Commodities Market Impact Weather

OMAHA (DTN) -- Bitter cold air threatening the Southern Plains winter wheat crop, some showers in the Argentina forecast and a temporary window of dryness in Brazil are the primary weather features for the commodity market's attention Monday.

BITTER COLD HITS MIDWEST

A couple of bands of snow moved through the Midwest during the weekend. This also came with rapidly falling temperatures to below zero Fahrenheit. The DTN Ag Weather forecast calls for a frontal boundary to bring rounds of snow through the region this week and weekend. Temperatures nearing zero F may make it down into the winter wheat belt, with increased risk for winterkill for exposed crops across Illinois and Indiana. The low temperatures and extreme wind chills this week will also be stressful for livestock.

COLD WAVE IN SOUTHERN PLAINS

The Southern Plains saw a couple bands of snow showers move through during the weekend. Temperatures fell well below normal across the north but stayed above normal across the south. Temperatures will fall well below normal across the region this week as a front is continually pushed southward. This will also come with chances for showers, though primarily over the north and east. Drier sections in the southwest are likely to be missed. With temperatures falling near or below zero F for a wide section of the region for a good period of time, exposed winter wheat will be at increased risk for winterkill, especially later this week and weekend.

HARSH COLD FOR NORTHERN PLAINS

The Northern Plains had periods of snow showers move across the region during the weekend, primarily closer to the Rockies. Temperatures fell well below normal and will continue the harsh cold for at least the next 10 days, increasing stress for livestock and newborn calves.

DRYNESS WINDOW IN BRAZIL

In Brazil, a front moved north through the country during the weekend, stalling from Mato Grosso to Minas Gerais and focused heavier showers there. Dryness behind the front has led to a window of opportunity for a few days for harvesting soybeans and planting safrinha (second crop) corn. The window will collapse later this week as showers fill back into the region. The return of showers will help germination of safrinha crops but further delay harvest and planting should producers not take advantage of the window this week.

SOME SHOWERS FOR ARGENTINA

Dryness was noted for most areas of Argentina this weekend. A small weak system did produce some isolated showers in Buenos Aires, however. Showers will increase across the west and north early this week, then across the north and east later this week. Some areas will likely be missed, leading to more dryness concerns in the middle of the country for reproductive to filling corn and soybeans. This area has seen heavy rainfall mixed with prolonged dry stretches during the last month, leading to mixed crop conditions.

Elaine Shein can be reached at elaine.shein@dtn.com

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