• Several storm systems are setting up across the Prairies with potential for rain, freezing rain and snow
• Arctic air is expected to follow the lows with cool temperatures over the weekend
• Milder temperatures are expected to return early next week

Prairie forecast overview

I would love to say that spring weather is ready to settle in for good, but unfortunately that would not be accurate. The pattern of the four to six weeks looks set to continue — meaning more cold than warmth and several storm systems capable of bringing anything from rain to freezing rain to snow.

This forecast period starts with a fairly complex. An area of low pressure is pushing across central Alberta, bringing light snow to that region. This system will track into central Saskatchewan, producing a swath of snow from around Saskatoon northward. It will then weaken as it moves into northern Manitoba on Thursday just as a second area of low pressure develops over the northwestern U.S. and begins to push eastward.

• More weather coverage: Canadian drought conditions improve in March

This second low is expected to bring some accumulating snow to southern Alberta late Wednesday into Thursday as it organizes south of the border. Confidence in the exact track remains somewhat low, even at this short range, although recent model trends have shifted slightly southward.

This system will need to be watched closely, as it has the potential to bring a wintry mix of precipitation to southern Saskatchewan and Manitoba, beginning Thursday in Saskatchewan and Friday in Manitoba.

Once this system exits to the east, cold Arctic air will remain in place over the weekend, keeping daytime highs well below seasonal averages. The models then suggest a return of milder air by Monday, with the warmest temperatures expected across the western Prairies.

Alberta

As mentioned, this is a complicated start to the forecast period, with two related systems affecting the province. A low pushing in from British Columbia will bring light snow and cooler temperatures to central and northern Alberta on Wednesday before moving into central Saskatchewan on Thursday.

At the same time, a second piece of energy is forecast to drop southward into Montana. This brings potential for accumulating snow to parts of southern Alberta late Wednesday as colder air feeds into the system.

Both systems should exit the region by Friday, allowing skies to clear as weak Arctic high pressure settles in. Expect daytime highs to remain in the low single digits on Friday and Saturday before milder air begins to return on Sunday.

Weak upper-level ridging is forecast to develop over British Columbia through the weekend and into early next week. This should support a gradual warm-up, with daytime highs reaching the mid-teens by Tuesday.

Saskatchewan and Manitoba

Central Saskatchewan will begin to feel the effects of the Alberta low on Thursday as it tracks eastward. Snow is expected to develop overnight Wednesday and continue through much of Thursday before the system weakens and moves into northern Manitoba. Current indications suggest snowfall totals of 10 to 15 cm along and just north of the system’s track.

Attention then shifts to a developing low over the northwestern U.S.

Models continue to struggle with both timing and track, which could significantly impact the forecast. The latest guidance suggests the low will dip south from Montana toward Colorado before lifting quickly northeast toward Lake Superior by late Friday or early Saturday. Snow is expected to develop over southern Saskatchewan on Thursday as warm air overruns cold Arctic air entrenched across the northern Prairies.

• More from Daniel Bezte: Alberta saw best and worst of winter this year

As the main low lifts northeast, a secondary area of precipitation is expected to develop over southeastern Saskatchewan and western Manitoba. This will likely fall mainly as snow, although some freezing rain cannot be ruled out, particularly over southeastern Manitoba.

The system should move through relatively quickly, exiting by late Friday or early Saturday morning and leaving behind a return to cold Arctic air. Daytime highs on Friday and Saturday will struggle to reach the freezing mark.

Milder air is expected to push northward again by Sunday across Saskatchewan and by Monday across Manitoba, with daytime highs climbing back into the low teens, especially over Saskatchewan.

The post Prairie forecast: Storm systems bring wintery mix appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

The amount of agricultural land facing drought fell to 32 per cent from 60 per cent. At the same time a year ago, an estimated 37 per cent of the country’s agricultural land was facing drought.

At the end of March, an estimated 39 per cent of the country was classified as abnormally dry, or in moderate to severe drought, which was down from 53 per cent the previous month, AAFC said in the April 13 report.

WHY IT MATTERS: The improving conditions bode well for Canadian farmers in the areas that received moisture as spring planting and seeding approaches.

