the West limits drying and field access; in the Southeast, fog signals high humidity that can favor foliar disease in winter vegetables and strawberries.

Late-December typically features quick-moving disturbances across the northern tier and interior West, occasional Gulf moisture surges into the South and East, and intermittent cold shots behind fronts across the Plains and Midwest. Expect a couple of systems in the next week to govern temperature swings, precipitation windows, and wind episodes. Snowpack-building storms in the mountains remain central to 2026 irrigation outlooks in the West.

West Coast and Intermountain West

Pacific Northwest (wheat, seed crops, timber)

• Temperature: Variable; brief mild spells between cool, showery periods. Overnight freezes likely inland; coastal areas trend milder.
• Precipitation: Periodic rain at low elevations and snow in the Cascades/Blues; mountain snowpack should see incremental gains. Valley rainfall may interrupt late-season field work.
• Ag impacts: Winter wheat benefits from moisture; monitor ponding in poorly drained fields. Livestock need windbreaks at higher elevations and during frontal passages.

California (Central Valley produce, nuts, citrus; coastal produce)

• Temperature: Central Valley nights prone to fog and radiational cooling; occasional morning freezes possible in pockets. Coastal zones milder.
• Precipitation: Intermittent light rain chances north; lower odds and lighter amounts south. Sierra snow accumulation likely with colder systems.
• Ag impacts: Valley fog slows drying, hampers spraying/harvest logistics. Citrus: protect against sub-28°F durations; wind machines and microsprinklers as needed. Almonds/pistachios continue chill accumulation; monitor disease windows if damp.

Southwest and Four Corners (vegetables, forage, rangeland)

• Temperature: Cool nights widespread; hard freezes in interior valleys and high deserts on the coldest nights.
• Precipitation: Mostly light and episodic; higher chances over higher terrain with any passing trough.
• Ag impacts: Freeze protection for winter vegetables; maintain stock watering systems against freeze-up. Rangeland remains moisture-limited where storms miss; avoid overgrazing.

Intermountain West and Rockies (hay, cattle, small grains)

• Temperature: Cold spells with notable wind chill above passes and on open range; short milder breaks possible between systems.
• Precipitation: Mountain snow episodes likely; valleys vary from flurries to light mixed precipitation.
• Ag impacts: Snowpack supports 2026 irrigation; ensure feed and shelter plans for cattle during wind-driven cold. Watch ice development on stock ponds.

Plains

Northern Plains (wheat, corn/soy in storage, livestock)

• Temperature: Periodic Arctic-leaning air masses possible; wind chills can be dangerous for exposed livestock during frontal passages.
• Precipitation: Light to moderate snow chances with passing clippers; totals hinge on storm track.
• Ag impacts: Snow cover protects winter wheat if sustained; absent snow, subzero nights can stress crowns. Maintain bin aeration schedules during dry, cold windows; check for condensation after temperature swings.

Central and Southern Plains (winter wheat, cattle)

• Temperature: Wide swings typical; freezing nights common, with potential for brief warmups.
• Precipitation: Opportunities for light to locally moderate moisture mainly with frontal waves; dry stretches still likely west.
• Ag impacts: Emerged wheat benefits from gentle moisture; lack of snow cover plus a hard freeze could burn leaf tissue. Provide shelter and energy-dense feed ahead of windy cold snaps for cow-calf herds.

Midwest and Corn Belt

• Temperature: Alternating chill and milder breaks tied to frontal timing; nights frequently below freezing.
• Precipitation: Mixed phase events possible; rain-to-snow transitions with some systems. Lake-effect snow downwind of the Great Lakes when cold air flows in.
• Ag impacts: Field access windows will be narrow; avoid rutting that complicates spring prep. Secure grain bins against high winds; monitor moisture migration during temperature swings. Snow cover, where present, insulates alfalfa and soft red winter wheat.

Delta and Lower Mississippi Valley

• Temperature: Seasonable cool with variable daytime highs; frost likely on clear nights.
• Precipitation: One or two rain opportunities; locally heavier bands possible if Gulf moisture connects with a front.
• Ag impacts: Wet fields can delay off-season tillage and drainage work. Strawberry and winter vegetable growers should prepare for radiation frost on calmer, clear nights.

Southeast (including Florida specialty crops)

• Temperature: Cool nights; periodic mild afternoons. Risk of patchy to widespread frost inland; Florida citrus areas should monitor for sub-32°F durations in colder pockets.
• Precipitation: Scattered showers with frontal passages; dry intervals between.
• Ag impacts: Frost/freeze protection for berries, leafy greens, and citrus as thresholds are approached. Humid stretches can favor foliar disease; use dry windows for protective sprays.

Mid-Atlantic and Northeast

• Temperature: Frequent freezes; milder interludes ahead of systems. Interior valleys and higher terrain trend colder.
• Precipitation: Rain or wintry mix for coastal/plain systems; interior higher elevations tilt toward snow.
• Ag impacts: Orchard blocks remain in dormancy; minimize traffic on thawed-but-saturated ground to prevent compaction. Protect livestock from wind-driven cold; ensure backup power for waterers.

• Hard freeze risk: Inland California valleys, Southwest deserts, Southern Plains pockets, and interior Southeast on clear, calm nights. Citrus damage generally increases with more than 2 hours below 28°F; protect sensitive blocks accordingly.
• Wind and blowing snow: Northern Plains, High Plains, and mountain passes during frontal passages; plan livestock shelter and transport timing.
• Heavy mountain snow: Cascades, Sierra Nevada, Northern and Central Rockies under colder storm tracks; avalanche danger rises between storms.
• Flooding/soils saturation: Localized risk where Gulf-fed rains align with stalled fronts in the South; watch low-lying fields and recently manured ground.
• Fog: Central Valley of California and interior Southern states following rain; schedule harvest and spray work around reduced visibility and leaf-wetness periods.

• Winter wheat: Where snow cover is absent and a strong freeze is forecast, delay traffic to avoid crown injury; scout for burn after cold snaps and adjust spring N accordingly.
• Tree fruit and nuts: Track chill hours; avoid pruning immediately before a deep freeze. After wet events, prioritize orchard floor drainage checks to protect roots.
• Citrus and specialty crops: Stage covers, microsprinklers, and wind machines a day ahead of potential freeze nights; verify fuel and pump readiness.
• Livestock: Pre-stage windbreaks and bedding; increase energy density of rations during multi-day cold spells; monitor waterers for freeze and ensure backup power.
• Grain storage: Use the cold, dry windows to cool grain; after milder, humid periods, check for crusting and condensation and run aeration fans to equalize temperature.
• Field operations: Protect soil structure—avoid heavy equipment on saturated or thawing ground. Use short dry intervals for maintenance, drainage improvements, and nutrient planning.

For each operation, the most useful details are minimum temperature, wind speed/gusts, precipitation type and timing, and dew point. A simple rule of thumb for winter decision-making: if an overnight is forecast calm, clear, and dry after a mild day, plan for sharper radiational cooling and frost in low-lying fields; if a cold front is accompanied by wind and clouds, temperatures often bottom out later but wind chills stress livestock sooner.

Use local NWS forecasts, advisories, and agricultural extensions for site-specific timing and thresholds. Conditions can change quickly with winter storm evolution, especially near mountains and along frontal boundaries.