A drone’s-eye view of crews repairing a levee, north of the Cosumnes River, after it was breached by heavy rains and flooded Sacramento County roads and properties near Wilton, just southeast of Sacramento, on Jan. 2, 2023. (Photo: Reuters/Fred Greaves)

Another ‘atmospheric river’ storm renews flood threat in California

Sacramento | Reuters — Emergency crews braced for the next bout of high winds and torrential rains forecast to sweep California starting on Wednesday, renewing the threat of power outages and flooding that struck parts of the state over the New Year’s weekend. The latest “atmospheric river” — an airborne current of dense moisture flowing […] Read more

A drone’s-eye view of crews repairing a levee, north of the Cosumnes River, after it was breached by heavy rains and flooded Sacramento County roads and properties near Wilton, just southeast of Sacramento, on Jan. 2, 2023. (Photo: Reuters/Fred Greaves)

Northern California deluge’s current rainfall level expected again

Flood risk to continue into next week

MarketsFarm — While the deluge of rain over northern California took a day’s break on Tuesday, agricultural meteorologist Drew Lerner of World Weather Inc. said the heavy precipitation would soon resume. Following the worst drought in California history, the state has been receiving very intense precipitation that’s brought flooding to its northern areas. “It will […] Read more


CBOT March 2023 soybeans with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Soybeans ease on South American rainfall

Forecasts of freezing weather in U.S. Midwest support wheat; corn near even

Chicago | Reuters — Chicago soybean futures dropped on Thursday, pressured by South American forecasts for more rain which could relieve parched soy crops in Argentina. Corn and wheat weakened, holding on to some of the previous day’s gains as extreme winter weather threatens winter wheat crops in the U.S. Plains and Midwest. The Chicago […] Read more

November across the Prairies can run the full gamut of weather from summer-like conditions to the deep freeze of winter. Unfortunately, for most places this November, winter- like conditions mostly won out.

It was a cold start — will the rest of this winter be the same?

As usual, the forecasts are varied but none predict a warmer-than-usual winter this year

Reading Time: 4 minutes It’s hard to believe we are into the last month of 2022. From a climatological point of view, we have finished the first full month of winter across the Prairies. For those who are more astronomical, we are halfway through the first full month of winter. No matter which way you view it, November across the […] Read more


CBOT March 2023 corn with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Corn, wheat futures ease

Chicago soybean futures firm

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn and wheat futures fell on Wednesday after hitting 11-day highs a day earlier as traders waited for more bullish news before pushing grain prices above those recent peaks. Soybeans were firm, shedding overnight weakness, with investors hoping that export demand for U.S. supplies of the oilseed will remain strong […] Read more

Winter unlikely to be a cure against drought

Winter unlikely to be a cure against drought

Reading Time: < 1 minute It’s not as bad as a year ago, but the moisture situation heading into winter wasn’t good either, the province said in its final Agricultural Moisture Situation Update of the season issued Oct. 25. A year ago, most of the province had moisture deficits that are only seen once every 25 to 50 years. Things […] Read more



AAFC’s Drought Monitor map at April 30, 2022. (Agriculture.canada.ca)

Drought gone in Manitoba but worsening in Alberta, AAFC reports

MarketsFarm — Record-breaking precipitation in southern Manitoba and eastern Saskatchewan helped improve moisture conditions in the region in April, taking much of the area out of the drought classification, according to the latest Drought Monitor report from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) for the period ended April 30. Two separate Colorado lows brought significant snow, […] Read more


(iStock/Getty Images)

Pulse weekly outlook: No worries about delayed planting in Manitoba

'Farmers can get stuff in pretty quick'

MarketsFarm — Despite an influx of snow across southern Manitoba, with more precipitation in the forecast for this week, a provincial pulse specialist isn’t too concerned about the potential for late planting of pulse crops. “The moisture is welcome, but it’s not the weather we would like to see at this time of the year. […] Read more

Drought conditions in Canada at Feb. 28, 2022. (Map courtesy Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada)

Most of Prairies still very dry, but recovery possible

Southern Manitoba considered out of drought

MarketsFarm — Despite the Prairies receiving above-normal amounts of precipitation during February, the great majority of the region remained highly vulnerable to more dryness going into spring, according to the Canadian Drought Monitor. The monitor’s latest report showed those areas of the Prairies tackling extreme drought to have retracted somewhat. As of Feb. 28, that […] Read more