Repeated storms have left large portions of the Canadian Prairies saturated over the past month, flooding fields, damaging roads and raising concerns about crop losses as the growing season enters a critical stage.
Agriculture Canada’s precipitation map for the 30 days ending July 2 (below) shows a broad corridor from central Alberta through Saskatchewan and into western Manitoba receiving 150% to more than 200% of normal rainfall. Some of the wettest areas are located around Edmonton, across central and eastern Saskatchewan and near the Saskatchewan-Manitoba border.
The soil moisture map shown below provides further evidence of saturation. As of June 30, much of the agricultural Prairies held between 150% and 200% of normal soil moisture, with pockets above 200%. The excess contrasts sharply with continued dryness in the Peace River region and parts of interior British Columbia.
The pattern began taking shape at the end of May, when a major system dropped large amounts of rain across parts of Alberta in a single day. East-central areas received as much as three times their normal monthly precipitation during that event alone.
Conditions became particularly severe in Manitoba during June. Storms flooded farmland around Minitonas and the Swan River Valley, washing out roads and turning fields into lakes. Another round of record-setting rain later damaged infrastructure, swelled rivers and prompted states of emergency in more than 10 municipalities, with Stonewall, Teulon, Woodlands, Dugald and Elie among the hardest-hit communities.
Excess moisture has also become the leading crop concern in Saskatchewan, where provincial officials reported minor to moderate damage across most regions and severe localized impacts.
Alberta faced renewed flooding late in June as heavy rainfall pushed rivers higher. Significant additional rain was also forecast for eastern Saskatchewan and western Manitoba over the pasdt few days, raising the risk of further overland flooding.
The agricultural impact remains uncertain, but standing water, yellowing crops and inaccessible fields are expected to reduce harvested acreage and yield potential in the worst-affected areas.
