Cairo—Indian trading and consultancy firm Sun Group is looking to set up a phosphate fertilizer plant in Egypt, according to Indian media reports, citing a statement by Egypt’s Minister of Trade and Industry Tarek Kabil. The plant, to be established in cooperation with Egypt’s Phosphate Misr Co. and other local companies, will contribute to increasing Egyptian phosphate production and boost local market share of exports to global markets, Kabil said in the statement. Phosphate Misr operates one of Egypt’s largest phosphate rock mines, the Abu Tartour mine, 650 km south of Cairo. The proposed $40 million project would be located in the El-Seba’eia area of Aswan, but few other details are known. According to the minister’s statement, the parties hope to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the project soon to enable work to start this year. The Sun Group’s flagship company, Dubai-based Sun International, handles around 2.5 million mt/y of products, mainly finished fertilizers and fertilizer raw materials, according to its website, and regularly sources phosphate rock from Phosphate Misr. Phosphate Misr in August last year signed an MOU with a consortium of Chinese companies to build a phosphoric acid plant utilizing Abu Tartour phosphate rock. According to local media reports, citing Phosphate Misr Chairman Khaled El-Ghazali, the output would be used to produce phosphate cement.
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Sulfur
Tampa: Negotiations for the first-quarter contract price of molten sulfur delivered to Tampa kicked off last week. Expectations for the contract varied, but most speculated that a $5-$10/lt increase from the fourth quarter’s $69.55/lt DEL was likely.
Those calling for a larger increase pointed to sizeable upticks in international market pricing since the start of the fourth quarter, including Chinese import prices firming to the tune of $10-$15/mt CFR.
Weaker January offers from two Middle Eastern suppliers may have dinged that argument, some believed, as producers in that region appeared to disagree on the market’s direction.
Some also questioned the domestic fundamentals landscape. “If anything, we have lots of sulfur floating around,” said one market player. “The U.S. market appears a little oversupplied at present.”
Unplanned boiler repairs at the 335,000 barrel/d Philadelphia Energy Solutions refinery forced a 90,000 barrel/d fluid catalytic cracking unit to reduce production last week, Reuters reported. The full extent of the curtailment was not immediately known. Repairs to the damaged unit were expected to take “a while.”
Refinery utilization was higher last week, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). Refining capacity swelled to 92.0 percent for the week ending Dec. 30, a 1.0 percent increase from the prior week’s 91.0 percent, but trailing both the year-ago 92.6 percent and the 92.4 percent five-year average.
Average daily crude inputs also rose, notching 16.689 million barrels/d, an increase of 132,000 barrels/d from 16.557 million barrels/d recorded on Dec. 23.
U.S. Gulf: Last-done on the Gulf export market remained at $70-$71/mt FOB last week. Sources previously expected pricing to rise by $10/mt FOB or more in the next round of business, but the market’s refusal to budge left many struggling to explain its relative weakness.
“Still confounded as to the reason the Gulf Coast price is so low relative to the rest of the world,” said one source. “(Producers) could be paying extra in freight and still do better (selling) to Asia,” another trader argued.
Vancouver: Sources described limited firming in the Vancouver export market. While most called pricing in the high-$80s/mt FOB, scattered sales were reported in the “low-$90s/mt FOB” for the week, leaving the market in a $87-$92/mt FOB range, up from $85-$89/mt FOB quoted for late December.
Chinese spot imports continued to be called $101-$107/mt CFR, although some observers believed the market was headed lower in the near term. Already weak phosphate production could wane further should international pricing fail to recover, sources argued, making sustained highs in China an uncertainty.
Others disagreed, however, arguing that the apparent willingness of end users to pay full price was a positive sign for the market’s health. “The increased prices are ‘real’ and don’t just appear to be trader speculation, as widely reported,” said one observer.
Alberta sulfur producers reported ongoing (-)$55-$20/mt FOB netbacks, unchanged from fourth-quarter levels. Molten sulfur sold at contract rates into the U.S. comprised the bottom of the range, with solid tons offered from Vancouver netting producers up to $20/mt FOB under “ideal conditions,” said one source.
A planned 50,000 barrel/d Sturgeon refinery currently under construction north of Edmonton, Alba., could eventually triple original production estimates to 150,000 barrels/d, subject to regulatory approval, according to numerous reports. The $8.5 billion facility is on track to begin production in late 2017.
