Ag Weather Forum

Harvest progress has slowed during recent days as low pressure and its associated rains crossed Western Canada's crop region. Cooler weather has also moved in, but is still a little on the mild side of normal. Frosts have become a little more common during the past week, but some areas have yet to see a season-ending frost or freeze, despite being at the end of September.

Rainy and somewhat windy weather across the eastern Prairies today will make an exit by Friday. This will allow stalled harvest operations to begin to ramp up again during the weekend. Drier weather has already filled in across Alberta and western Saskatchewan where harvest operations should be able to resume during the next day or two.

A very nice outlook for continuing harvest operations remains for much of the region for next week as a mostly dry westerly flow of mild weather is expected. The only possible problem may be some windy conditions at times as chinook winds try and develop on some days which could blow around some of the swathed crops.

Temperatures should remain at milder-than-normal levels much of the time, but some nighttime frost is a little more likely for many areas due to the time of year. Normal low temperatures have now reached frost levels in some areas.

For now, any serious cold remains bottled up across far northern Canada and with an expected jet stream flow moving from west to east during the next week to 10 days, we will continue to see Pacific origin air masses cross the region. Pacific air masses are generally mild so no winter-type cold or snow is anticipated yet and should allow any crops that have yet to mature and fill to do so. Recently-seeded winter wheat should be able to continue to emerge and develop.

The main storm track is expected to remain north of the major crop areas of Western Canada well into next week with no more than a few light showers possible with weak fronts moving from west to east. This will help harvest operations to keep going.

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

(ES/)

© Copyright 2013 DTN/The Progressive Farmer. All rights reserved.