Ag Weather Forum

A good mix of sunshine, mild weather, and intermittent showers have kept crops on pace for a good yield across the Canadian Prairies so far this summer. Any hot weather has been very brief with the main problems occurring from scattered hail-producing thunderstorms across southern portions of Alberta and Saskatchewan and through a good portion of Manitoba.

High soil moisture conditions still linger across parts of Manitoba, but are on the decline as showery weather has diminished during the recent week or two. The spotty nature of summer rains and thundershowers has brought a few small areas of wet conditions to Alberta and Saskatchewan, but most areas are enjoying adequate soil moisture levels. Some dryness continues across northern and northeastern Alberta, but is by no means widespread or severe.

Temperatures so far during July have been very close to normal throughout the region and the season growing day accumulations are remaining near of just a little ahead of schedule -- good news for developing crops. The jet stream flow has been in a favorable location so far this summer preventing any hot weather from setting up shop across Western Canada, but also keeping any serious cool readings to the north.

Crop conditions are being reported as good to excellent for 80 to 90% of Alberta and from 60 to 85% for Saskatchewan, as of last week.

Weather conditions should continue to favor crop development during the next week with a good mix of mild weather and showers expected. The jet stream should guide weather systems through Western Canada every few days allowing for mostly beneficial showers, but with some possibility of a few isolated stronger thunderstorms capable of producing strong winds and hail.

Longer-term climate model weather forecasts keep a mostly favorable pattern in place for the Prairies into August. At the current time mostly seasonable amounts of rainfall and near normal temperatures are being forecast for the region. Other than the isolated storms that produce some wind and hail the outlook should remain quite favorable for Prairies crops as we head into the late summer period and crops continue to mature.

Doug Webster can be reached at doug.webster@telventdtn.com

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