The slow emergence of winter wheat in the Central Plains has been a blessing this spring according to USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey. There have been several freezes over the past month including ones last week on April 27-28 and again May 2-3.
"In Kansas only 3% of the wheat crop is now heading," Rippey says. "The five-year-average there is 32%."
Meanwhile in the High Plains, drought is continuing to affect the condition of the wheat crop. Monday's crop report showed that while 47% of the crop was rated good to excellent, 22% was rated poor to very poor.