US Halloween pumpkin crop hit by extreme weather and lack of water

Pumpkin growers in west and south-west fail to achieve predicted yields as climate crisis worsens drought and heat extremes

Alan Mazzotti can see the Rocky Mountains about 30 miles west of his pumpkin patch in north-east Colorado on a clear day. He could tell the snow was abundant last winter, and verified it up close when he floated through fresh powder alongside his wife and three sons at the popular Winter Park resort.

But one season of above-average snowfall wasn't enough to refill the dwindling reservoir he relies on to irrigate his pumpkins. He received news this spring that his water delivery would be about half of what it was from the previous season, so he planted just half of his typical pumpkin crop. Then heavy rains in May and June brought plenty of water and turned fields into a muddy mess, preventing any additional planting many farmers might have wanted to do.