CBOT wheat finishes nearly unchanged, traders watch crop weather

CHICAGO, Feb 24 (Reuters) - Chicago Board of Trade wheat futures finished nearly unchanged on Tuesday as traders monitored weather in global growing areas.

• Rain showers next week could ease dryness in the southern U.S. Plains as crop growth accelerates, Commodity Weather Group said.

• High temperatures and windy conditions on Tuesday hit parts of the region, where farmers grow hard red winter wheat.

• In wheat exporter Ukraine, record low temperatures froze soil, which could delay the start of the grain sowing campaign, an agricultural official said.

• Algeria's state grains agency OAIC bought milling wheat in an international tender, European traders said. Algeria's purchases are optional origin, but traders expected the Black Sea region to supply a substantial share.

• Traders also monitored U.S. tensions with Iran as the countries were set to hold a third round of nuclear talks on Thursday in Geneva.

• CBOT May soft red winter wheat WK26 ended down 1/2 cent at $5.73-1/4 a bushel.

• K.C. May hard red winter wheat KWK26 fell 5-1/4 cents to finish at $5.67 per bushel, and Minneapolis May spring wheat MWEK26 was down 1-3/4 cents at $5.95-1/2 per bushel.