Storm comes just in time for wheat crop

Friday, February 1st 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ The ice storm that moved through Oklahoma this week couldn't have come at a better time for wheat farmers, who have been struggling through eight months of drought.

``Doesn't matter how it comes, as long as it's moisture. This is a million-dollar deal right there,'' said Roger Gribble, a Watonga-based agronomist for the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service.

Ice is simply ``delayed rain,'' said Derek Arndt of the Oklahoma Climatological Survey. ``When it melts, it will seep into the ground.''

The western Oklahoma wheat crop was well rooted and was not significantly damaged by the storm.

``It's a silver lining for the wheat producer,'' Gribble said. ``We need more, but this will at least keep everything from blowing around.''