West Coast: The Phillips 66 refinery at Rodeo, Calif., suffered a multi-unit shutdown on Dec. 28, local news outlets reported. The stoppage was triggered by flaring and a steam release from a hydrogen facility located adjacent to the refinery, and resulted in two hydrocracking units going offline. The 140,000 barrel/d refinery was expected to restart the hydrocrackers on Dec. 29-30.
Solid sulfur offered from the West Coast was priced at $80-$85/mt FOB, unchanged from the previous report. Fourth-quarter molten contracts fell in the $50-$75/lt FOB range.
Aramco: Saudi Aramco lowered January pricing to $90/mt FOB Jubail, a $2/mt cut from December’s $92/mt FOB.
ADNOC: The Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. bucked a trend of January price cuts in the Middle East, announcing a $4/mt increase to $92/mt FOB Ruwais. ADNOC’s December offer stood at $88/mt FOB.
Qatar: Qatar state petroleum marketer Tasweeq officially changed its name on Dec. 19, rebranding as Qatar Petroleum for the Sale of Petroleum Products Company Ltd. (QPSPP). The change stems from a merger with parent company Qatar Petroleum in October 2016.
QPSPP announced January loading at $88/mt FOB Ras Laffan, $4/mt below the December price of $92/mt FOB.
Sulfuric Acid
U.S. Gulf: Sulfuric acid imported by vessel into the Gulf of Mexico was expected to fall in the $40-$45/mt CFR range, sources said.
The price ideas were based on recent sales into Brazil, including a 16,000 mt tender awarded in the “high-$40s/mt CFR” to a European exporter. Sources called the Brazil acid market in a $45-$50/mt CFR range, up from $40-$50/mt CFR at last report. Cargoes to Chile were $55-$60/mt CFR, up from $50-$60/mt CFR noted previously.
Offers from smelters in Northwest Europe firmed to a range of $5-$15/mt FOB, up from $5-$10/mt FOB, reflecting what sources described as limited supply.
Domestic market players quoted West Coast deliveries in the $105-$110/mt DEL range, flat from pre-holiday levels, while tons offered into the U.S. Gulf region carried $85-$90/mt DEL pricing. Midwest material was quoted at $80-$85/mt DEL.
Potash
U.S. Gulf: Barge price ideas were moving up last week, with most sources putting new prompt trades in the $204-$208/st FOB range. Sources cited higher postings by domestic producers for the increase, as well as buyers snapping up imports at lower numbers and leaving the import market depleted until the next vessel arrives.
February-March trades were called $209-$212/st FOB.
Eastern Cornbelt: The potash market remained at $245-$265/st FOB in the Eastern Cornbelt, with the low quoted for prompt tons out of river locations in both Ohio and Illinois, and the upper end reflecting updated reference levels from Canadian producers.
Although sources said inland potash values are “heating up to reflect the Canadian price increases,” other noted that buyers are “not seeing the total effect yet of the price increase.”
Western Cornbelt: Potash was generally quoted in the $245-$255/st FOB range in the Western Cornbelt, although producer postings remained at the $265/st FOB level. Sources pegged the St. Louis potash market at $245/st FOB for prompt and $250/st FOB for prepay.
Northern Plains: Potash was quoted at $245-$255/st FOB the Twin Cities, with delivered tons pegged in the $245-$265/st range in North Dakota, depending on grade and location. The market to U.S. customers FOB Saskatchewan mines was reported at $222-$232/st FOB after netbacks, depending on grade.
Great Lakes: The potash market was pegged at $250-$265/st FOB in the Great Lakes region, with the bulk of spot quotes reported firmly at the top end of the range and the low quoted by Michigan contacts FOB Burns Harbor for either take or prepay.
Michigan sources quoted the sulfate of potash (SOP) market at $565/st FOB, unchanged from last report.
SOP Magnesia was steady as well at $325-$360/st FOB Michigan warehouses.
Northeast: Sources quoted the potash market at $245-$265/st FOB in the Northeast, with the low at East Liverpool. Pricing out of the Baltimore market varied from $252-$265/st FOB, according to supplier.
India: Madras Fertilizers Ltd. (MFL) is reported to have purchased 25,000 mt of standard potash at $219.25/mt CFR from Indian Potash Ltd. under its tender, which closed Dec. 5. While the exact terms of the deal are not known, the price indicated is more than $7/mt below the country’s current official contract price of $227/mt CFR with 180 days credit. The tons are understood to be for prompt delivery.
