US Plains HRW Wheat-Basis steady, winter storms expected this weekend

CHICAGO, Jan 2 (Reuters) - Spot basis bids for hard red winter (HRW) wheat held steady in the southern U.S. Plains on Thursday in quiet post-holiday trade as K.C. HRW wheat futures declined for the first time in five trading sessions, discouraging farmer grain sales, dealers said.

* Market players were monitoring forecasts for cold temperatures in the Plains in the coming days and watching to see where snow might fall this weekend, ahead of the cold spell, and protect dormant winter wheat plants.

* Protein premiums for HRW wheat shipped by rail to or through Kansas City fell by 12 cents a bushel for wheat with 13.0% through 13.6% protein, after rising by the same amount on Tuesday. Premiums for 12.4% protein wheat rose by 2 cents and premiums for other grades were unchanged. KCBT/SCA

* K.C. HRW March wheat futures KWH25 settled down 7-1/2 cents on Thursday at $5.51-3/4 per bushel.

* Looking ahead, the U.S. Department of Agriculture is scheduled to report on Jan. 10 on the number of U.S. winter wheat acres that were planted last autumn for harvest in 2025.

Basis values are quoted against futures in cts/bu:

NOTES:

H = March, K = May, N = July, U = September

Z = December; UNQ = Unquoted bids

0 = Sp Option price; NC = No comparison

* = No. 1 12% hard winter wheat, rail bids

** = Ordinary protein, rail bids

LINKS:

* K.C. HRW wheat protein scales KCBT/SCA

* U.S. weekly wheat crop progress US/WHE

* U.S. forward basis WHEAT/BASIS

* U.S. Midwest cash grain PM GRA/PM

* U.S. CIF Gulf Grain GRA/C

* U.S. FOB Gulf Grain GRA/F

(Reporting by Julie Ingwersen; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)

((Julie.ingwersen@thomsonreuters.com; 1-312-408-8710; Reuters Messaging: julie.ingwersen.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))