Leduc, a fourth-generation producer who grows more than 10,000 acres of wheat, durum, mustard, canola, peas and lentils in an area dominated by grazing cattle, thinks that the long-awaited technological improvement, a plant that produces canola-like oil, could help him eke out a few more dollars per acre.

“All I’m trying to do is improve the bottom line of our farm,” he said.

WHY IT MATTERS: Mustard growers worry BASF’s InVigor Gold hybrid will destroy Canada’s condiment mustard industry. BASF says the oilseed could be grown safely in arid regions where canola routinely fails.

But Trent Dewar, who farms elsewhere in the Canadian semi-desert known as Palliser’s Triangle, fears the new GMO mustard plant will ruin the pure mustard he grows for the premium Dijon bottlers in France, the United States and Japan, as well as other specialty mustards. The industry is worth about $150 million (C$209 million) in exports annually — only a fraction of the $8.9 billion (C$12.4 billion) canola exports market. But in a geography where canola fails more often than it flourishes, mustard has been the lifeblood of many farms since growers started planting it 90 years ago.

“Everybody I’ve talked to personally is quite shell-shocked that this would even be considered,” he said.

Mustard is a tiny crop in Canada, with usually less than 200,000 metric tons of mustard produced by a few hundred farmers. Mustard production soars and sags with volatile world prices and local weather, like other specialty crops. Canadian canola growers, by contrast, usually plant more than 20 million acres of their crop, which produces upwards of 19 million metric tons. That makes canola Canada’s biggest source of crop income by far.

That’s why so many are excited about the drought-resistant GMO mustard plant. Global agricultural giant BASF hopes to win approval from Canadian and U.S. agencies for commercialization as soon as next year in the U.S. and a couple of years later in Canada.

It’s not without risk, however. The GMO plant looks nearly identical to a traditional mustard plant. Neighboring fields could be contaminated with seeds and pollen carried on the wind or by bees. Both traditional brown and oriental mustards and the new mustard canola are brassica junceas, so they can breed, with pollen from one type fertilizing the other.

“It has the potential of wrecking a whole industry,” said farmer Norm Hall, the chair of SaskMustard, which represents Saskatchewan’s mustard growers. The group is lobbying the government in Ottawa to keep the crop out of Canada.

Brent Collins, head of BASF’s seeds and traits division in Canada, said the crop was an “innovation” that would “truly unlock new canola acres, helping meet market demand.”

The French connection

France, which sources about half its mustard supplies from Canada, has a strict non-GMO standard. Other large global buyers are similarly stringent. Many Canadian mustard growers and sellers fear the door could slam shut if traces of the hybrid mustard-canola were detected.

“They look at it like a razor blade that shows up in a bag of rice,” said Peter Gorski of Broadgrain, a company that sells Canadian specialty crops like mustard to buyers around the world.

Foreign buyers have not said how they will respond if GMO traces appear. Most contracts contain a commitment to be non-GMO, and two contracts shared with Reuters contained that specification. A French law limits the presence of GMOs in the food supply, but the threshold of acceptable traces is mostly left to the buyer.

Christophe Planes, sales and marketing director for French mustard processor Reine de Dijon, said the GMO plant could spell trouble for Canadian exports.

About half of the company’s seeds are sourced from Canada, he said, adding: “We’re clearly committed to a non-GMO policy.”

“Since France is quite strict regarding GMOs we systematically check all our supplies to ensure that there are no traces, or very few traces,” Planes said.

Since Canada’s crippling drought of 2021, which hampered mustard production and triggered panic in French shoppers finding grocery store shelves bare of the condiment, France has boosted its own domestic supplies. There are other sources for mustard seed, such as Argentina, Germany and Ukraine, but Canadian mustard is both high quality and cheap, Planes said. Switching could affect quality and raise prices.

A flax grower’s nightmare, revisited

Canadian mustard growers are haunted by a historical precedent: tainted flax. Canada lost a well-paying and steady European market for flax when traces of a GMO variety called Triffid were found in European food products in 2009. Exports plunged and never recovered.

Mustard is an ancient crop, its seeds found in stone-age settlements of the Near East, in ancient Sumerian texts, and even in the tomb of Egypt’s Pharaoh Tutankhamun. In the Bible, Jesus of Nazareth told a parable about the mustard seed.

