Spot basis bids for hard red winter (HRW) wheat on Thursday in the southern US Plains were steady and uneventful prior to the upcoming New Year's holiday, dealers said. The Chicago Board of Trade's K.C. March HRW wheat futures contract at 12:07 pm CST (1807 GMT) rose 1/4 cent at $4.25-3/4 per bushel, supported by concerns that a blast of Arctic air across the Plains and Midwest might hurt dormant winter wheat plants. Protein premiums on for wheat delivered by railcar to or through Kansas City were unchanged.