Amid healthy domestic demand and year-to-date imports that are only marginally up from the 2015/16 fertilizer year, India’s potash inventory situation is much improved compared with last year. According to Mosaic’s latest India NPK Statistical Update, which cites Fertilizer Association of India data, India’s potash stocks were 249,000 mt as of November 2016, compared with 470,000 mt in November 2015.
As previously reported, in the first eight months of the 2016/17 fertilizer year, import arrivals of direct application potash totalled 2.589 million mt, against 2.572 million mt for April-November 2015, according to data from India’s Department of Fertilizers.
Belarus: Belaruskali said this week that it produced just over 10 million mt of fertilizer last year. Most of this output consists of potash, but the company also produces NPK fertilizers, producing some 94,000 mt of NPK in the nine months to Sept. 30, 2016. Local media last month reported that Belarus expected its 2016 potash exports to exceed 9 million mt.
No further details have yet emerged on Belaruskali’s planned mine maintenance program, which is expected to take place during the first quarter. The producer is said to be fully committed through the end of January.
China: While the central government dropped the export duties on all other fertilizers, the tariffs on potash exports remain at RMB600/mt(US$86.20). The potassium nitrate duty remains at the 2016 level of 5 percent. The move is seen by industry watchers as a clear message that the government wants to discourage any efforts to send potash offshore.
The Chinese government lowered the export duty on NPKs from 30 percent to 20 percent of the portside price.
Sennen pulls plug on K project
Vancouver—Sennen Potash Corp. reports that after an exhaustive effort to raise the funding to pursue the advancement of its 100 percent interest in the Monument Potash Project in San Juan County in Utah and Colorado, it has been unable to secure enough capital to maintain its land position and continue with the development of the project. It said it will continue to seek other potential resource properties for exploration and development using working capital from its recently completed $500,000 private placement.
Nitrogen Solutions
U.S. Gulf: NOLA UAN barge prices continued to be called $150-$155/st ($4.68-$4.84/unit) FOB with thin trading. Many sources expected the next business to be higher, but no firm new business at higher numbers was reported for the week.
The last done business on the East Coast vessel market was put at $178/mt CFR, with quotes still in the $180-$190/mt CFR range for the next business.
Eastern Cornbelt: UAN-28 was reportedly being offered out of Cincinnati at the $175/st ($6.25/unit) FOB level for January-February shipment, with spring prepay numbers circulating at the $180/st ($6.43/unit) FOB level for “very limited tons” at that location.
Out of terminals in Illinois, sources pegged the UAN-32 market at $195/st ($6.09/unit) FOB for prompt/fill and $205-$210/st ($6.41-$6.56/unit) FOB for prepay, with “limited availability.”
Western Cornbelt: Sources reported brisk year-end sales on several products, but one Iowa contact said “UAN seemed to be the hottest commodity.” The market for UAN-32 was quoted at $195/st ($6.09/unit) FOB for prompt tons in the Western Cornbelt, with spring prepay offered at $205-$215/st ($6.41-$6.72/unit) FOB, depending on location.
Northern Plains: UAN-28 pricing in the Northern Plains was up from last report, with sources quoting the regional market at $205-$215/st ($7.32-$7.68/unit) FOB for prepay offers. Delivered tons were pegged in the $215-$225/st ($7.68-$8.04/unit) range in North Dakota.
Great Lakes: Wisconsin sources quoted UAN-32 fill tons at $195/st ($6.09/unit) FOB at the low end of the regional range. Michigan contacts pegged the UAN-28 market at $195/st ($6.96/unit) for prompt and $200/st ($7.14/unit) FOB for prepay out of terminals in early January. No new prices or programs were being quoted FOB Courtright, Ont., sources said.
Northeast: The UAN-32 market had reportedly firmed to $183-$190/st ($5.72-$5.94/unit) FOB Baltimore for prepay, with reports of spring prepay offers for UAN-30 circulating at the $171.50/st ($5.72/unit) FOB level. One source commented that there is “still not much interest in forward pricing or prepay,” with year-end prepay volumes described as “very light” in comparison with previous years.
UAN-32 pricing out of terminals in upstate New York had reportedly firmed to $224/st ($7.00/unit) FOB for prepay.
Phosphates
Central Florida: Truck-loaded DAP offered from Central Florida notched sales at $315/st FOB, sources said. MAP carried a $15/st premium to DAP, and was priced at $330/st FOB.
