This January has been warm, but it’s not the top five warmest, according to the National Weather Service.
Warm and dry winters can actually affect how much consumers pay on crops during the summer.
Michael Barbour, a wheat farmer in Johnston County, said he’s ready for rain or snow.
"It bothers me because if we get normal rains from here until, say, March, we're still in trouble because our water table's not up. We're going to need some storms," said Barbour.
The Triangle is an inch and a half behind in rainfall so far this year and two and a half inches behind since the beginning of December. In fact, some parts of the state are in a moderate drought.
And the dry conditions could pose as a problem for farmers who use ponds to irrigate their crops.
"Those crops need water and they will slow down and they wait for water. But without irrigation, sometimes they can't wait," said Tim Britton, North Carolina extension agent in Johnston County.
It’s not only been a dry January, it’s also been a warm one. In January, 23 days have had above normal temperatures.
"The shape it's in right now, there's no fear of the cold weather hurting it. It needs some cold weather," said Barbour.
And warm winters can also mean more bugs.
"Wheat crop, for the past two years, we've had to spray it for insects and keep them off of it. Seems like it gets a little worse and a little worse every year,” said Barbour.
Barbour said the wrong weather combination could actually have consumers paying more, but that’s not always the case.
“Agriculture is so wide now and so diverse. What happens in other countries affects commodity prices here,” Britton said. “You may not be able to see a big difference in commodity prices based on what happens in this part of North Carolina.”
Barbour is still holding out on hope.
“Don't never give up on a crop. That's what my dad always said,” he said.
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