USDA's weekly export sales report, U.S. jobless claims and update of the U.S. Drought Monitor are due out at 7:30 a.m. CDT. The U.S. Labor Department will also have the May consumer price index ready at 7:30 a.m. CDT, a number that will be closely watched by outside markets. The U.S. Energy Department releases natural gas inventory at 9:30 a.m. The latest weather forecasts remain at the top of grain traders' attention Thursday and will probably still dominate prices after USDA's WASDE and Crop Production reports are released at 11 a.m. CDT. At 1 p.m., the U.S. Treasury presents the federal budget for May.
Weather
Strong thunderstorms are forecast to develop late Thursday afternoon and evening across the Northern Plains. Organized clusters and lines of storms will threaten the area with wind, hail, and tornado threats, but will likely produce widespread moderate rainfall amounts in the severe drought areas. This will be highly beneficial for developing row crops where damage does not occur. Elsewhere, scattered showers will continue from the Great Lakes down to the Gulf of Mexico with some heavy rains yet in the central Delta region.