This article was originally published at 3:02 p.m. CST on Monday, Nov. 25. It was last updated with additional information at 3:36 p.m. CST on Monday, Nov. 25.

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OMAHA (DTN) -- U.S. winter wheat conditions improved again last week, USDA NASS said in its final national Crop Progress report of 2024 released on Monday. The weekly reports will resume on Monday, April 7, 2025.

A blast of cold air is set to drop down into the U.S. as far south as Kansas and possibly the Texas Panhandle this week and weekend, likely pushing the winter wheat crop toward dormancy, according to DTN forecasters.

WINTER WHEAT

-- Planting progress: Winter wheat planting moved ahead by another 3 points last week to reach 97% complete nationwide as of Sunday, equal to last year's pace but 1 point behind the five-year average of 98%. Texas still had about 7% of its intended wheat crop left to plant, Oklahoma had 5% left to plant and Missouri had 4% left.

-- Crop development: An estimated 89% of winter wheat had emerged as of Sunday, 1 point behind last year's 90% but equal to the five-year average. Top producer Kansas' crop was 96% emerged, 6 points ahead of the state's five-year average of 90%. Oklahoma's crop was 80% emerged, 13 points behind the state's average of 93%. South Dakota's crop was 86% emerged, 12 points behind the state's average of 98%. Nebraska's crop was 95% emerged, 5 points behind the state's average. Texas' crop was 78% emerged, equal to the state's five-year average.

-- Crop condition: An estimated 55% of winter wheat that had emerged was in good-to-excellent condition, up 6 points from 49% the previous week. That is now ahead of last year's rating of 50% good to excellent. Twelve percent of the crop was rated very poor to poor, another 3-percentage-point improvement from 15% the previous week. Top producer Kansas' crop was also rated 55% good to excellent. "Winter wheat conditions have shown drastic improvement over the past month after initial ratings were the worst since the report began in 1986," said DTN Lead Analyst Rhett Montgomery. "Since then, good-to-excellent ratings have improved by 17 points from 38% to now 55% of the crop rated good to excellent. By the same token, poor-to-very-poor ratings have decreased from an initial reading of 23% poor to very poor to 12% poor to very poor as of Sunday, Nov. 24."

THE WEEK AHEAD IN WEATHER

After weeks of warmer-than-normal weather, much of the country will see a significant drop in temperatures this week, according to DTN Ag Meteorologist John Baranick.

"It seems fitting that this will be the final Crop Progress report of the season because a punch of cold air will descend through the U.S. from its cold pool in the Canadian Prairies this week, pushing more of the winter wheat crop toward dormancy," Baranick said. "Lows in the 10s Fahrenheit should make it down through Kansas and the Tennessee Valley, and maybe into the Texas Panhandle this weekend as well.

"Ahead of that cold air, a system that is moving into California will go through the West and emerge out into the Southern Plains on Wednesday and then move northeast through the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast on Thursday. It may be a quick storm but does look like it'll have a good burst of precipitation with it. The northern edge of the system should be able to tap into some of the colder air and change it to snow. Central Illinois up into western New York and along the Canadian border is most at risk for some accumulations. Those totals will certainly be heavier as the cold air moving over the Great Lakes turns on the lake-effect snow machine that could last into next week."

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To view weekly crop progress reports issued by National Ag Statistics Service offices in individual states, visit http://www.nass.usda.gov/…. Look for the U.S. map in the "Find Data and Reports by" section and choose the state you wish to view in the drop-down menu. Then look for that state's "Crop Progress & Condition" report.

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