Tuesday saw much of the United States with double-digit negative temperatures. The area between the Pacific Northwest and Kansas was hit with some of the coldest weather, and according to USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey some winter wheat areas were hit even earlier.
"Over the weekend an earlier surge of cold air brought the coldest air of the season into the Ohio Valley wheat areas," Rippey says. "Temperatures near zero there with patchy and shallow snow cover if not no snow cover."
Despite the cold, Rippey says most winter wheat areas so far have adequate or above normal snow cover to insulate plants and seeds, preventing crop damage going into the spring.