This map shows the total amount of precipitation, compared to average, that has fallen across the Prairies during the 60-day period ending Nov. 7. This gives us a good idea of moisture levels heading into freeze-up. The map shows a large portion of the Prairies has seen above-average rainfall (blue regions) with the wettest areas found in Saskatchewan and western Manitoba. The only below-average areas are found in south-central Alberta and extreme far northwestern Alberta.


Will it be a typical La Niña winter on the Prairies this year?

La Niña usually brings more snow and colder temperatures, 
but some forecasts are painting a different picture for this year


Reading Time: 3 minutes After nearly 11 months of global record-setting temperatures, North America has had its turn seeing the warmest weather on the planet — at least when compared to average. I’ll have to admit: It really bugs me when people use the infamous line, “Where is global warming now?” every time temperatures in their region are colder […] Read more


U.S. forecaster sees La Nina likely in coming months

New York | Reuters — A U.S. government forecaster on Thursday said the chance has increased for weather phenomenon La Nina developing in the coming months in the Northern Hemisphere fall and persist into winter 2016-17. The Climate Prediction Center (CPC), an agency of the National Weather Service, in a monthly forecast pegged the chance […] Read more




Average sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies for the week centred on June 1. Anomalies based on weekly means for 1981-2010 base period. (CPC.ncep.noaa.gov)

La Nina effect in U.S. may not spill onto Prairies

CNS Canada — As the El Nino weather event of 2015-16 gradually fades into memory, most weather forecasters say it’s slowly being replaced by its cousin, La Nina. The La Nina phenomenon usually happens when water temperatures along the equator in the Pacific Ocean fall by 3 to 5 C. According to Drew Lerner of […] Read more


Average sea surface temperature in degrees Celsius over the Pacific Ocean for the week centred on May 4, 2016. Anomalies computed with respect to the 1981-2010 base period weekly means. (CPC.ncep.noaa.gov)

Forecasters see rising likelihood of La Nina in 2016

Reuters — A U.S. government weather forecaster on Thursday heightened its projections for the La Nina weather phenomenon to take place in the Northern Hemisphere later this year, on the heels of an El Nino likely to fade by early summer. The Climate Prediction Center (CPC), an agency of the National Weather Service, in its […] Read more

This map shows the total amount of precipitation for Alberta during the first three months of 2016, relative to the long-term average. You can see southern and central regions have been the driest, with amounts ranging from near average in a few areas to the driest conditions just south of Calgary. Farther north, amounts are mostly near average, with some above-average conditions in the northeast.

A big-picture look at why this winter was so unusually warm

An ongoing battle between a western ridge and eastern trough explains why Alberta has been warmer than average for so long

Reading Time: 3 minutes No matter which way you look at it, winter is over across agricultural Alberta — and it was definitely a warm one. While it won’t go down in the record books, Alberta’s been in a persistently long warm spell with seven consecutive months of above-average temperatures recorded at all three of the main locations. Winter […] Read more



Pacific Ocean sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies for the week centred March 2. (CPC.ncep.noaa.gov)

La Nina seen maybe succeeding El Nino

Reuters — A U.S. government weather forecaster said Thursday it sees a near 50 per cent chance La Nina could develop by the Northern Hemisphere fall on the heels of the El Nino conditions likely to dissipate in the coming months. The Climate Prediction Center (CPC), an agency of the U.S. National Weather Service, in […] Read more