Large portions of central British Columbia, northern Alberta, central Saskatchewan and parts of Ontario and western Quebec recorded more than twice the normal March precipitation. However, above normal temperatures and below normal precipitation in southern Alberta and southwestern Saskatchewan continued to reduce soil moisture and increase the extent and severity of drought.

Drought conditions throughout much of Eastern Canada improved significantly with continued above normal precipitation and near normal temperatures. Some portions of central Ontario saw a two-class drought improvement in March.

Only 21 per cent of Prairie farmland in drought

Most of the Prairie region experienced near to above-normal March precipitation, with much of region receiving between 85 and 150 per cent of normal, with some localized areas exceeding 200 per cent of normal due to multiple winter storms. Southern Alberta remained dry with portions of the region receiving less than 60 per cent of normal precipitation and warmer than normal temperatures, resulting in continued expansion of drought.

Snowfall from repeated winter storms increased snowpack, particularly in Alberta, although periodic warming led to some snowmelt in southern areas. Overall, above-normal precipitation supported short-term moisture improvements in parts of Alberta and Saskatchewan, while precipitation deficits persisted in Manitoba, limiting recovery.

At the end of the month, 39 per cent of the Prairie was classified as abnormally dry, or in moderate to severe drought, which compares with 58 per cent the previous month. Only 21 per cent of the region’s agricultural landscape was abnormally dry or facing drought which compares with 47 per cent at the end of February and 32 per cent a year ago.

-Updated April 16

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The India Meteorological Department released its first forecast for the 2026 monsoon season on April 13, predicting rainfall will reach 92 per cent of the long-term average. That marked the lowest early forecast of the past three decades.

WHY IT MATTERS: Indian demand for Canadian pulses varies from year-to-year depending on their own production and trade policies.

The southwest monsoon typically runs from June through September as it advances northward and accounts for about 70 per cent of India’s seasonal rainfall. The India Meteorological Department defines normal rainfall as between ​96 and 104 per cent of a 50-year average of 87 centimetres for the four-month season.

India’s rabi season crops, which include lentils and chickpeas, are typically seeded in November and December. They rely on the moisture reserves from the monsoon rains for germination and growth.

Indian forecasters predict El Niño conditions to develop during the hurricane season, which has led to below average monsoon rains and drought for the country in past El Nino years.

While below-normal seasonal rainfall is expected for most of the country, some localized areas may still see normal to above-normal precipitation, the India Meteorological Department said.

The department will release its next forecast at the end of May, with several factors that may alter the monsoon outlook. Neutral Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) conditions are prevailing over the Indian Ocean, with positive conditions likely to develop towards the end of the monsoon season — which is favourable for rainfall.

Northern Hemisphere and Eurasian snow cover during January to March 2026 were slightly below normal, which was also said to be favourable for southwest monsoon seasonal rainfall 2026.

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Interestingly, the coldest reading was also in Alberta, with Peace River coming in at a very chilly -12.9 C.

When it came to precipitation, Alberta was the wet spot in March, with all three locations reporting above-average amounts. Calgary saw the most moisture, with about 30 mm of precipitation, or 12 mm above average.

Manitoba and Saskatchewan didn’t have good news to report for farmers hoping to recharge soils heading into seeding. Precipitation in these provinces ranged from slightly below to well below average. Saskatoon was the driest location, with only 11.6 mm, and Brandon was the driest when compared to average, coming in at 12 mm below long-term average.

WHY IT MATTERS: March was cooler than average in most of the Prairies and conditions were moist in Alberta but drier through Saskatchewan and Manitoba — a split that matters heading into seeding.

Was this really a long winter?

Overall there seems to be a sense that this winter was a long one, probably because it held on harder than usual in March. But was it a particularly harsh winter? There the numbers aren’t so clear.

In the accompanying table I’ve gathered the temperature data for the winter. It shows average temperature and how much that differed from normal — or what’s known as the “anomaly.” It also shows total precipitation, the anomaly and per cent of average precipitation.

November to March: the full picture

For the November-to-March time frame, we can see Manitoba and Saskatchewan’s mean temperatures mainly occurred in a narrow band within half a degree of -11 C. Calgary was the warm spot, coming in at -3.3 C, while Peace River was the cold spot at -12.9 C.

If we compare these to the average, it becomes a bit more of a mixed bag. Dauphin and Saskatoon came in slightly below average. Winnipeg, Brandon and Edmonton came in slightly above average, while Calgary and Regina came in solidly above average.

