The latest government snapshot of the Kansas winter wheat crop shows a mixed outlook after a month of cold, snowy weather.
The National Agricultural Statistics Service report Monday found wheat fields starting to show signs of growth as snow melted in February.
However, concerns remain about the potential for winterkill because of the season's extremely low temperatures.
The report rated the crop's condition as 22 percent poor or very poor, with about 33 percent rated good or excellent.
Cold weather also challenged Kansas ranchers who had cows calving during February. Cattle and calf conditions were rated as 4 percent poor or very poor, 48 percent fair, 48 percent good or excellent.