By contrast, the mustard-canola hybrid is a 21st-century scientific marvel, employing decades of traditional plant breeding and later GMO methods to produce a mustard plant that produces a version of canola oil, and that survives a herbicide controlling the plague of tumbleweeds in western North America. Many farmers in the mustard-growing region have been eagerly awaiting this new crop since the 1990s, but it has been a tortuous scientific development process. Canola is a cool-weather crop that thrives in northern latitudes like Canada, but climate change’s bouts of extreme heat and drought are expected to make it more challenging to grow.

Some of the original research into using a mustard plant to produce canola-like seed was done by scientists working for a farmers’ cooperative in the 1990s, as well as by university researchers. Now global agriculture giant BASF has brought what it calls InVigor Gold to the cusp of commercialization.

Traditional clashes with bold and new

From discussions with mustard and canola industry key players, it is clear that the two camps have sharply different assessments of whether the GMO mustard can flourish alongside traditional mustard.

“We know we can’t co-exist,” said Rick Mitzel, executive director of Sask Mustard.

BASF, however, thinks two million acres of its mustard-canola could be grown in arid areas of Canada and the U.S., with safeguards against pollen flow and seed spread between mustard and canola fields.

“We understand the areas that mustard growers are concerned about and it’s our responsibility to be able to explain what exactly we’re doing to be able to appease some of these concerns,” said Collins.

The two sides have sporadically met in recent years, but as the widespread release of the crop approaches, mustard growers and the mustard industry have grown desperate.

At an industry meeting this winter, mustard growers and merchants called for their representatives to take legal and political action to block the introduction of InVigor Gold. But Hall told them it would be an “uphill battle” because BASF is following the usual crop development protocols, and market impact is not considered during the Canadian crop approval processes.

Kacy Gehring of Mountain States Oilseeds, a U.S. mustard merchant in American Falls, Idaho, said the concern about GMO contamination destroying markets could trigger farmers to just stop growing mustard. That wouldn’t just be a problem for companies like hers, but also bad for world culinary culture, she said.

Farmer Leduc understands the worries of his mustard-growing neighbors, but doesn’t apologize for wanting to get InVigor Gold into his fields as soon as possible. Farming in an arid region isn’t easy, but it’s where his great-grandfather settled. He needs every survival tool he can get.

“I wish I was in a wetter part of the province,” he said.

— Additional reporting by Sybille de la Hamaide and Gus Trompiz in France.

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“This significant investment strengthens our ability to bring forward the next generation of high-performing hybrids, supporting yield gains, agronomic resilience and long-term success for Canadian farmers,” Leta LaRush, vice-president of BASF Agricultural Solutions Canada, said today in a news release.

BASF announced the expansion of the Canola Breeding Centre of Innovation in Saskatoon. Construction will begin this spring with completion expected by the end of 2027.

WHY IT MATTERS: With climate change driving weather unpredictability, canola producers need varieties that survive better and yield more.

The expansion will add advanced infrastructure, including precision-controlled growth systems and a research-grade glasshouse, the company said in the news release. These will increase breeding capacity and shorten innovation cycles, it added.

“These enhancements are critical to implementing genomic selection at scale, enabling faster, more precise breeding decisions and accelerating genetic gain across all InVigor programs,” BASF said.

The new glasshouse – a facility that enables researchers to develop experimental climates — is designed to support future hybrid breeding programs.

The centre will focus on the development of new InVigor hybrid canola varieties to better withstand changing environmental pressures and accommodate growing global demand.

Saskatchewan agriculture minister David Marit said the announcement was great news.

“It just shows the research that’s happening here and the confidence of a company like BASF to invest here. They see opportunities around the research and looking at genetics,” Marit told Glacier FarmMedia.

“You look at where the canola industry is going just in the least 15 years with new varieties, new higher oil contents, straight cut varieties, higher drought tolerant varieties — it just adds to what’s going on here in the province.”

-With files from Karen Briere

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WHY IT MATTERS: More than 80 per cent of pulses exported from Canada to India are grown in Saskatchewan.

The Canada-India Pulse Protein Centre of Excellence would be built at the National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management in Kundli, 40 kilometres north of New Delhi, said the Saskatchewan government in a March 3 news release.

