It may have been great for harvesting, but dry fall conditions have the western Prairie in soil moisture trouble heading into the winter.
As the map below shows, the area extending west from about Saskatoon, SK received less than 40% of normal precipitation for the 60-day period ending Oct. 21. The dryness allowed harvesting to wrap on time after a slower start, but it also eroded soil moisture ahead of freeze-up.
Released Friday, the final Alberta crop report for the 2025 season pegged provincewide surface soil moisture at just 17% good to excellent as of Oct. 14, well below the five- and 10-year averages of 40% and 55%. That is also down sharply from 45% last year. Sub-surface moisture in the province is lower than normal as well, rated at only 18% good to excellent, versus the five-year average of 37% and last year’s 43%.
At 22% good to excellent, surface soil moisture for the South Region was on par with the five-year average as of Oct. 14, but was well below normal for all other regions.
The worst Alberta surface moisture conditions are in the Central and North East regions, at 9% and 7% good to excellent, respectively, compared to 46% and 39% on average. Sub-surface moisture readings are also the worst in those same two regions, with the Central at 13% good to excellent and the North East at 10%, versus 37% and 42% on average.
Meanwhile, North West Region surface soil moisture was rated 22% good to excellent, down from 55% on average, while the Peace was at 29%, compared to 61% on average.
“Most parts of the province are entering winter with dry soil conditions,” the Alberta crop report said. “Average or higher winter snowfall as well as spring precipitation will be needed to replenish soil moisture and support crop and forage growth in the coming season.”
In Saskatchewan, last week’s crop report of the year put provincewide cropland soil moisture at 7% surplus, 53% adequate, 30% short and 10% very short as of Oct. 13, an improvement over 54% adequate, 37% short, and 9% very short last year.
However, conditions in the province’s West-Central and Northwest regions are markedly worse compared to last year. In the West-Central, cropland soil moisture was rated 77% short to very short as of Oct. 13, a 40-point increase in those two categories from a year ago. In the Northwest, cropland soil moisture was rated 69% short to very short as of Oct. 13, up from 36% last year.
“Abundant rain prior to freeze-up and snow this winter is needed to improve soil moisture levels for next spring,” the report said of the West-Central Region.
At 64% short to very short, cropland soil moisture in the Southwest Region was modestly improved compared to 73% short to very short a year earlier, although still among the worst in the province heading into winter.
On the other hand, cropland soil moisture was rated only 12% short to very short in the Northeast Region as of Oct. 13, with the Southeast at 19% and East-Central at 20%.
In Manitoba, moisture conditions are mixed. Last week’s provincial crop report said the Interlake Region continues to show areas of dryness, while other regions are wet following recent storms. Wet soils were especially prevalent in the Southwest, Central, Eastern, and Northwest regions, the report said.
