Some areas still need more, but rain over the past week or so has provided a major boost in soil moisture for parts of Western Canada.
As can be seen on the map below, the heaviest rain fell in southeastern Saskatchewan and southwestern Manitoba, with the Weather Network reporting 48-hour accumulations of over 100 mm in some Saskatchewan communities at the end of last week. Although the rain has delayed or slowed fieldwork, the rain was much needed for emergence and early crop development.
However, not all areas shared equally in the wealth, with dryness remaining an issue particularly for the Peace River region.
World Weather said that rain expected this week should help ease dryness in western Saskatchewan and some eastern Alberta locations but will likely fall short of fully restoring soil moisture levels.
Wednesday’s Manitoba crop report said some areas of the province received nearly 90 mm of rain over the past week, with some overland flooding reported in low-lying areas of fields in the Southwest region. Parts of the Interlake region also reported standing water in fields after the rainfall.
The report pegged overall seeding in Manitoba at 57% complete as of Tuesday, up from 33% a week earlier and ahead of the five-year average of 45%.
The weekly Saskatchewan and Alberta crop reports will be released Thursday and Friday, respectively.
The latest monthly update of the Canadian drought monitor showed 41% of Prairie agricultural lands impacted by abnormal dryness or some form of drought as of the end of April. That’s up from 32% In March and 23% at the end of February.