The proposed centre would focus on the advancement of pulse protein processing and the development of fortified foods. It would also strengthen the relationship and support economic growth between the two countries, as well as improve global nutrition, reduce environmental impacts and advance sustainable agriculture.

Both the U of S and NIFTEM were named by their respective federal governments to be the co-chairs of the facility.

“The University of Saskatchewan has a strong history of developing agricultural innovations that have real world impact,” said Baljit Singh, the U of S’s research vice-president.

“We are committed to addressing the global demand for plant-based proteins and applying our world-class researchers, labs and infrastructure to address these needs. We look forward to working alongside our partners in India and the Government of Saskatchewan to create sustainable solutions.”

The pulse protein centre was announced during a trade mission to India by Canadian officials, including Canadian prime minister Mark Carney and Saskatchewan premier Scott Moe.

“Our province is essential for global food security,” Moe said.

“This announcement represents an opportunity to bring Saskatchewan’s expertise and ingenuity in pulse production to the people of India. By working together, we will accelerate innovation, expand processing capabilities, and help meet growing demand for affordable, high quality, sustainably grown foods.”

More than 80 per cent of all pulses exported from Canada to India are grown in Saskatchewan, primarily lentils, chickpeas and yellow peas.

“The Centre of Excellence underscores the long-term partnership between Saskatchewan and India in pulses,” Saskatchewan Pulse (SaskPulse) Growers chair Stuart Lawrence said.

“This collaboration between academia and government can help ensure more pulses are included in large-scale food applications and enhance the role pulses play in delivering nutritional security for the benefit of Indian consumers and Saskatchewan farmers.”

Saskatchewan has exported more than $18 billion worth of goods to India since 2007. The province opened a trade and investment office in New Delhi in 2021, one of nine worldwide.

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New Delhi and Ottawa hope to increase bilateral trade to US$50 billion by 2030, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said during a joint media appearance with Carney, from nearly US$9 billion (C12.3 billion) in 2024-25.

WHY IT MATTERS: India is a key market for Canadian pulses, particularly lentils, and also imports other goods like packaged foods. However, Canadian farmers have faced tariffs on pulse exports to that country.

The two sides have agreed to the terms of reference on a comprehensive economic partnership, the Indian foreign ministry added.

Pulse protein centre of excellence

In a joint statement, Carney and Modi “highlighted expanding opportunities for collaboration in agri-technology, research, and value-added food production, and agreed that deeper agricultural partnership will advance sustainable farming practices, nutrition security, and mutually beneficial trade and investment.”

They welcomed a proposal to create a “Canada–India Pulse Protein Centre of Excellence” at India’s National Institute of Food Technology Entrepreneurship and Management (NIFTEM) Kundli. The aim of the centre would include collaboration on research, advancing pulse protein processing and strengthening ties between academia and industry in the two countries.

Carney and Modi “noted the complementary strengths of the Province of Saskatchewan as a global leader in pulse production and innovation, and India as the world’s largest producer and consumer of pulses,” the statement said.

Uranium deal

They also agreed on a C$2.6 billion uranium deal and will work on building small modular nuclear reactors and advanced reactors, both sides said. “In civil nuclear energy, we have concluded a landmark deal for the long-term supply of uranium,” Modi said.

The Indian government and Canada’s Cameco have signed a uranium supply agreement to support India’s nuclear ambitions and to work towards a clean, reliable base load power, Carney added.

Relations between India and Canada deteriorated sharply in 2023 after then Prime Minister Justin Trudeau alleged Indian involvement in the killing of a Canadian Sikh separatist, accusations New Delhi rejected as “absurd”.

The dispute deepened and led to expulsions of diplomats and freezing of trade negotiations.

Carney’s four day India visit is aimed at resetting ties, as both countries look to diversify trade away from the United States due to tariff announcements and deepen cooperation in areas such as clean energy, critical minerals and agricultural value chains.

India sealed a free‑trade pact with the European Union in January, while it recently paused negotiations with the United States on a proposed deal, hoping to resume once there is greater clarity following the invalidation of President Donald Trump’s tariffs.

–Reporting by Sakshi Dayal, Shivangi Acharya and Shilpa Jamkhandikar, with files from Glacier FarmMedia.

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The Saskatchewan trip from Feb. 28 to March 6 has been planned for nearly a year to coincide with the annual Raisina Dialogue, a conference on geopolitics and geoeconomics where Moe will speak.