Precipitation this past winter, at least according to the data from these stations, was mostly below average. All the stations but one reported below-average values, with amounts ranging from 62 per cent of average in Winnipeg to 88 per cent in Peace River. Calgary was again the exception, coming in at 116 per cent of average.

So overall, the winter of 2025-26 saw near- to above-average temperatures, except for the Peace River region of Alberta, which saw below-average temperatures. Precipitation was generally below average but not severely, with only the Calgary region reporting slightly above average amounts.

We will look at the longer-range forecasts for May to August later in April.

The post Weather whiplash: Alberta saw best and worst of winter this year appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

“Artificial intelligence supports earlier detection of weather-related events, as well as enhance the reliability and accuracy of forecasts,” said Julie Dabrusin, minister of environment, climate change and nature, in a news release.

ECCC will create a new hybrid weather forecasting model, combining the predictive abilities of AI and traditional physics-based meteorology and the department’s knowledge of local factors for wind, temperature and precipitation.

• More weather coverage: El Niño risk building, U.S. forecaster says

The new forecasting model would enhance public safety, improve emergency readiness and give more Canadians time to act when severe weather is expected, the department said.

The hybrid model is also expected to improve the accuracy of short and long-term forecasts. It claims the six-day forecast would be as accurate as the traditional model’s current five-day forecast and would predict major weather systems from eight to 24 hours earlier.

ECCC said it has tested the hybrid model over the past year to compare its performance with the traditional models. They found that the hybrid model predicted extreme weather more effectively, while the traditional model was better at small-scale details.

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El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) neutral conditions emerged last month. The U.S. Climate Prediction Center said on Thursday that El Niño has a 61 per cent chance of developing between May and June 2026 and is expected to persist through at least the end of 2026.

“El Niño is likely because of increasing subsurface temperature anomalies and recent westerly wind anomalies over the western Pacific Ocean,” the CPC added.

WHY IT MATTERS: On the Prairies, a strong El Niño typically translates into reduced impacts from Arctic air, meaning above-average temperatures — particularly in deep winter. El Niño winters often see increased cloud cover and more frequent light precipitation.

El Niño is a warming of the ocean surface, or above-average sea surface temperatures, in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean.

El Niño results in unusually warmer water temperatures, increasing the chance of floods and drought, which can impact crops. When ENSO is neutral, water temperatures stay around the average level, leading to more stable weather and potentially better crop yields.

Donald Keeney, agricultural meteorologist at Vaisala Weather, said a strong El Niño is possible, resulting in cooler and wetter conditions in the U.S. Midwest this summer, which would be favorable for corn and soybeans.

“It would also equate to wetter conditions in southern Brazil and Argentina, which would be favorable for corn and soybeans there next season,” Keeney said.

“Indonesia should be drier than usual as El Niño develops. Also, a cooling of water temperatures off western Indonesia, in the southeast tropical Indian Ocean, will contribute to drier conditions this spring and summer,” said Jason Nicholls, lead international forecaster at AccuWeather.

India is expected to receive below-normal monsoon rainfall in 2026, private weather forecaster Skymet said on Tuesday, citing El Niño-driven declines in precipitation in the latter half of the June–September rainy season.

Sucafina’s weather strategist Greg Oddo said that a potential impact from unfavorable weather to tropical crops such as coffee and cocoa is likely in first quarter of 2027.

— Reporting by Sarah Qureshi

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Highlights

• Another Alberta clipper could form over central Alberta mid next week and head east.
• Milder temperatures are expected to arrive in Saskatchewan and Manitoba late this week.

Overview

Spring is trying to arrive, but we just can’t seem to completely shake winter’s grip.

The unfortunate news is that this forecast period looks very similar to the last one. The main difference this week is the steadily strengthening sun and, as a result, gradually warming temperatures.

We begin this forecast period with a strong Alberta clipper storm system exiting southern Manitoba, as was forecasted in last weeks forecast! This is the same system that brought heavy snow to parts of Alberta and Saskatchewan on Tuesday, and to central and portions of southern Manitoba late Tuesday into Wednesday.

In its wake, a weak push of Arctic air will settle in for Thursday and Friday before warmer air begins advancing northward ahead of a large area of low pressure expected to develop over the northwestern United States.

