Brief Cold Shot in Warmer Pattern

MINNEAPOLIS (DTN) — An active pattern, but a lack of rain in the southwestern Plains, and scattered showers in just the right spots in Argentina are the weather factors driving the markets Monday.

CLIPPER BRINGING BURST OF COLDER AIR TO THE MIDWEST LATER THIS WEEK

A system brought mixed showers to the Midwest along with warm air this weekend. Another system moving through will take temperatures down a few degrees Monday and Tuesday, as well as bring through some scattered showers. A front near the Ohio River could produce more rain on Wednesday. A clipper moving through Thursday and Friday will bring through a band of heavier snow to the north, while also bringing through some briefly colder air. The pattern stays active next week, and some drought reduction is possible.

LITTLE PRECIPITATION IN THE SOUTHWESTERN PLAINS

A system brought limited showers to the eastern Plains this weekend, but most areas stayed dry. A leftover front will produce showers for southeastern areas through Wednesday, but wheat areas in the west will be drier, a continued pattern since a wet November. The pattern may be a little more favorable for precipitation next week.

COLDER AIR LEAKING INTO THE NORTHERN PLAINS THIS WEEK

Warmer air flooded the Northern Plains over the weekend, but colder air is building up in the Canadian Prairies and will graze the northern edge of the region early this week. More widespread cold should follow behind a clipper that moves through Wednesday night and Thursday. The clipper could bring through some needed precipitation to northern areas as well. Any cold should not last long as warmer air spreads back in again this weekend.

ACTIVE PATTERN IS HELPFUL FOR THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER

Recent showers in the Mississippi and Ohio Valleys gave a bump to water levels on the river and the pattern is favoring more heavy rain in the basin this week with several systems and fronts, especially in the Ohio Valley. That should help to give a longer bump in water levels along the river, removing restrictions for transport.

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 forecast to continue through the end of the year at least, favoring flowering to filling soybeans and developing corn.

SCATTERED SHOWERS HITTING THE RIGHT SPOTS IN ARGENTINA

It was dry in Argentina over the weekend and that continues in most areas this week. However, there will be a front that moves through Wednesday and Thursday with some isolated showers, along with another one or two this weekend and early next week. Though precipitation is favored across the north, getting some rain in the south would be helpful. This area is more touchy with soil moisture that is fair. Larger dry spots may occur if the showers that move through disappoint.

TOO WET IN NORTHWEST EUROPE

Light showers moved through Europe over the weekend, but were a little more intense in parts of southern Italy and southeastern Europe, where they were welcome. Several waves of systems, fronts and showers are forecast to move through the continent through the end of the year, keeping up overly wet soils in the northwest, but maintaining or improving soil moisture for most other areas. Spain is forecast to be on the lighter end, though, and could use more rain.

DRIER IN AUSTRALIA

It was largely dry in Australia over the weekend. A front moving through the southeast will bring some isolated showers on Monday, but most areas will stay dry this week and the forecast is fairly dry next week as well. That helps with the remaining wheat and canola harvest, but will dry out soils for cotton and sorghum after recent rains had improved conditions there.

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