Nebraska's winter wheat crop remains in poor condition, despite some rain and snow that brought much-needed moisture to the state.
According to the USDA's December report; 15 percent of the crop was rated very poor and 34 percent poor.
Snow provided cover for fields of winter wheat after unseasonably warm and dry weather in the first half of December.
Panhandle Extension Educator Jim Schild says that the ground's sub-moisture is not carrying the winter wheat the way it should be.
"So if we go through March and April and if we're dry; we're going to have a really poor wheat crop," explains Schild. "But if we get some nice rain showers in March, April, and into May, we should be able to produce a pretty wheat crop."
Schild says that most of the area's winter wheat crop won't be able to be harvested until July... and is hopeful that moisture will help improve the quality of the crop.