Prime Minister Mark Carney is also traveling to India next week for a couple of days to meet with prime minister Narendra Modi on free trade talks and drum up investment partnerships. Moe and New Brunswick premier Susan Holt will join him for meetings before Carney moves on to Australia and Japan.

WHY IT MATTERS: The Canadian and provincial governments continue to look to expand trade opportunities amid ongoing tariff threats from U.S. president Donald Trump. Canadian pulse growers currently face 30 per cent import duties on yellow peas into India, as well as 10 per cent tariffs on lentils as India protects its own farmers.

Moe told reporters Feb. 25 he hoped to address the agricultural tariffs, particularly because India could raise the lentil tariff to 30 per cent as of April 1.

“The hope today is to not have them increased,” he said.

“We’ll be engaging on that topic.”

However, he isn’t necessarily expecting movement as a result of this trip. He said that will take more negotiation and missions similar to what happened in China with regard to canola tariffs.

Moe said he hopes Carney and Modi will agree to reinvigorate discussion around the Canada-India Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, which stalled several years ago.

That would be a positive step for Saskatchewan, which has exported $18 billion worth of products to India since 2007. In 2025, those exports totalled $1.4 billion.

Asked why Carney would again ask him to join a trade mission, as he did in China, Moe said it’s likely because Saskatchewan has been doing positive work in the market, as evidenced by the trade statistics.

The province is one of the most trade-diversified, selling into 160 countries, and Moe said that’s due to hard work and building relationships.

“I think there’s a recognition by the prime minister that we can be helpful in this space,” the premier said.

“We’re happy to see that we have a prime minister that is willing to look at the economic agreements that we have with these countries, and I think we have a role to play in supporting, advancing, those opportunities. We’ve been waiting some time to have somebody in the room that’s willing to sign a trade agreement with countries like India.”

Saskatchewan provincial budget

Meanwhile, Moe signaled this week that the provincial budget to be delivered next month will have a deficit but no tax increases. He said other provinces have also tabled deficit budgets, and he urged people to compare the deficit per capita once Saskatchewan has introduced its fiscal plan.

“There are revenue challenges due to the trade uncertainty, market uncertainty around the world,” he said.

“We experienced pretty significant agricultural tariffs in our second largest market being China, and that starts to show up, definitely on the revenue line, at the farmgate and at the provincial government level.”

However, he said the Saskatchewan economy is resilient, at least in part because it is so diversified and not dependent on a single commodity or a single market.

The opposition NDP said it didn’t trust the government to provide the province’s full financial picture.

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The organization said the announcement after the prime minister’s visit to Beijing is positive.

“SaskOilseeds applauds government efforts at all levels showing leadership on this file. We support free, open trade for canola,” it said.

The tariffs for canola seed are to drop to a combined rate of about 15 per cent. Right now, the combined rate is 84 per cent.

Canada ships about $4 billion worth of seed to China each year.

The agreement also means canola meal, lobster, peas and crab will not face anti-discrimination tariffs after March 1.

Canada also expects China will accelerate the resumption of exports of Canadian beef, pet food, animal genetics and other products, according to the federal government.

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In a news release, the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities (SARM) said canola is a cornerstone crop for most RMs. The association had consistently raised concern that prolonged market disruption threatened the viability of farms, the health of rural communities and local tax bases.

The organization said the proposed tariff reductions could improve access, but timelines, enforcement and detailed terms are still unclear for farmers making 2026 marketing decision.

“Until there is clear evidence that tariffs are being fully and consistently applied as promised, SARM believes farmers will remain exposed to sudden policy shifts and price volatility,” it said.

SARM said the disruption has caused financial stress, on-farm storage pressure and uncertainty across rural Saskatchewan. Any delay, reversal or partial implementation of the agreement could undermine farmer confidence, it said.

The organization said it would continue to monitor implementation and press decision-makers to prioritize the stability and resilience of the province’s canola sector and RMs.

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He was happy with the outcome.

“Today’s trade deal to significantly reduce Chinese tariffs on canola and other Canadian products is very good news for Canada and Saskatchewan. This deal is a very positive signal that will restore existing trade volumes and open avenues for further opportunities for Canadians,” he said in a statement.

