Commodities Market Impact Weather

Clipper Bringing Blast of Arctic Air

John Baranick
By  John Baranick , DTN Meteorologist

MINNEAPOLIS (DTN) –- A return of some very cold temperatures in the U.S., and rain for Argentina are the weather factors driving the markets Thursday.

HARSH COLD COMING TO MIDWEST

A strong system produced widespread moderate to heavy snow for southeastern areas of the Midwest this week. Light snow continues Thursday. A clipper will bring a strong cold front into the region Friday and Saturday that will send temperatures well below normal. The front will be pushed southward a couple of times by additional systems over the weekend and next week. Each will bring precipitation with them and push the colder air deeper through the region.

WINTERKILL THREAT FOR CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN PLAINS

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A front will move into the Central and Southern Plains this weekend and may provide some additional showers, but temperatures will fall dramatically behind the front, inducing stress for livestock and threatening winterkill on any exposed wheat.

ARCTIC COLD INBOUND FOR NORTHERN PLAINS AND CANADIAN PRAIRIES

A clipper system Thursday will bring a strong cold front through the Canadian Prairies and Northern Plains on Friday that will bring in arctic air for the end of January and the beginning of February, leading to increased stress for livestock. The region may get a bit of a reprieve late next week before more cold is expected to move in.

WATER LEVELS ON LOWER MISSISSIPPI STAYING UP

Recent precipitation has been able to keep water levels on the Lower Mississippi River from falling into dangerously low territory. The watershed has been active and will stay active with several rounds of precipitation moving through heading into February, which should keep river levels up for a while yet.

RAIN IN BRAZIL DELAYING SOYBEAN HARVEST

A front moves into southern Brazil on Friday and continues with showers through this weekend. Models disagree, but could linger that front in the region next week, which would be helpful for filling corn and soybeans. Widespread precipitation elsewhere continues to favor later-planted soybeans, but is delaying harvest a little. If the wetness continues too long, it may push back the safrinha corn planting schedule, which would not be an ideal scenario for the crop.

MORE RAIN FOR ARGENTINA

A couple of fronts are bringing scattered showers through Argentina, adding to good totals from last week. Early-planted corn, which is filling, will only be stabilized by the showers. Should amounts disappoint, the region would likely have to wait until the middle of next week for the next chance of rain. If the forecasts hold, stabilization of the corn and soybean crops is likely, but a stark turnaround may not occur.

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

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John Baranick