Weather

MINNEAPOLIS (DTN) -- Warmer air spreading through the U.S. but with little or no rain in the southwestern Plains, and scattered showers in just the right spots in Argentina are the weather factors driving the markets Friday.

TEMPERATURES RISING IN THE MIDWEST, SEVERAL SYSTEMS MOVING THROUGH

A burst of cold air is already moving out in the western Midwest as warm air spreads through over the weekend. A system that brings in the warmer air will produce scattered showers and a mix of rain, freezing rain and snow, especially around Iowa Friday and Saturday. A couple of systems next week may bring a mix of rain and snow that could help with the ongoing drought situation. Another brief shot of cold air is expected behind a late-week system.

LITTLE PRECIPITATION IN THE SOUTHWESTERN PLAINS

A system will produce showers across the eastern Plains on Friday night but amounts do not look heavy. A pair of systems next week are favoring the southeast with any precipitation, an area of the region that has some drought and will benefit from it. The southwest looks to be bypassed by most of this precipitation, which has been dry after a very wet November. Nebraska is also forecast to be drier, the spot in the region that has the worst drought.

COLD LINGERING BY THE NORTHERN PLAINS THROUGH NEXT WEEK

Warmer air is starting to move into the Northern Plains on Friday, kicking out the arctic cold. Several systems will move through the region this weekend through next week and bring down some colder air that pools up in Canada briefly behind each system. But precipitation looks to be light as the storm systems move through the region. Drought areas throughout much of the region would prefer the precipitation to be heavier.

AN ACTIVE PATTERN MAY BE MORE HELPFUL FOR THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER

Recent showers in the Mississippi and Ohio Valleys will give a brief bump to water levels on the river over the next week, but much more is needed. The pattern may get a little more favorable and active across the basin this weekend and next week, but it is uncertain if it will benefit the river systems to any significant degree.

OVERALL GOOD WEATHER CONTINUES IN BRAZIL

Overall good weather conditions continue with scattered wet season showers in central Brazil and fronts continuing to come up from Argentina with scattered showers for southern states. This general pattern is set to continue through next week, favoring flowering to filling soybeans and developing corn.

SCATTERED SHOWERS HITTING THE RIGHT SPOTS IN ARGENTINA

A system that moved through Argentina Thursday brought scattered showers, which did occur in some of the important dry areas in the south. It wasn't heavy, but should hold off any concerns for a moment. Mild temperatures will keep water demand down through next week, but the country needs more rain. The next chance will be mid-late next week, but showers look scattered again. While issues are only spotty currently, we could see more trouble spots expanding with the pattern continuing to favor scattered showers instead of widespread heavy rain, though they seem to be hitting the right spots when they do occur.

TOO WET IN NORTHWEST EUROPE

Light showers continue across southern Europe for the next few days. Organized rainfall may return to portions of the continent this weekend and several systems look to continue the rainfall through most of the continent through the end of the year. Areas in the northwest where wheat is still active have conditions that are too wet. Otherwise, the continued rainfall should help to boost soil moisture for areas that have been too dry. Parts of Spain and the northeast could use more rain, but will have some chance to do so.

DRIER IN AUSTRALIA

Recent rainfall in eastern Australia has improved conditions for cotton and sorghum development. The remaining wheat and canola harvest needed to dodge the rain, but drier conditions this week have allowed soils to drain and fieldwork to resume. The pattern is a bit drier for the rest of the month, with systems bringing through isolated showers instead of organized clusters and lines. While most areas can handle some period of dryness, it is not a favorable look for developing cotton and sorghum.

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

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