In an interview from Beijing on CBC Saskatchewan radio, Moe said the trade world is increasingly uncertain, and Carney’s engagement with China has alleviated some of the challenges Saskatchewan’s agriculture sector faces.

He credited federal ministers and officials for tackling the job.

“If you asked me two years ago if I’d be sitting beside the prime minister at any meeting, I’m not sure I would have taken you seriously,” he said in response to a question from Adam Hunter.

“However, we see a new approach by Prime Minister Carney.”

Moe also said the agreement with China shows the importance of working together and what foreign trade missions can achieve.

Opposition praises progress

Saskatchewan NDP opposition leader Carla Beck said she was glad to see much-needed progress.

“Producers across this province have had far too many sleepless nights as one of our largest trading partners aggressively tariffed one of our largest exports,” she said.

“I want to thank our producers and industry leaders who have not given up the fight for fair market access and will continue to advocate for a complete reversal of all tariffs — the only solution to tariffs is no tariffs.

“Our world-class producers deserve to get back to doing what they do best — feeding the world.”

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Highlights

• Alberta can expect a continuation of sunny skies and milder temperatures with little to no precipitation.
• Manitoba will see temperature ‘whiplash’ with thermometers jumping between above freezing and -20 degrees early in the forecast period.
• Over the weekend and early next week, most of Saskatchewan and Manitoba can expect a return to cold temperatures.

Overview

Last week’s expected warmer and quieter weather mostly played out as expected. It was definitely warmer, and most places across the Prairies saw at least a day or two of above-freezing temperatures.

Overall, it was a quiet week weather-wise. But, as is often the case when weak systems dominate the pattern, the weather models missed a couple of systems. These tracked through the central and eastern Prairies during the second half of the forecast period.

These systems were not particularly strong and did not bring much in the way of accumulating precipitation. However, the presence of warm air created some issues, including pockets of light freezing rain and ice pellets.

For this forecast period, we are starting with a fairly sharp ridge of high pressure over Western Canada and a deep trough of low pressure over Ontario. This setup will keep Alberta and the western half of Saskatchewan in milder air, while Manitoba sees a quick return to more winter-like temperatures.

More weather coverage: Lightning gives and takes in Prairie fields

The western ridge is forecast to push eastward and collapse southward on Thursday. While this will allow milder air to return to the eastern Prairies, it will also let slightly cooler air filter into western regions. This brief cooldown does not look like it will last long, as the weather models suggest the western ridge will attempt to rebuild over the weekend.

The strong trough of low pressure over Ontario is setting the stage for an interesting weather pattern across Manitoba and eastern Saskatchewan on Thursday and Friday. A strong area of low pressure is forecast to develop over the Yukon on Wednesday before tracking eastward across the southern Arctic. On Thursday, as this low encounters the Ontario trough, it’s expected to quickly drop southward into northwestern Ontario. This is a rather unusual track for a system.

While this low will lack deep moisture, it will bring periods of snow to eastern Saskatchewan and to southern and central Manitoba on Thursday as a warm front pushes through. Expect snow again on Friday as the main low tracks by the region.

Cold Arctic high pressure will then slide southward into the eastern Prairies over the weekend and into the first part of next week. This will bring a return to average to below-average temperatures.

Over Alberta, the building ridge of high pressure looks to keep temperatures mild through the weekend, with a slow cooldown early next week as the upper ridge gradually weakens.

Alberta

With an upper ridge of high pressure dominating most of this forecast period, expect a continuation of sunny skies and very mild temperatures. Daytime highs across southern Alberta are expected to reach the low to mid-teens on Wednesday, with central and northern regions warming into the 5 to 10 °C range.

A strong area of low pressure tracking across the Arctic on Thursday will help temporarily shove the ridge southward, allowing cooler air to move in. Daytime highs on Thursday and Friday will be roughly 10 °C cooler than on Wednesday.

This cooldown will be short-lived, as weather models show the upper ridge rebuilding across the province on Saturday. Daytime highs across the south should push back toward double digits, while central and northern regions warm to around the +5 °C mark.

On Sunday, Arctic high pressure is forecast to drop southeastward into the eastern Prairies. Depending on its exact track, slightly cooler air could move back into Alberta early next week. Little to no precipitation is expected during this forecast period.

