Despite improvement in some areas, overall abnormal dryness and drought still worsened across Western Canada in October.
According to the latest monthly update of the Canadian drought monitor on Thursday, abnormal dryness or some form of drought was impacting 68% of Prairie agricultural lands as of the end of October. That’s up 4 points from September and above 59% in August but still well below 81% in July.
October brought a mixed picture for the West, with several regions benefiting from strong precipitation events while others slipped deeper into dryness heading into winter.
In Alberta, conditions diverged sharply between north and south. Northeastern Alberta received substantial moisture, with many areas recording more than 150% of normal October precipitation — Fort McMurray hit 226% — leading to notable drought reduction. In contrast, west-central and southern Alberta grew significantly worse. Calgary, Red Deer, and Medicine Hat received only 12%, 13%, and 23% of normal precipitation, respectively, leading to the expansion of drought across west-central and southern zones. A large corridor between Calgary and Edmonton slipped into extreme drought after two consecutive months with less than 40% of normal rainfall.
Saskatchewan saw improvement in the east but worsening conditions in the southwest. East-central Saskatchewan benefited from several storm events that delivered above-normal precipitation, helping shrink remaining drought pockets. However, southwestern Saskatchewan continued to receive below-normal moisture, allowing dryness and moderate drought to expand.
Manitoba recorded some of the most significant improvements in the Prairies. Southern Manitoba saw more than double its normal October precipitation, building on a wet September that improved soil moisture, streamflow, and surface water supplies. As a result, drought conditions have been significantly reduced across all southern agricultural areas.
