Commodities Market Impact Weather

Rain Limiting Early Fieldwork

John Baranick
By  John Baranick , DTN Meteorologist

MINNEAPOLIS (DTN) -- Active weather in the U.S. and dwindling rains in Brazil are the weather factors driving the markets Tuesday.

MIDWEST STAYING ACTIVE

A string of systems will push a cold front through the Midwest this week, bringing widespread precipitation through the region yet again. Another may come through this weekend into early next week. A wet end to March is likely to lead to some delays for early fieldwork heading into April. Temperatures will be waffling to end the month as well.

CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN PLAINS WITH MULTIPLE PRECIPITATION CHANCES

Cold temperatures over the weekend may have caused frost damage on more advanced wheat across the far Southern Plains. Temperatures are higher for the next couple of days but will be squashed later this week as a cold front is slowly pushed southward through the region by a few storm systems. These systems will produce scattered precipitation across the region with the strongest storm in the series occurring Thursday into Friday, which has the best chance at bringing precipitation to the southwestern drought areas. There may be another over the weekend that could do so as well, but chances are low for meaningful precipitation outside of Kansas and Colorado's winter wheat areas.

NORTHERN PLAINS AND CANADIAN PRAIRIES CONTINUE TO BE COLDER

Temperatures remain below normal for the next couple of weeks in the Northern Plains and Canadian Prairies, requiring higher inputs than normal for livestock and limiting snow melt. A system moves through on Tuesday with scattered precipitation and some areas of moderate snow in the northeast, but the rest of the week is likely dry as systems pass by to the south.

FIELDWORK SLOW FOR WET DELTA

A series of storms will push a cold front through the Delta this week with several chances for precipitation that will keep area rivers high and fieldwork slow.

WET SEASON RAINS DIMINISHING IN BRAZIL

Scattered showers are continuing over the interior of Brazil this week but will be spottier across southern and eastern areas. That will help increase the remaining safrinha corn planting. Soil moisture is good for the corn in the ground. Showers will decrease later this week over central areas as the wet season is showing signs of slowing down early -- not a good outlook if that continues over the next few weeks as well.

RAIN TOO LATE IN ARGENTINA

A front continues to bring scattered showers, sometimes heavy, to central Argentina early this week and then to northern areas later in the week. Rain is likely too late for much of the damaged corn and soybean crops. However, stabilization will likely occur if the showers are as heavy as forecast. Temperatures will remain above normal until a cold front moves through next week.

MOST OF EUROPE IN GOOD SHAPE

A more active weather pattern is bringing showers to the driest areas of France over the next week or longer, along with most of the rest of the continent outside of Spain and Italy, which will have much lower chances for precipitation. The increased moisture in France will help to turn around winter wheat prospects, though dryness in Spain and Italy will not be favorable.

GOOD GROWING CONDITIONS FOR WAR-TORN BLACK SEA

Dry and warm conditions will continue in the Black Sea region for most of this week before a front brings more showers through the region this weekend and into next week. Soil moisture is mostly good in the region and the warmth will help winter wheat to develop this week. The wheat crop is in good shape overall where not affected by war.

John Baranick can be reached at john.baranick@dtn.com

John Baranick