USDA's weekly export sales report is due out at 7:30 a.m. CDT, the same time as weekly U.S. jobless claims, U.S. retail sales in March and an update of the U.S. Drought Monitor. The University of Michigan's index of consumer sentiment is set for 9 a.m., followed by the Energy Department's weekly report on natural gas storage at 9:30 a.m. At 2 p.m., USDA releases its monthly Livestock, Dairy and Poultry outlook.
Weather
The system that has dumped significant snowfall in the Northern Plains this week continues to wrap up on Thursday before pushing north into Canada. Some snow showers will remain across northern locations while the cold front pushes showers off the East Coast later in the day. Winds continue to be strong, especially across the north where blizzard conditions continue in North Dakota and wind gusts of 50 to 60 mph will be felt from the Dakotas through the northern half of the Midwest. Cold weather flowing into the Plains and Midwest are causing some late frosts as far south as Oklahoma and Arkansas Thursday morning.