Clipper Bringing Brief Cold, Warm Air for Christmas Week

MINNEAPOLIS (DTN) — An active pattern, but a lack of rain in the southwestern Plains, an overall warm pattern to end the year, and scattered showers in Argentina are the weather factors driving the markets Wednesday.

CLIPPER BRINGING BURST OF COLDER AIR, HEAVY SNOW TO THE MIDWEST

A system moving through the Midwest on Wednesday is producing scattered showers, with thunderstorms near the Ohio River. 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 and lake-effect snow for the weekend. The pattern stays active next week with several systems moving through and some drought reduction is possible as temperatures rise well above normal to end the year.

PRECIPITATION POTENTIAL INCREASING FOR SOUTHWESTERN PLAINS NEXT WEEK

A front continues to bring showers to the southeastern Plains on Wednesday, but wheat areas in the west are drier, a continued pattern since a wet November. The pattern may be a little more favorable for precipitation next week as several systems move through with potential for precipitation, mostly in the form of rain with very warm temperatures in the region.

COLDER AIR, STREAK OF HEAVY SNOW IN THE NORTHERN PLAINS, WARMER NEXT WEEK

More widespread cold will follow behind a clipper that moves through Wednesday night and Thursday. The clipper should bring through some needed precipitation to northern areas in the form of a heavy band of snow. Some mixed precipitation and freezing rain are possible on the southern end of the storm across South Dakota. Any cold should not last long as warmer air spreads back in again this weekend. The pattern stays active with multiple systems moving through this weekend and next week, but with little precipitation for the region.

ACTIVE PATTERN IS HELPFUL FOR THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER

Recent showers in the Mississippi and Ohio Valleys have given a bump to water levels on the river and the pattern is favoring more rain in the basin through next week with several systems and fronts. That should help to give a longer bump in water levels along the river, removing restrictions on transport across the Lower Mississippi for a while.

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 INCREASING FOR ARGENTINA

A front that moves through Argentina Wednesday and Thursday will bring some isolated showers, along with another one or two this weekend and early next week. Though precipitation is spotty, models have been increasing the intensity of the showers and they are favored to hit some of the driest areas in the country, especially the high production state of Cordoba on Wednesday. Other areas will be missed though, especially in the southeast, and that could lead to other dry areas developing.

TOO WET IN NORTHWEST EUROPE

Several waves of systems, fronts, and showers are forecast to move through Europe through early next week, 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

The pattern is certainly drier to end the year in Australia with only limited showers the next two weeks. 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