Recent wet weather may have brightened prospects for some Prairie crops, but the rainfall’s uneven spread has left conditions ranging from soggy to still parched.
According to a report from World Weather, much of the crop belt picked up between a ½ to 2 inches of rain over the past seven days ending Friday morning. Northern Alberta and southwestern Saskatchewan saw totals near 4 inches, while unofficial reports in parts of western, central, and southern Saskatchewan exceeded 5 inches (see map below). On the other hand, pockets in southeastern and extreme northwestern Alberta, northwestern and northeastern Saskatchewan, and northwestern to central Manitoba received as little as 0.12 to a 1/2 inch.
The moisture was welcome, but still not enough or too late in some cases, particularly in northeastern Saskatchewan and central to northern Manitoba, where persistent dryness has left some crops withered or prematurely matured. While drought recovery has been slowly advancing in western and far southern parts of the Prairies, the improvements are far from uniform — and in some areas, the rain has tipped the balance toward excess. In general, the southern portion of the Prairies has done better this year in terms of rainfall, compared to the more northern areas. Manitoba's Interlake region has been especially dry (se second map below).
Southwestern Alberta has been hardest hit by overly wet conditions, with some fields now soggy after repeated downpours over the past month or so.
The active weather pattern is set to continue, World Weather said. The disturbance responsible for this week’s rain and thunderstorms will track eastward through Saturday, bringing further significant moisture to northern and eastern Saskatchewan and western to southeastern Manitoba. Forecasters say the added precipitation should help replenish soil moisture in many locations, though localized flooding risks remain in wetter zones.
