The U.S. Commerce Department's retail sales report for January is due out at 7:30 a.m. CST, followed by the Federal Reserve's report of industrial production in January at 8:15 a.m. The U.S. Energy Department's weekly report of energy inventories will be released at 9:30 a.m. and includes ethanol production. Traders continue to monitor the latest weather forecasts.
Weather
Showers continue to move through the northern Midwest on Wednesday with some stronger winds across the region that are producing blowing snow and some blizzard conditions in the Upper Midwest. A storm system in the Four Corners area will move through the Southern Plains throughout the day. On the northern side of the track, moderate to heavy snow will develop from Colorado through much of Kansas and southern Nebraska. Strong to severe thunderstorms will develop over southern Texas into the Lower Mississippi Valley later in the day.