Oat producers didn't mind Saturday's brief snowfall. The weather forecast this week isn't too disconcerting either.

The rest of Northeast Iowa's crop farmers, on the other hand, have a slightly different opinion. Farmers are ready to plant corn and soybeans, but they're waiting for the recent cold snap to dissipate.

That may not happen until the end of the week. According to the National Weather Service in Des Moines, temperatures won't get above 50 degrees until Saturday and there's a chance of rain or snow, ranging from 30 to 80 percent, every day through Friday.

Monday's weekly U.S. Department of Agriculture Crops and Weather Report said farmers are anxious for warm and dry weather so planting can begin in earnest.

Leland Boyd isn't too worried. The Charles City farmer planted oats about two weeks ago and he'll wait for warmer days before he gets out the planter again.

Boyd doesn't mind a little snow to blanket the oat crop, but he doesn't want to stay too long.

"Oh, they like these kinds of conditions. I've had 2 to 3 inches of snow a few times on them and they were some of the best crops I've ever had," Boyd said.

Oats is a cool-season grain. It can germinate, and thrive, with ground temperatures less than 40 degrees. By getting oats planted at the end of March or early April, there's more of a chance pollination and grain fill will occur before it gets too hot.

The report said 64 percent of oat fields statewide are planted. The five-year average is 47 percent. By mid-April, planting delays hurt yields by 10 percent a week, according to Iowa State University Extension data.

Eleven percent of the oat crop is emerged, slightly behind normal. Last year 25 percent was up by now.

"Oats is a different animal. It doesn't seem to be affected by this weather," said Brian Lang, ISU Extension crop specialist based in Decorah.

That's not the case for corn and soybeans. For seeds to germinate properly and grow, topsoil needs to be at least 50 degrees. The ground briefly warmed to that point last week, and some planting started.

The recent spate of cold temperatures dropped soil temperatures back to the mid-40s, abruptly putting an end to field work.

Just 2 percent of Iowa's corn acreage is planted compared to 16 percent at this time last year. The average is 6 percent.

Given the price of seed and grain these days, crop experts say it's too risky to plant if conditions aren't right. Lang said cold soil can lead to uneven stands, delayed germination or plants growing in the wrong direction in the soil.

While now is an ideal time to start planting corn, yield reductions for tardiness doesn't start for several weeks.

"We won't get too excited. I'll wait for conditions to get better," Boyd said.

The report said the recent cold, wet weather has not been beneficial for newborn calves. Some cases of scours have been reported.