By DTN Staff

OMAHA (DTN) -- Here are the Top 5 things the DTN Newsroom is tracking for the week of Dec. 14. Watch for coverage of these and other topics throughout the week on our subscription platforms as well as on www.DTNPF.com.

Note that all report release and webinar times are Central Standard Time unless otherwise noted.

1. Fertilizer Outlook: We'll continue our deep dive into the 2026 fertilizer situation. For the first piece in that series, written by DTN Fertilizer Editor Russ Quinn, see here: https://www.dtnpf.com/….

2. Warm South, colder North: The current widespread cold snap will be followed by an extremely warm track for the Central and Southern Plains. Dryness is not favorable for soil moisture, with increasing temperatures next week, which may cause drought to spread. The Northern Plains will see showers and another taste of cold later in the week. One last clipper will move through the Northern Plains on Friday into Saturday, producing a band of heavy snow. Cold air will flow into the Northern Plains following the weekend's snowfall, then quickly move out by Monday and be replaced by largely warm air. Cold air will be lingering across western Canada, though, and the storm track to the north may bring through some showers and a little taste of that cold next week.

3. Rivers stay dry: Recent precipitation in the Midwest produced a lot of snow, which will slowly leak into the Mississippi River system throughout the winter, especially with warmer air arriving next week. Some showers will be possible around the middle of next week with moisture coming up from the Gulf, but rainfall amounts continue to trend below normal. Southern stretches of the Missouri River are also reaching unseasonably low levels.

4. South American weather: A new front will move into Brazil, creating an enhanced chance of showers across the south on Monday and Tuesday. Showers were less intense across central Brazil this past week, but the coverage has been good, improving soil moisture. Those showers continue this week, as well. In Argentina, a front brought scattered showers through the weekend, with most rain in the north. Some isolated showers may move through southern areas this week, but most areas will be dry until another front moves through this weekend. Soil moisture is still largely favorable across most of the country, benefiting developing corn and soybeans.

5. Reports due this week: Monday at 9 a.m., we'll see the Homebuilder Confidence Index, followed by Grain Inspections at 10 a.m. At 3 p.m., we will see the latest Agricultural Prices data and a Turkey Hatchery report. Tuesday at 7:30 a.m., we get a look at the employment situation, with U.S. employment and unemployment rate data, Hourly Wages, Retail Sales, plus Imports and Exports numbers. At 8:45 a.m., the S&P Flash Services PMI and Manufacturing PMI are out. At 9 a.m., we'll get Business Inventories. Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. is the EIA Weekly Petroleum and Ethanol data, then Broiler Hatchery numbers at 2 p.m. Thursday at 7:30 a.m. comes Grain Export Sales, Initial Jobless Claims, Consumer Price Index (CPI) and Core CPI. At 10:30 a.m., the Weekly Economic Index is released. At 2 p.m. is the latest Slaughter Weekly numbers. Friday at 9 a.m. we'll see Existing Home Sales and Consumer Sentiment numbers. At 2 p.m., we'll get the Dec. 1 Cattle on Feed report, plus the Chicken and Eggs report. At 2:30 p.m. is the CFTC Commitment of Traders (delayed data).

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