U.S. Gulf: Sources noted slight firming in the post-holiday barge market, quoting transactions in the $300-$306/st FOB range for DAP. Last-done MAP, described as “hard to find,” was generally called in a $310-$315/st FOB range.
Attributing the upward push to increased demand and waning inventories at the warehouse level, sources described late-week DAP offers in the $308-$313/st FOB range. February DAP was called $308-$310/st FOB, with MAP noted at $313-$317/st FOB.
March tons priced roughly $5/st higher than February failed to draw attention. “There’s not much interest out to March at this point,” said one trader.
Market players expected a number of cargoes for late January discharge, including at least one vessel of Moroccan origin and a second from Russia. Many anticipated a cargo from Chinese producer YUC as well. All told, approximately 3-5 vessels were expected in port by the end of the month.
NOLA DAP barges were quoted at $300-$306/st FOB for the week, up from $300-$305/st FOB at last report. Sources called MAP $310-$315/st FOB, up from $307-$315/st FOB in late December. TSP was quoted at $265-$270/st FOB, below the last reported $268-$270/st FOB range.
Eastern Cornbelt: DAP remained at $335-$345/st FOB most regional warehouses in the Eastern Cornbelt, with the low at Cincinnati and other spot river terminals, and the upper end inland. Spring prepay was reportedly being offered at the $345/st level as well out of Cincinnati and Illinois terminals on a spot basis.
MAP was $10/st higher than DAP, with prompt pegged at the $345/st level FOB Cincinnati and prepay offers quoted at $355/st FOB Cincinnati and Ottawa.
10-34-0 was quoted solidly at the $380/st FOB mark in the Eastern Cornbelt in early January.
Western Cornbelt: DAP was quoted at $335-$350/st FOB in the Western Cornbelt. The St. Louis market was reported at $335/st for prompt tons and $340/st FOB for prepay, while Iowa sources pegged the upriver terminal market at the $350/st FOB level.
MAP was reported at $345-$350/st FOB St. Louis, with the upper end of the regional market quoted at $360-$375/st FOB in the Iowa market, depending on location.
10-34-0 was reported at $355-$365/st FOB in the region, with the low in Nebraska and the upper end in Iowa.
Northern Plains: DAP was quoted at $340-$345/st FOB the Twin Cities, with MAP pegged in the $350-$360/st FOB range at that location. North Dakota sources pegged the MAP market at $395/st FOB and $405-$415/st DEL in early January.
10-34-0 was reported at $355-$365/st FOB in the Northern Plains, with delivered tons quoted at the $375/st level in North Dakota.
Great Lakes: Sources quoted the DAP market in a broad range at $340-$370/st FOB in the Great Lakes region, with the low reported in Wisconsin on a spot basis. Michigan contacts pegged the warehouse market at $365/st FOB for prompt tons and $370/st FOB for prepay.
MAP was pegged in the $355-$395/st FOB range in the region, with the low again reported in Wisconsin for prompt tons. Out of spot Michigan warehouses, the MAP market was quoted at $385-$395/st FOB, with the low for prompt and the upper end for prepay.
10-34-0 was tagged at $380-$400/st FOB in the Great Lakes region, with the low quoted for prompt tons in both the Wisconsin and Michigan markets on a spot basis. Prepay 10-34-0 offers were circulating at $390-$400/st FOB Michigan terminals, depending on location.
Northeast: MAP remained in the $355-$360/st FOB range in the Northeast, depending on location and supplier, with the low reported at Fairless, Pa., and the upper end at East Liverpool. DAP was quoted at a $10/st discount to MAP, where available.
The 10-34-0 market was reported at $395-$405/st FOB in the region, with the low at Mt. Jackson, Va., and the upper end at Baltimore. The market out of terminals in upstate New York was pegged at the $400/st FOB level in early January.
U.S. Export: Following a “sold out” December, Gulf sellers noted tight spot availability for January loading. New offers continued to be quoted at $320/mt FOB, with no fresh business reported.
The Gulf export market was called $320/mt FOB, unchanged from last report.
The first-quarter 2016 contract price of phosphoric acid sold to India was $715/mt CFR, although subsequent negotiations have failed to produce an updated contract. Spot sales rumored at $600/mt CFR and below remain unconfirmed.
