Shifting weather patterns helped drought conditions significantly improve across much of Canada in May, with the most significant improvements seen through the southern Prairies where an upper-level low provided cooler and unsettled conditions bringing well above-normal precipitation, according to the latest drought monitor report from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada showing conditions as of May 31.
Most of the Prairies received significant amounts of precipitation in May, with amounts topping 150 per cent of normal across a large area from eastern Alberta through central Saskatchewan and into southern Manitoba. Only the Peace River region of northwestern Alberta missed out on any meaningful precipitation. As a result, the Peace region faced growing precipitation deficits, wildfire concerns and low stream flows.
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At the end of the month, 74 per cent of the Prairie Region was classified as Abnormally Dry (D0) or in Moderate to Exceptional Drought (D1 to D4), including 67 per cent of the region’s agricultural landscape.
The majority of Alberta received above-normal precipitation in May, which helped alleviate drought conditions in central, southern, and northeastern Alberta.
Precipitation across Saskatchewan was near- to above-normal during the month. The rainfall improved topsoil moisture across much of agricultural Saskatchewan with some areas reporting localized standing water in fields. The precipitation will help with the greening-up of grasslands and allow for shallow seeding, crop germination and emergence across the grain belt. Given the substantial precipitation since the start of the growing season, large regions of drought were reduced or removed across Saskatchewan this month.
Manitoba received above- to well above-normal precipitation in May, with most of the province’s agricultural areas now having optimal to wet surface soil moisture conditions. The moisture conditions were welcome news despite multiple storm systems leading to moisture surpluses, with standing water accumulating in lowland areas, leaving some farmers with challenges accessing fields.