Saskatchewan and Manitoba

As outlined in the general forecast, an interesting weather pattern is expected to impact Manitoba and the eastern half of Saskatchewan on Thursday and Friday.

A strong area of low pressure is forecast to track across the southern Arctic on Thursday, pushing a warm front across the Prairies. This will help maintain mild temperatures across Saskatchewan, while Manitoba experiences temperature whiplash, with readings jumping from around +5 °C earlier in the week, to near -20 °C overnight Wednesday, and then back above freezing by Thursday.

More weather coverage: Hail research hopes to benefit potato growers

As the warm front moves through, some snow is expected, with a couple of centimeters likely.

On Friday, the main low will quickly drop south to southeast from the Arctic, reaching the Lake Superior region by midday. This system will bring occasional periods of light snow along with fairly strong northerly winds. Given the recent melting and episodes of freezing rain, the existing snowpack will not be easily moved, so any blowing snow will be limited to new snowfall. At this point, the system does not appear particularly productive, with most regions expected to see between 2 and 5 cm of snow.

Over the weekend and into at least the first half of next week, cold Arctic high pressure will spread across the eastern and central Prairies. Expect plenty of sunshine and cold temperatures, with daytime highs across Manitoba and eastern Saskatchewan near -15 °C and overnight lows falling to around -25 °C.

Western Saskatchewan will remain milder, thanks to persistent upper-level ridging over Alberta.

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Highlights:

• The lows expected to dominate last week’s forecast broke down more quickly than expected resulting in a disorganized but mild weather pattern across the Prairies.
• Mild temperatures are expected to persist across the Prairies for most of the forecast period.

Overview:

Sometimes a weather system unexpectedly falls apart, and sometimes two weather systems fall apart. When that happens, the forecast can quite literally fall apart as well. This is exactly what we saw with last week’s forecast.

The two main systems that were expected to drive our weather were a Hudson Bay low and a large Pacific low. Both weakened and broke down much quicker than anticipated. The result was a rather slack and disorganized weather pattern across the Prairies during the second half of the forecast period.

This made for a not-so-great forecast but temperatures ended up being much warmer than expected, and as we will see, these milder temperatures look to stick around for at least a little while longer.

More from weather: YEAR IN REVIEW: 2025 a year of weather extremes

The a slack and disorganized weather pattern continues across much of western Canada. The upper-level flow has flattened out from west to east, helping to keep the coldest air well north of our forecast regions.

This weak flow has also struggled to push out lingering moisture and cloud cover, though with a slowly building ridge of high pressure, skies do look to gradually clear.

Over the Gulf of Alaska, the semi-permanent winter low remains in place. A weak ridge along the British Columbia coast, which is forecasted to strengthen during this period, is keeping most of the energy from that low either offshore or shunted well to our north.

This overall pattern looks to remain intact through the forecast period. This means little significant weather expected. It also means that day-to-day details will be somewhat difficult to pin down, as weak systems form, drift eastward, and then fade away, with no single system dominating the weather pattern.

Alberta

With no significant weather systems expected to impact the province during this forecast period, most regions can expect sunny to partly cloudy skies and only a very small chance of any precipitation.

A slowly building ridge of high pressure looks to bring increasingly mild temperatures to the region by the weekend. Southern areas will likely see daytime highs climb into the low teens by early next week, while central and northern regions see highs in the 4 to 7 °C range.

These above-normal temperatures look to persist right through much of next week, before the weather models suggest a return to more January-like temperatures by next weekend.

Saskatchewan and Manitoba

A weak area of low pressure currently over northern Manitoba is forecast to continue weakening as it slides eastward into Ontario. This will allow for clearing skies after several days of cloud and fog. Wednesday will feature mild temperatures across the region, with most locations seeing daytime highs in the -2 to -5 °C range.

Weather models then show a slight southward dip in the jet stream later in the week, which should bring more seasonable conditions. Expect daytime highs to drop to around -10 °C by Saturday.

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Over the weekend, a building ridge of high pressure over British Columbia and Alberta will begin to influence Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Expect sunny to partly cloudy skies along with a noticeable warming trend as milder air pushes eastward under the ridge.

Current model guidance suggests daytime highs rising into the 0 to +4 °C range beginning Sunday or Monday. These mild temperatures look to persist through much of the week before more seasonable conditions are expected to return by next weekend.

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