It’s a variable soil moisture picture on the Prairies as seeding season draws nearer. The east has enough moisture — and in some cases too much. And it gets progressively drier toward the west, with portions of Alberta nearing critical condition, according to one weather watcher. Bruce Burnett, weather and markets director for the MarketsFarm […] Read more
Prairie soil moisture picture growing clearer
Alberta driest; Saskatchewan variable; Manitoba mostly OK
California picks up debris from latest storm, braces for next
Also: Why all this rain won't end California's drought
Sacramento | Reuters — Rain-soaked Californians took advantage of a break in a weeks-long deluge to haul away dead trees, restore downed power lines and prepare new stacks of sandbags before another series of storms hits the state beginning Friday. In Monterey County along the state’s central coast, communities near the still-rising Salinas River were […] Read more
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
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
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
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
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
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
Cold, snowy start seen to Prairies’ winter
MarketsFarm — Although the official calendar start to winter isn’t until Dec. 21, conditions on the Canadian Prairies are now winter-like, according to Weatherlogics chief scientist Scott Kehler. “For the month of November, it looks like we’re off to a cold start for most of the Prairies. The western Prairies… had quite a significant winter […] Read more
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
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