February brought notable dryness and drought relief across the Prairies, although localized areas continue to suffer.
The latest monthly update of the Canadian Drought Monitor shows 47% of Prairie agricultural lands were being impacted by abnormal dryness or some form of drought as of the end of last month. That is down from 62% in both January and December, and 71% in November.
Most of the Prairie Region experienced above-normal precipitation during February, with large portions of the region receiving 115% to more than 200% of normal. In contrast, southern Alberta and parts of southwestern Saskatchewan remained comparatively dry, with precipitation totals below 85% of normal and localized pockets receiving less than 60%.
Snow cover was initially reduced during early February due to warm, dry conditions, but late-month winter storms increased snowfall across much of the region, bringing totals back to near or above normal in many areas. Although winter precipitation through the Prairie provinces has been generally above normal, periods of temperatures well above freezing have significantly reduced the snowpack and resulted in “substantial water loss through sublimation and evaporation,” the monitor said.
Across Alberta, precipitation varied widely but was generally above normal across central and northern regions. Southern Alberta remained the driest part of the province, with some areas near the U.S. border receiving less than 60% of normal precipitation. Moderate drought expanded across parts of south-central and southeastern Alberta, while severe drought edged slightly higher in the southwest. However, conditions improved elsewhere. Central and northern Alberta saw above-normal precipitation in many areas, which reduced abnormally dry and moderate drought conditions. Severe drought was also removed in some northern areas, including parts of the Peace River region, following improved moisture conditions.
In Saskatchewan, conditions were mixed but improved overall compared to January. Southern Saskatchewan saw uneven precipitation, with dry pockets in the west—including areas near Kindersley—while eastern regions received well above-normal moisture. As a result, abnormally dry conditions expanded in some western areas, and moderate drought developed in localized regions. However, central and northern Saskatchewan experienced widespread above-normal precipitation, which helped shrink areas classified as abnormally dry, moderate drought, and severe drought. Extreme drought near La Ronge was removed, reflecting broader improvement across northern parts of the province.
Manitoba saw some of the most consistent improvement during February. Southern Manitoba received near-to-above-normal precipitation, leading to reductions in abnormally dry conditions. Central Manitoba experienced well-above-normal precipitation in many areas, which reduced moderate and severe drought coverage and eliminated an isolated pocket of extreme drought in the east-central region. Northern Manitoba also benefited from above-normal moisture, which reduced moderate and severe drought conditions and removed another area previously classified as extreme drought.