• More weather coverage: El Niño could result in a warm winter

This low is forecast to track northeast toward Lake Superior over the weekend. As it does, it should pull a significant amount of warm air northward. Expect daytime highs across the southern Prairies to climb toward the 10°C mark, with some locations potentially reaching 15°C. Moisture will also be drawn northward, although at this point it appears that only scattered showers are likely over southern and central Alberta and Saskatchewan through the weekend. As the low passes south of Manitoba, slightly cooler air will begin to wrap into the system, which could allow showers to transition to snow, particularly over central Manitoba. As always, this system will need to be monitored closely.

Another shot of Arctic air is expected early next week as high pressure drops southward behind the departing low. This will bring temperatures back below average, with daytime highs only reaching the low single digits. Attention then turns to the potential for another Alberta clipper developing around the middle of next week, but as is often the case, that remains a long way off and subject to change.

Alberta

This forecast period begins with a lingering trough of low pressure over central and northern regions, associated with Tuesday’s Alberta clipper, gradually weakening and shifting eastward. This will allow for clearing skies and cooler temperatures, with daytime highs across the province generally in the 3 to 5°C range.

Temperatures will begin to moderate on Friday as warm air pushes northward ahead of a developing low over the northwestern United States. Daytime highs are expected to reach around 10°C on Friday and could climb to near 15°C on Saturday, particularly across southern regions.

As this U.S. low advances eastward over the weekend, expect increasing cloud cover and the chance of showers developing Saturday and continuing into Sunday.

Cooler air will begin to filter in behind the system as it drifts eastward. There is a possibility that precipitation could briefly change to snow late Sunday or overnight and into Monday before exiting the province.

Early next week will start on the cooler side as Arctic high pressure settles in. Expect daytime highs in the 1 to 4°C range, with overnight lows dropping to around -8°C. Milder air is expected to return to southern and central regions by Tuesday and Wednesday.

Weather models suggest another Alberta clipper may develop across central areas late Wednesday into Thursday. As usual, and especially this year, this system will require close monitoring.

Saskatchewan and Manitoba

Both regions continue to deal with the lingering effects of the Alberta clipper that moved through central Saskatchewan on Tuesday and Manitoba on Wednesday. Colder Arctic air will push in on Wednesday and Thursday as high pressure builds southward behind the system. Expect daytime highs ranging from -2 to 5°C and overnight lows near -8°C. There’s a possibility of of colder temperatures in areas that received significant snowfall, especially if skies clear out.

Temperatures will begin to rebound on Friday as milder air advances northward ahead of the developing low over the northwestern United States. This warming trend should bring daytime highs into the low teens across southern Saskatchewan by Saturday and into Manitoba by Sunday.

• More weather coverage: Canada’s shifting snowpack reveals water-loss location matters for agriculture

Over the weekend, expect increasing cloudiness along with the chance of showers by Sunday as the U.S. low tracks toward Lake Superior.

As cooler air is drawn into the system, precipitation may transition to light snow or flurries by Monday. There is some potential for more significant snowfall over central Manitoba on Monday, while southern regions may see mainly rain. This system will need to be watched closely.

Colder air will push back into the region behind this low on Tuesday and Wednesday with daytime highs only forecasted to be in the 2 to 5 C range. I hate to say it, but the weather models are showing another Alberta clipper developing on Wednesday, but that is a long way off and plenty can change between now and then.

The post Prairie forecast: Another Alberta clipper? appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

Highlights

• Current indications are that a cooler-than-average weather pattern will persist for the next seven to 10 days.
• With no major systems expected to hit Alberta over the next week, much of the province will see relatively quiet weather. Sunny to partly cloudy skies are expected to dominate most days.
• From Wednesday through Friday, Manitoba and Saskatchewan can expect partly or mostly cloudy skies and the chance of occasional flurries.

Overview

The weather models had a fairly good handle on the overall pattern over the past week, but as is usual at this time of year, the finer details were a little off. What is perhaps more notable is how consistent the broader pattern has been, which has allowed models to perform reasonably well even further out. Over the past three to four weeks, there has been very little change in the large-scale setup, and that consistency looks to continue.

While temperatures will gradually trend upward as we move into spring, the overall cooler-than-average pattern remains firmly in place. Current indications suggest this will persist for at least the next 7 to 10 days.

