USDA's weekly export sales report is due out at 7:30 a.m. CST, the same time as U.S. weekly jobs claims, the first estimate of fourth quarter U.S. GDP, December durable goods orders and an update of the U.S. Drought Monitor. December new home sales are out at 9 a.m., followed by U.S. natural gas storage at 9:30 a.m. Weather remains a big part of trader focus every day and export sales announcements have become more active lately.
Weather
Light snow continues behind a system across the eastern Midwest and Northeast Thursday. But the bigger story is a clipper system in the Canadian Prairies that will dive into northern Minnesota by Thursday evening. The system will bring scattered showers through both the Canadian Prairies and North-Central U.S. along with strong winds. Initially, temperatures will rise, but a strong cold front will pass down through the Canadian Prairies Thursday night and into the Northern Plains on Friday when temperatures will drop significantly.