Brazil: MAP sold into Brazil edged higher for the week, with last-done noted in the $330-$335/mt CFR range. Most market watchers expected new business to fall closer to the upper end of the spread. “(The market) is right at $335/mt CFR, if not a bit more today,” said one trader.
Sources quoted the market at $325-$330/mt CFR before the holidays.
Saudi Arabia: Observers noted higher pricing out of Saudi Arabia, with last-done firming to $315/mt FOB from $300-$310/mt FOB in the previous report.
Many expected the upward trend to continue. “(Saudi producers) won’t sell another kilo at ($315/mt),” commented one trader.
Europe: EuroChem is reported to have sold 20,000-25,000 mt of Lithuanian DAP to the U.K. and Spain at $330-$335/mt FOB Baltic, and is targeting $370+/mt CFR for January tons for European destinations. PhosAgro is rumored to be fully committed through January. Meanwhile, a small cargo of Moroccan DAP was reportedly sold in the $360s/mt CFR to Greek buyers.
India: A small tender by MMTC for 20,000 mt of DAP and granular MAP closes Jan. 6. The tender is seen by industry sources as a price fishing expedition rather than a deal that must be completed.
While there is some demand for DAP, sources said buyers are just getting back into the swing of things following the holiday celebrations.
China: Sources peg the current DAP market at $310/mt FOB, but are careful to point out that trading activity has been almost nil for a few weeks. Even as activity is down, sources said supply is tight. International traders report that they are even having trouble getting a counter offer to their bids for material for the global market.
The export duties of RMB100/mt (US$14.37/mt) on DAP and MAP and the 5 percent duty on TSP and SSP were scrapped by the Chinese government effective Jan. 1.
Helm Fertilizer Corp. – Management Breif
Helm Fertilizer Corp. has announced personnel changes. Jacob Shreve has been named vice president, domestic, responsible for all of Helm’s U.S. fertilizer activities.
Michael Peyton will continue to manage UAN sales and the development of Helm’s dry fertilizer terminal in Theodore, Ala.
Parker Gilbert will be responsible for dry product purchasing for the domestic group. Ryan Wiedenfeller will move into the UAN sales role previously held by Gilbert.
Rick Brown will continue to manage sales from Helm’s terminals in Memphis, Tenn., and Helena, Ark.
DOC revokes antidumping duties on urea imports from Russia, Ukraine
The U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC) has revoked the antidumping duty orders on solid urea imports from Russia and Ukraine, according to a Dec. 20 notice in the Federal Register. The decision follows the fourth sunset review of the order, which was initiated on Nov. 1.
According to the notice posted by the DOC’s International Trade Administration (ITA), the DOC’s decision to revoke the order came after no domestic interested parties opted to participate in the review, which occurs every five years. On Nov. 21, the DOC notified the International Trade Commission (ITC) that it intended to revoke the antidumping duties, which have been in place since the late 1980s.
“Because the domestic interested parties did not file a notice of intent to participate in these sunset reviews, the Department finds that no domestic party is interested in participating in these sunset review,” the DOC said. “Therefore … we are revoking these antidumping duty orders effective Dec. 20, 2016, the fifth anniversary of the date the Department published its most recent notice of continuation of the antidumping duty orders.”
The DOC noted that it did, however, receive a submission on Dec. 1 from the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of Ukraine regarding its position on the antidumping duties.
The revocation of the duties comes after years of changing market dynamics, and on the cusp of a new presidential administration that has signaled its intent to embrace more friendly relations with Russia.
The antidumping duties were first imposed in 1987 and covered solid urea imports from the German Democratic Republic (GDR), Romania, and the Soviet Union. After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the order was divided into 15 states, including Russia and Ukraine. In 1999, the orders were continued only for Russia and Ukraine (GM Oct. 25, 1999.)
In past reviews, arguments in favor of keeping the antidumping duty orders centered on state-subsidized natural gas prices in Russia and Ukraine that benefited urea producers and allowed them to import urea into the U.S. at low prices that threatened injury to the domestic industry.
Domestic parties who participated in past reviews included the Ad Hoc Committee of Domestic Nitrogen Producers, whose urea-producing members included CF Industries Inc. and PCS Nitrogen, a unit of Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan Inc. Agrium Inc. also submitted comments as an intervener in past DOC actions involving urea imports from Russia and Ukraine.
The last two sunset reviews were contentious. In 2005, a group of Russian urea producers appealed the DOC’s decision to continue the antidumping duty order, and the Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA) and other buying groups also weighed in, arguing for an end to the antidumping duties because of changing market dynamics (GM Dec. 3, 2007).