• More weather coverage: Farmers’ Almanac rescued from closure

We begin this forecast period with high pressure firmly entrenched across the northern Prairies. Meanwhile, the main storm track is taking shape across the northern United States. This places much of the agricultural Prairies in a sort of in-between zone — caught between the dominant influence of northern high pressure and more active weather to the south.

The good news, depending on your perspective, is that most heavier precipitation events are expected to remain south of the border through this forecast period. The downside? Any significant early spring warmth will also stay to our south.

For areas still holding onto snowpack, this means the slow, gradual melt will continue rather than a rapid spring runoff.

Alberta

With no major systems expected to hit the province over the next week, much of Alberta will see relatively quiet weather. Sunny to partly cloudy skies are expected to dominate most days.

That said, the models are tracking an area of low pressure that’s pushing in from the Pacific and cutting through Montana on Thursday into Friday. This system will likely bring increased cloud cover along with scattered showers or flurries to southern Alberta late Thursday. Central and northern regions can expect partly cloudy skies with the occasional flurry.

Temperatures will remain on the cool side through this period, with daytime highs generally in the 0 to 3°C range and overnight lows dipping to around -6°C.

Conditions should improve heading into the weekend as the Montana low shifts eastward and weak upper-level ridging builds into the province. This should allow for more sunshine and warmth with daytime highs rising into the 7 to 11°C range across most regions.

Looking ahead to early next week, the models suggest an area of low pressure developing over northern Alberta. This could bring increased cloud cover and periods of snow to northern parts of the province.

Farther south, a southerly flow ahead of the system may allow milder air to push in, potentially lifting daytime highs into the mid-teens. As has been the case with this pattern, confidence in this portion of the forecast remains low and will need to be monitored.

Saskatchewan and Manitoba

We begin the forecast period with a departing frontal system that brought anywhere from a light dusting of snow to upwards of 10 to 15 cm in some areas. In its wake, weak high pressure will attempt to build into the region, but conditions are expected to remain somewhat unsettled.

From Wednesday through Friday, expect partly to mostly cloudy skies and the chance of occasional flurries. Daytime highs will largely depend on cloud cover — generally hovering around the freezing mark under thicker clouds but climbing to around 5°C in sunnier areas.

Heading into the weekend, a more defined battle sets up between high pressure to the north and the active storm track to the south. This will result in a mix of sunny to partly cloudy conditions. Southern regions will likely see more cloud cover given their proximity to the storm track, while northern areas should benefit from increased sunshine.

• More weather coverage: Get farmers in on federal water security strategy planning, CFA says

Temperatures over the weekend are expected to reach around 5°C, which is near to slightly below seasonal averages for this time of year.

Early next week, attention turns to the potential development of a low pressure system over northern Alberta. If this system evolves as currently projected, it could draw milder air northward across the southern Prairies on Tuesday and Wednesday. This could push daytime highs closer to the 10°C mark.

Confidence remains low regarding the exact evolution of this system. Current model runs indicate the potential for another round of accumulating snowfall by midweek, likely in the Wednesday to Thursday timeframe, but details on track, intensity, and precipitation type remain uncertain.

The post Prairie forecast: Cooler than average temperatures expected to continue appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

First, was the tornado outbreak over the United States a couple of weeks ago, and in particular, a F3 tornado that went through Michigan and actually crossed an ice-covered lake where it appears to pull up ice. If you haven’t seen the video, I would highly recommend taking a look.

The second item has been the record-shattering heat over a good chunk of the western and central U.S. I don’t have room to go into all the details, but a heat dome brought record temperatures for March to many locations with some of them seeing temperatures that would have broken April all-time records. With persistent arctic high pressure to our north, these extreme temperatures have been kept south of the border, but southern Minnesota did see a record high of 31 C.

Last on our list is an article that came out indicating that there is a good chance we will see the development of El Nino conditions across the Pacific later this year and it could be a very strong El Nino. We will look at that topic in April.

OK, now on to our main topic.

In our last article we looked at the composition of the atmosphere, breaking it down into a heterosphere and homosphere. Then we looked at the atmosphere from a temperature point of view and proceeded to break it down into four regions or layers — the thermosphere, mesosphere, stratosphere, and troposphere. We finished off by saying that one of these layers is responsible for most, if not all, of our weather. So, in this issue we will get back on track and extend our understanding of weather and the atmosphere by beginning our look at the atmosphere and surface energy balances.

