Go Back
  • For Business
  • |
  • Warnings
  • Data Suite
  • Forensics
  • Advertising
  • Superior Accuracy™
Flood-weary Texas finally drying out, but near 100-degree heat looms Chevron right
Tropical rainstorm soaks Florida, could strengthen in Gulf before targeting Louisiana Chevron right

Columbus, OH

88°F
Location Chevron down
Location News Videos
Use Current Location
Recent

Columbus

Ohio

88°
No results found.
Try searching for a city, zip code or point of interest.
settings
Columbus, OH Weather
Today WinterCast Local {stormName} Tracker Hourly Daily Radar MinuteCast Monthly Air Quality Health & Activities

Around the Globe

Hurricane Tracker

Severe Weather

Radar & Maps

News

News & Features

Astronomy

Business

Climate

Health

Recreation

Sports

Travel

For Business

Warnings

Data Suite

Forensics

Advertising

Superior Accuracy™

Video

Winter Center

AccuWeather Early Hurricane Center Top Stories Trending Today Astronomy Heat Climate Health Recreation In Memoriam Case Studies Blogs & Webinars

News / Weather News

Cost of a Thanksgiving dinner this year is rising

It’s been a tough year for the turkey and its sides. Farmers lost 8 million of them to the bird flu, cranberry crops are fighting climate change and inflation isn't making things any better. Here's how it will affect Americans.

By Daniela Vivas Labrador, AccuWeather staff writer

Published Nov 18, 2022 5:21 PM EDT | Updated Nov 18, 2022 5:21 PM EDT

Copied

The American Farm Bureau Federation reports the average cost of a Thanksgiving dinner has risen this year.

Inflation, drought and Avian influenza, also known as the bird flu, will all play a role in the rising cost of a typical Thanksgiving dinner this year and have certainly added stress for farmers in the United States. Yet it might not affect whether holiday staples make it to plates. 

Beth Breeding, the vice president of communications and marketing at the National Turkey Federation, told AccuWeather people shouldn’t worry about not getting the food items they need to fill out their Thanksgiving dinner, as the federation doesn't anticipate having any major impacts this holiday season. 

Although farmers have lost about 8 million turkeys since February due to the bird flu, Breeding explained that is not necessarily the greatest factor in the cost increase Americans are facing this Thanksgiving. 

“Eight million is actually just over 3% of annual turkey production in the U.S.,” Breeding told AccuWeather. “We're predicted, according to USDA, to raise over 212 million turkeys in the U.S. this year. So, while those losses are significant for any farmer that is dealing with them, overall, it does not have a significant impact on the holiday availability.”

(Getty Images/VeselovaElena)

In reality, it is the combination of several events that has contributed to the 20% increase in Thanksgiving dinner costs, according to data from the Farm Bureau’s annual survey report. Droughts that have impacted the growth of turkey feed and the increased cost of fuel and transportation for food, are all responsible for the increase, Breeding said. 

“The cost of everything to raise a turkey has gone up this year, particularly grain prices, so corn, soybeans, the things that turkeys eat a lot of,” Breeding told AccuWeather. “And one reason is because of [the] weather. When we do have dry weather and it makes it more difficult for these crops to be successfully harvested.”

The Farm Bureau reported the average cost of this year’s classic Thanksgiving feast for 10 people is $64.05, less than $6.50 per person. Last year’s average was $53.31. 

Breeding said the national average for a turkey featured at the grocery store is $0.97 per pound and reminded consumers that they might not even experience the increase in the turkey prices themselves, as most retailers offer turkey holiday deals to attract customers into the store.

GET THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
Have the app? Unlock AccuWeather Alerts™ with Premium+

“The bottom line is that if you're looking for a turkey you're going to be able to find one,” Breeding said. “We just encourage you to plan ahead and start shopping early to make sure you get the turkey that best suits your table.”

Cranberries thrive in the right environment, but with climate change making conditions increasingly unpredictable and extreme, farmers are adapting to make sure the Thanksgiving staple stays on the table.

Turkey, however, is not the only ingredient of Thanksgiving dinner that has been struggling this holiday season. Some cranberry farmers said they've had to adapt to a changing climate in order to keep this dinner staple on the table. 

With higher temperatures even in the northern states of the country, cranberry crops haven’t been as successful this year, they noted. The fall seasonal rain isn't enough to repair the damage from the droughts that preceded them during the summer months. 

