Average Prairie heat, more rain in summer forecast

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Published: February 16, 2020

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File photo of a storm cloud from the southwestern end of Lake Winnipeg at Matlock, Man. (IanChrisGraham/iStock/Getty Images Plus)

MarketsFarm — Canada’s Prairies should see higher-than-normal precipitation and generally average temperatures during the 2020 growing season, according to a forecast from Scott Kehler of Weatherlogics.

Speaking Thursday at CropConnect in Winnipeg, Kehler said “there’s not really a strong pattern one way or the other” when it comes to the temperature outlook.

The Weatherlogics forecast — using a combination of long-range models, a comparison of analog years, ocean temperatures, sunspot activity and other indicators — points to normal temperatures across most of the Prairies, with slightly warmer-than-normal weather in southern Saskatchewan and southeastern Alberta.

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Crops in Saskatchewan are developing in opposite directions, the province’s latest crop report said. Growing conditions in the province vary, with some areas receiving enough rain while other locations are experiencing crop stress due to hot, dry conditions.

Precipitation is forecast to be above normal across all three Prairie provinces.

The moisture should be more evenly distributed during the growing season than 2019, when a dry summer was followed by a very wet fall, Kehler added.

Kehler was most confident in the thunderstorm outlook, with more storms than normal predicted for Manitoba and southeastern Saskatchewan.

Activity similar to 2019’s was forecast for the remainder of Saskatchewan and southern Alberta, with central and northern Alberta expected to see a reduction in thunderstorms.

— Phil Franz-Warkentin reports for MarketsFarm from Winnipeg.

About the author

Phil Franz-Warkentin

Phil Franz-Warkentin

Editor - Daily News

Phil Franz-Warkentin grew up on an acreage in southern Manitoba and has reported on agriculture for over 20 years. Based in Winnipeg, his writing has appeared in publications across Canada and internationally. Phil is a trusted voice on the Prairie radio waves providing daily futures market updates. In his spare time, Phil enjoys playing music and making art.

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