Western Canada saw notable relief from abnormal dryness and drought in August, with conditions improving across much of the Prairie region after widespread rainfall events.
According to the Canadian Drought Monitor, 59% of Prairie agricultural lands were classified as abnormally dry or in some form of drought at the end of August, down sharply from 81% in July. The improvement marked the lowest coverage since April, when drought affected 41% of farmland.
The monitor attributed the improvement to above-normal precipitation in many southern areas and significant storm systems further north. Still, large pockets of severe to extreme drought remain, and long-term precipitation deficits continue to weigh on crop and livestock production.
Alberta experienced some of the most dramatic improvements, particularly in the southeast, where a series of slow-moving thunderstorms delivered more than 150% of average rainfall. The destructive Aug. 20 storm brought damaging winds and hail, but it also helped replenish soil moisture, refill dugouts, and recharge groundwater. By month’s end, only a small area around Medicine Hat remained in abnormal dryness to moderate drought.
Central and east-central Alberta also saw reductions in severe and extreme drought classifications. However, conditions in the Peace Region worsened despite a mid-month storm system, with extreme drought expanding northward. Farmers there continue to face poor pasture growth, limited surface water, and feed shortages, with grasshopper infestations compounding the stress, the monitor said.
In Saskatchewan, much of the province benefited from above-normal August rainfall. The southwest received more than 200% of average precipitation. By late August, most of the southwest and east-central areas were drought-free, apart from a small pocket of moderate drought in the far southwest. Severe and extreme drought also eased in central areas, though the northern region from Buffalo Narrows to La Ronge remained locked in long-term extreme drought. In the northeast, drought classifications even expanded.
Manitoba’s drought picture also improved, particularly in southern and central regions. Heavy late-August rains west of Winnipeg pushed monthly totals to more than 200% of normal, removing extreme drought from western Manitoba and improving conditions in eastern and central zones. Along the Saskatchewan border, large areas previously rated as extreme drought were reclassified after August rains.
Still, pockets of severe to extreme drought persist from Flin Flon to The Pas. Forage production and pastures remain stressed, and surface water supplies continue to lag despite the rainfall.