The last sunset review in 2011 (GM Nov. 21, 2011) drew responses from a number of domestic producers, as well as a letter from U.S. Senators Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) urging the DOC to rule that American urea producers such as PCS Nitrogen Ohio L.P., which operates a nitrogen fertilizer plant in Lima, Ohio, should continue to receive relief from “unfairly traded Russian and Ukrainian imports” of urea. The ruling to continue the antidumping duties was disputed by two ITC judges, however, who wrote a dissenting opinion in the case (GM Feb. 6, 2012)
Over the last 10 years, the U.S. industry has consolidated and benefited from low gas prices, which spurred a number of new domestic production facilities that are now coming online, including CF’s expansion at Port Neal, Iowa, and the OCI plant at Wever, Iowa (see related p. 1 story). By contrast, Ukraine has higher natural gas prices and has become a swing producer.
Crops/Weather
Grain Futures: As of 4 p.m. on Jan. 5, corn and wheat futures traded higher compared to the previous report, but soybeans were down.
March 2017 corn was posted at $3.6125/bushel, up from $3.4725/bushel, and corn for May 2017 was $3.675/bushel, an increase from $3.54/bushel in late December. Contracts for December 2017 were $3.885/bushel, up from $3.7825/bushel the week before.
Soybean prices for March 2017 were $10.125/bushel, down from $10.17/bushel the previous week. May 2017 soybeans were $10.21/bushel and November 2017 soybeans were $9.9625/bushel, a slight decrease from the prior week’s $9.975/bushel.
March 2017 wheat checked in at $4.345/bushel, up from $4.0925/bushel, while May 2017 wheat contracts traded at $4.46/bushel, above the prior week’s $4.2075/bushel. Wheat for July 2017 was $4.57/bushel, up from $4.325/bushel at last report.
Eastern Cornbelt: The new year got off to a wintry start for much of the Eastern Cornbelt. Light snowfall was reported across southern Illinois and southern Indiana as the week progressed, while lake-effect snow totals were expected to be slightly higher in central and southern Ohio. Wind chills down in the single digits were reported in northern Ohio at midweek.
Western Cornbelt: Winter weather conditions were reported across much of the Western Cornbelt during the first week of 2017.
Freezing rain was reported across northwestern and western Iowa at midweek, with temperatures dropping to the single digits and teens as the week progressed. Nebraska was also enduring another round of cold weather, with highs barely climbing out of the single digits in western areas of the state.
A winter weather advisory was in effect at midweek for parts of Missouri, with 2-3 inches of snow expected across a wide swathe of the state, including both Kansas City and St. Louis.
Northern Plains: Winter Storm Gregory brought heavy snowfall to parts of the Northern Plains during the first days of 2017. Accumulation by midweek was reported at eight inches near Fort Thompson, S.D., 12 inches in Wilton, N.D., and up to 16 inches near Graceton, Minn.
The snow was accompanied by gusty winds and blizzard conditions in parts of the Dakotas. Similar weather was reported one week earlier, when a two-day storm over Christmas caused heavy snowfall and drifting conditions across central North Dakota.
Great Lakes: The end of 2016 brought intense cold to parts of Wisconsin, while Michigan braced for heavy snow during the first days of 2017. Forecasts called for up to 10 inches of snow in several western Michigan locations by Jan. 5, along with high winds.
Sources reported no spreading activity on frozen ground in the region last week, citing weather conditions and the post-holiday lull.
Northeast: The Northeast received a one-two punch from Winter Storms Fortis and Gregory during the last days of 2016 and the start of 2017.
Fortis brought heavy snow and gusty winds to the region on Dec. 28-30, with snowfall totals reaching 27-29 inches in parts of Maine, up to 20 inches in Bartlett, N.H., more than 12 inches in parts of northern Pennsylvania and western New York, and just under a foot in Fitchburg, Mass., and Westfield, Vt.
Gregory arrived right on the heels of Fortis, bringing freezing rain to a large swathe of Maine, Massachusetts, New York, and northern Pennsylvania on Jan. 1-2.
One Pennsylvania source said the arrival of cold weather raised the possibility of some dry spreading activity on frozen ground, but the pace was still slow last week. The same source also reported a very slow year-end buying season at the retail level, with growers pinching pennies after drought-reduced yields and low crop prices in 2016.