“I think that the pendulum is swinging with climate change, and then in the fall, we've got a lot of rain -- nature has a way of making it up. But nature is eventually not going to make it up,” William Michale McCaffrey, owner of Spring Rain Farm in Taunton, Massachusetts, told AFP.  

Keith Mann, the owner of Mann Farms, told AFP the issue is cranberries require a certain chilling temperature so every year the buds can reset and produce flowers and fruit, and that is why they don’t grow any farther south than New Jersey. 

“There's a chance that that starts moving up north and the line for commercial production could come closer to us,” Mann said. “One day that could be a real concern. If we go up by two or three degrees, that could become an issue."

More to read:

The top 10 Thanksgiving travel destinations in 2022
Reduce your risk of getting sick this Thanksgiving season
Developing storm could wreak havoc on travel around Thanksgiving

Want next-level safety, ad-free? Unlock advanced, hyperlocal severe weather alerts when you subscribe to Premium+ on the AccuWeather app. AccuWeather Alerts™ are prompted by our expert meteorologists who monitor and analyze dangerous weather risks 24/7 to keep you and your family safer.

Report a Typo

Weather News

Weather News

Death toll reaches 129 in Texas as new flash flood threat expands

Jul. 13, 2025
Weather Forecasts

Flood-weary Texas finally drying out, but near 100-degree heat looms

Jul. 14, 2025
Weather News

The Deadliest Floods in Texas History: A State at Risk

Jul. 14, 2025
video

Before-and-after pictures show devastation caused by Texas floods

Jul. 9, 2025
Severe Weather

Severe weather to rumble in the central US through the holiday weekend

Jul. 6, 2025
Weather News

Record sargassum seaweed piles up on Caribbean islands, Gulf

Jul. 2, 2025
Weather News

Alabama teen in ICU after lightning strike hits boat, causing burns an...

Jul. 2, 2025
Show more Show less Chevron down

Topics

AccuWeather Early

Hurricane Center

Top Stories

Trending Today

Astronomy

Heat

Climate

Health

Recreation

In Memoriam

Case Studies

Blogs & Webinars

Top Stories

Weather Forecasts

Flood-weary Texas finally drying out, but near 100-degree heat looms

56 minutes ago

Weather News

Thunderstorms bring more flooding, evacuations to central Texas

2 hours ago

Hurricane

Tropical Rainstorm to drench Florida, Gulf Coast

45 minutes ago

Weather News

Grand Canyon fires force closures

2 hours ago

Severe Weather

Wildfire smoke may follow storms, severe weather in eastern US

1 hour ago

More Stories

Featured Stories

Astronomy

Noctilucent clouds shimmer in summer sky

2 hours ago

Recreation

Yellowstone’s landscape shifts again with discovery of new hot pool

4 hours ago

Weather News

Orcas are bringing humans gifts of food – but why?

3 days ago

Weather News

Giant shoes found spark mystery around the soldiers of ancient Rome

1 hour ago

Weather News

It’s not just humans – chimpanzees also like to follow trends

2 hours ago

AccuWeather Weather News Cost of a Thanksgiving dinner this year is rising
Company
Proven Superior Accuracy About AccuWeather Digital Advertising Careers Press Contact Us
Products & Services
For Business For Partners For Advertising AccuWeather APIs AccuWeather Connect RealFeel® and RealFeel Shade™ Personal Weather Stations
Apps & Downloads
iPhone App Android App See all Apps & Downloads
Subscription Services
AccuWeather Premium AccuWeather Professional
More
AccuWeather Ready Business Health Hurricane Leisure and Recreation Severe Weather Space and Astronomy Sports Travel Weather News Winter Center
Company
Proven Superior Accuracy About AccuWeather Digital Advertising Careers Press Contact Us
Products & Services
For Business For Partners For Advertising AccuWeather APIs AccuWeather Connect RealFeel® and RealFeel Shade™ Personal Weather Stations
Apps & Downloads
iPhone App Android App See all Apps & Downloads
Subscription Services
AccuWeather Premium AccuWeather Professional
More
AccuWeather Ready Business Health Hurricane Leisure and Recreation Severe Weather Space and Astronomy Sports Travel Weather News Winter Center
© 2025 AccuWeather, Inc. "AccuWeather" and sun design are registered trademarks of AccuWeather, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy | About Your Privacy Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information

...

...

...