Weather is very important in farming. The farmer depends on the weather. He can lose an entire crop in a hail storm. An early frost or an early snowfall can damage plants and hurt the yield and quality of the crops.

The amount of rainfall is also very important. Too much rain at the wrong time, or not enough rain can hurt the crops. If it rains alot during the harvest time, the land and crop become too wet to harvest.

If it doesn't rain for a long period of time drought will occur. Crops dry up and die because of lack of moisture.

Too much wind can dry out the soil and carry the topsoil away. High winds can also damage crops and flatten fields.

The farmer is concerned about the amount of snow that winter brings. A winter with very little snowfall is not good because of lack of moisture. When the snow melts, the water from the snow adds moisture to the soil for next crop. Winter winds can blow snow from fields but fields with stubble (straw that remains after harvesting) stop the snow from blowing away. If there has been plenty of snowfall, the spring melt fills dugouts, potholes and small ponds. This water may be needed later during dry spells.

The farmer is always concerned about the weather and relies on short and long term forecasts to help him determine which crops to plant.