There might be a shortage of pumpkins at your local pumpkin patch or grocery store this Halloween season. Thanks to the cooler temperatures and higher than normal rainfall totals the pumpkins have had a difficult time growing in parts of the U.S., specifically the Northeast and Midwest.
Pumpkins are a warm climate crop preferring temperatures above 70 degrees Fahrenheit and soil that retains water well. For optimal growth they need at least six hours of sunshine a day. They are usually planted in July and harvested in early to mid fall.1
The top states for growing pumpkins are Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and California.2 Here is what the weather was like in parts of those locations during July and August (pumpkin growing season):
| Location | July/August Temp (F) | July/August Max Temp (F) | July/August Min Temp (F) | Rainfall Total (inches) | |
| Fresno, CA | Actual | 83.3 | 100.2 | 67.1 | 0 |
| Normal | 80.7 | 95.7 | 65.5 | 0.02 | |
| Columbus, OH | Actual | 71.8 | 82.5 | 61.4 | 8.59 |
| Normal | 74.3 | 84.6 | 64.1 | 8.34 | |
| Indianapolis, IN | Actual | 71.7 | 82.3 | 62.4 | 9.54 |
| Normal | 74.5 | 84.7 | 64.3 | 8.24 | |
| Quincy, IL | Actual | 71.2 | 80.8 | 62.9 | 11.74 |
| Normal | 75.3 | 85 | 65.5 | 7.28 | |
| Reading, PA | Actual | 73.3 | 82.8 | 64.4 | 11.67 |
| at Allentown | Normal | 72.3 | 82.8 | 61.7 | 8.62 |
Climate normals obtained from the National Climatic Data Center.
Fresno had warmer than normal conditions but a normal amount of precipitation. Much of that area of California experienced similar weather so their pumpkin crop was likely not as affected by the weather as other locations in the U.S. Within the Northeast and Midwest we easily see the cooler wetter weather. Columbus was only slightly above average for precipitation but was cooler than normal. Indianapolis, Quincy, and Reading, on the other hand, were both cooler and wetter than normal. These cool and wet conditions likely caused there to be noticeably less sunshine than normal and a higher potential for the pumpkin crops to rot (due to the excessive moisture).
So for those of you in the Eastern and Midwest U.S., if you go out to your local pumpkin patch and see fewer pumpkins than usual it may likely be because of the weather.
1http://www.informeddemocracy.com/pumpkin/growing.html
2http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pumpkin
