May brought more of the same for those Prairie areas experiencing the worst dryness so far this year.
As can be seen on the map below, large portions of Alberta’s Peace River District, along with northwestern Saskatchewan received less than 40% of normal precipitation during the month, further eroding soil moisture for newly seeded crops. Parts of Manitoba’s Interlake region and the southeastern corner of that province were also much drier than usual in May.
Last week’s Saskatchewan crop report showed cropland topsoil moisture in the northwestern part of the province at 69% short to very short as of May 26, up from 46% at the beginning of May and just 5% short (0% very short) last year.
Surface soil moisture in the Peace Region was rated 60% poor to fair as of May 27, versus 31% in early May and 36% last year.
Meanwhile, little relief appears to be on the immediate horizon. The latest forecast from World Weather Inc. indicates the likelihood of just a few sporadic showers for the next week or so. The longer-term outlook does suggest an increase in rainfall around the middle of this month, although it may be short-lived.
The latest monthly update of the Canadian drought monitor showed 41% of Prairie agricultural lands impacted by abnormal dryness or some form of drought as of the end of April. That’s up from 32% In March and 23% at the end of February.
The May update of the drought monitor should be released in the coming days.
