This video pinpoints the climatic variables responsible for the coldest U.S. weather in years. Frequent snowstorms will also occur. The good news is that some easing of the cold will occur by late January.
A negative NAO index has to do with a warm block near Greenland. (please watch my video —it explains how this is affecting commodities)
SNOWFALL PROJECTIONS NEXT 2 WEEKS (INCHES): A negative NAO will bring many areas in red and white over 1-2 feet of snow from at least 2 major storms. The most snowfall in several years
The opposite is happening over the South Pole (Antarctica), there has been a positive AAO index. This means the vortex stays put and does not move north. Combined with El Niño, this has brought improved weather for South American soybeans, something I alerted all my WeatherWealth subscribers about, three weeks ago.
Only 4 or 5 El Niño events have seen a powerful negative NAO index in January. Most of these years saw El Niño weaken by the spring or summer. Based on this scenario, this will be very important for many agricultural markets, and I will be developing trading strategies in options, futures, and ETFs.
How a negative NAO (warm block over Greenland that forces the Polar Vortex south) affects commodities:
1)Energy/Natural Gas: Coldest weather in at least 2-3 winters coming for Europe and the U.S. starting next week
2) Wheat: Isolated areas of winterkill in Russia and possibly Nebraska and big cold and snows for the southern Plains and Midwest. It will be important to monitor snowfall.
3) Cocoa: While I was bullish all summer and autumn long on major wet weather and disease issues, the lack of a Harmattan Wind in Ivory Coast and Ghana could prevent any further damage to the cocoa crop
How does a positive AAO index (The vortex that remains over Antarctica and does not move north) affect commodities?
1) Soybeans/Corn: Easing of the northern Brazil drought and potential big Argentina crops
2) Coffee: A hot November and early December likely will lower Brazil’s coffee production by several million bags, but improved rainfall is on the horizon that will stop further damage.
Join farmers and traders worldwide who want an advantage in trading agricultural and energy futures with over 100 issues a year of WeatherWealth with frequent weather updates and trading ideas. Download a recent complimentary issue here about El Nino https://www.bestweatherinc.com/new-membership-options/
This free report below was written three weeks ago before we changed the weather forecast for natural gas and energy markets)
Click on the video above to see how various climatic factors will affect winter weather and the natural gas market.
Discounts are available for small traders and farmers. Find out, how one trade alone, such as being short natural gas in early November pays for my newsletter for two years.
PAST PERFORMANCE IS NOT INDICATIVE OF FUTURE RESULTS AND THERE IS ALWAYS A RISK OF LOSS IN COMMODITY TRADING.
The video above discusses the weather extremes affecting South America’s soybeans, coffee, and sugar crops.
Will the chances for rain increase in drought-stricken N. Brazil and the floods ever abate in southern Brazil? There could be some important rains (down the road) for northern Brazil, with flooding occurring to the south. So how do you trade coffee and soybeans and what is my longer-term view?
Find out our futures, ETFs, and option strategies in our WeatherWealth newsletter and join farmers and traders around the world who have benefited from the only meteorologist who is—a commodity trading advisor with 38 years of experience.
The El Niño-driven bull markets in cocoa and sugar
Two bull markets in soft commodities have been in cocoa and sugar brought on by a variety of summer weather problems from India to Thailand and West Africa.
My cocoa Spider, featured in my WeatherWealth newsletter for about 8 commodities each week, has been basically bullish cocoa since summer. Sometimes it has gone neutral, but overall, we have developed long-term bullish call option spread ideas for summer.
Wet November weather could further compromise cocoa and sugar crops
This time of the year, dry weather is needed for the sugarcane harvest in Thailand (the #3 producer) and in the Ivory Coast and Ghana (top cocoa producers) where the incessant wet weather has caused disease issues all year.
Usually, El Niño can bring wet weather for Thailand in November but typically it dries out in West Africa for the remaining main crop harvest. One such El Niño year that was super wet in Thailand was 1987. The fact that West Africa has remained wet is atypical of El Niño and more so due to warming oceans and Climate Change.
Wet weather in Thailand during November can negatively impact the sugar crop for a few key reasons:
Flooding – Heavy November rains in Thailand bring a higher risk of flooding, which damages sugarcane fields and disrupts harvesting.
Cloud cover – Increased cloud cover and reduced sunlight slows sugarcane growth during this critical time before the harvest. Photosynthesis is diminished.
Disease – Wet conditions promote fungal diseases like red rot, which damages stems and leads to sugar content loss.
Delayed harvest – Excess soil moisture makes it harder to operate harvesting equipment on muddy fields. This can delay crop collection.
Diluted sucrose – High rainfall right before harvest dilutes the sucrose concentration in stalks, reducing sugar content.
Crop loss – Severe floods from monsoons can completely submerge and destroy portions of the sugarcane crop.
Overall, wetter than normal November weather reduces both the quantity and quality of sugarcane yields in Thailand. Dry conditions are needed for optimal sucrose development and timely harvest. Excessive rain has a very detrimental impact on both yields and sugar content for the Thai sugar industry in the critical pre-harvest period.
While adequate rainfall is crucial for cocoa production in Ivory Coast and Ghana, excessive wet weather over months can cause major issues:
Prolonged heavy rains increase the prevalence of fungal diseases like black pod rot and myriads. These have caused severe damage to cocoa crops recently in very wet conditions.
Overly wet soil makes bean harvesting and drying more difficult. This can delay and disrupt cocoa harvest operations.
Persistent moisture also promotes canker and algal bark diseases which damage cocoa tree health and yields.
Flooding from heavy rainfall can rot the roots, asphyxiate trees, and reduce yields.
So while November rains are important for cocoa pod development, too much rainfall over consecutive months promotes crop diseases, hampers harvest logistics, and reduces bean quality.
This video (click above) talks about the Amazon rain forest, the teleconnections that will influence November weather, and how heavy rains and flooding in parts of central and southern Brazil are impacting soybean planting, and the sugar cane harvest but benefitting coffee trees.
HELPING YOU MAKE THE BEST INVESTMENT DECISIONS BASED ON THE WEATHER
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.