Colorado Winter Wheat

Wheat futures are up after another round of wheat condition reports from the USDA . And despite some rain and snow, dry conditions for Colorado and other western wheat growing states has continued.

USDA meteorologist Brad Rippey says there's not been much change in moisture for the southern plains.

Compared to southern plains states, Colorado's winter wheat is doing relatively well but still.

"Colorado 27 percent very poor to poor."

Oklahoma leads the nation in poor winter wheat conditions with 78 percent very poor to poor, Texas reports 73 percent very poor to poor.

Montana wheat is doing pretty well.. That state having had a nice amount of snow this winter. Wheat in Montana is rate 54 percent good to excellent, Nebraska 43 percent.

Rippey says for many states with winter wheat, there will need to be a March miracle of precipitation to bring ratings up to good.

While drought has reduced production levels, Colorado is a major winter wheat producing state, ranking fifth in the U.S. in 2010, and fourteenth in 2013 according to the Colorado Association of Wheat Growers. Hard winter wheat (red and white) is the dominant class of wheat produced in the state, accounting for more than 95 percent of the total.