Commodities Market Impact Weather

Cold in the Plains This Weekend

John Baranick
By  John Baranick , DTN Meteorologist

MINNEAPOLIS (DTN) -- Cold temperatures in the Plains and a break in the rain for key parts of Brazil are the weather factors driving the markets Friday.

GETTING COLD FOR MIDWEST

A system continues to bring widespread precipitation to the eastern half of the Midwest Friday, along with some breezy winds. Below-normal temperatures are following the system. Though below freezing, impacts to winter wheat are expected to be minimal. Temperatures will rise briefly ahead of a system next week but will fall again after it passes through.

CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN PLAINS COLD THIS WEEKEND

A system brought scattered showers, areas of breezy winds, and colder temperatures to the Central and Southern Plains on Thursday. The cold will persist through the weekend and may be damaging to more developed wheat in the far south. Temperatures will rise ahead of the next system later next week, only to fall after it passes through. Precipitation continues to miss the deepest drought areas in the southwest.

NORTHERN PLAINS AND CANADIAN PRAIRIES CONTINUE TO BE COLDER

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Temperatures are falling well-below normal again in the Canadian Prairies and Northern Plains to close out the week with higher inputs than normal for livestock likely for the next two weeks. Another storm system is slated to move through in the middle of next week with more scattered showers, followed by another round of colder air.

FIELDWORK SLOW FOR WET DELTA

Temperatures are falling in the Delta again behind a system that brought scattered showers Thursday. Temperatures will rise next week but fall again after another storm system moves through later next week. Repeated wet weather has kept water levels high on the Lower Mississippi River but limited early fieldwork.

RAIN DIMINISHING IN SOUTHERN, EASTERN BRAZIL

Scattered showers continue for much of Brazil's growing regions through the weekend but will continue in the middle of the country next week as well. Drier conditions next week in Parana and Mato Grosso do Sul will help these areas increase their safrinha corn planting, but much of the crop is well behind schedule. A lot of that crop will be exposed to the dry season in about a month's time and also potential frosts in June. Corn in the ground now is benefiting from good soil moisture.

HEAT AND LIMITED RAIN IN ARGENTINA

In Argentina, isolated showers this week, while heavy in some key areas, are too late to have much of an impact to corn and soybeans in various late stages of development. Rainfall next week could be more significant for central areas, but still unlikely to have much of an impact. Heat that has been around for the first half of March continues through the weekend before more seasonable temperatures move in behind a cold front next week. The combination of heat and relative dryness continues to damage both crops.

IMPROVED WEATHER IN EUROPE

Precipitation over the last week or so has improved soil moisture in some of the driest areas in France and Italy as winter crops are emerging out of dormancy. Another couple of systems will bring showers through this weekend and next week as well. The region's winter grains remain vulnerable to a blast of cold air due to limited snow cover, but none is forecast and time is running out in which that may occur. Overall prospects are favorable for winter grains and oilseeds. Some early fieldwork may be done for summer crops as well.

GOOD GROWING CONDITIONS FOR WAR-TORN BLACK SEA

Weather conditions in the Black Sea region over the winter have been favorable. Outside of some spotty areas, the winter wheat crop is in good shape outside of being affected by the war. Showers continue into the weekend, but it will dry out a bit next week. Warmer temperatures will help the crop to continue out of dormancy and start up development.

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

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John Baranick