To begin to understand how solar energy is spent as it reaches the Earth’s surface, and thus understand our surface energy budget, we need to look at the pathways in which solar energy can travel once it reaches the Earth’s surface.

Where the rays go

Earth receives energy from the Sun in the form of shortwave radiation. When this energy is turned into heat, it takes on the form of long-wave radiation. A good portion of both of these types of radiation passes through our atmosphere in the process known as transmission. When we are looking at shortwave radiation reaching the Earth’s surface, we call it insolation, and it is this insolation that is the driving force behind all of our weather.

Insolation is comprised of shortwave radiation that is transmitted directly to the ground, along with diffused or scattered radiation (indirect radiation). As shortwave radiation travels through our atmosphere some of it interacts with gas, dust, pollutants, water droplets and water vapour, changing the direction of the shortwave radiation — or scattering it. This scattering is what causes the sky to be blue during the day and why sunsets and sunrises take on a reddish hue.

The principle behind why we see these colours is known as Rayleigh scattering; named after the English physicist Lord Rayleigh, who came up this principle back in 1881. The principle relates wavelength to the size of the particles that are causing the scattering.

The general rule is: the shorter the wavelength, the greater the scattering; the longer the wavelength, the less the scattering.

Small gas molecules will scatter shorter wavelengths (remember with visible light, blues and violets have the shortest wavelengths, while oranges and reds have the longest wavelengths). So, since short waves are scattered the most and the molecules in our atmosphere scatter short waves, we end up having the lower atmosphere dominated by scattered blue waves.

At sunrise and sunset, the angle of the Sun is such that the insolation has to travel through much more atmosphere than during the day. The short blue wave lengths are still scattered, but now they encounter so much scattering only the longer orange and red wave lengths are left to reach our eyes — so we tend to see these colours.

Action and refraction

Another thing that happens to shortwave radiation as it enters the atmosphere is that it refracts. Refraction is the bending of light as it passes from one medium to the next. In this case, it is passing from the virtual vacuum of space to our dense atmosphere.

We have all seen examples of refraction. Rainbows are created when light passes through dense water drops causing the different wavelengths of light to refract at different rates. Mirages are another example of refraction. Most of us have experienced mirages on warm days along a highway when you stare down the highway and see what appears to be something floating above the road. In this case, it is the hot air above the highway that causes the light to be refracted.

One interesting note about refraction is that without it, the amount of daylight we receive would be about eight minutes less each day. When the sun sets or rises, the light refracts as it passes from space into our atmosphere. This refraction allows us to “see” the Sun when it is actually below the horizon. In the morning we see the sun rise four minutes before it actually moves above the horizon and at sunset we continue to see the Sun for four minutes after it has actually dropped below the horizon.

Next we will take a break from learning about the weather and take a look back at our extended winter to see how the numbers stacked up.

The post Why is the sky blue? appeared first on Alberta Farmer Express.

The Almanac, a two-century-old annual source of long-range weather forecasts for farmers in the U.S. and Canada, said in a statement dated Jan. 28 it has been acquired by Tim Konrad, a New York City-based online publisher who operates Unofficial Networks, a news and feature site for skiing and outdoor enthusiasts.

WHY IT MATTERS: Regardless of how their weather forecasts check out, the almanacs have been a source of entertainment for farmers in both the U.S. and Canada for generations.

Financial terms of the deal weren’t disclosed in announcements from the Almanac or Unofficial Networks, nor did the new owner say whether any of the Almanac’s Canada-facing print and online content will also continue. Email messages to the new publisher haven’t yet been returned.

“I saw the announcement that one of America’s most enduring publications was set to close, and it felt wrong to stand by while an irreplaceable piece of our national heritage disappeared,” Konrad said in the announcement.

Konrad, also a co-founder of maritime and shipping news site GCaptain.com, said the Almanac will for now remain “fully accessible online” and “plans are underway to revive and expand the cherished annual print edition in future volumes.”

First published by Jacob Mann of Morristown, N.J. in 1818, the Almanac was eventually taken up by the Geiger family, whose publishing firm had printed the book starting in 1933 and acquired full ownership of the almanac business in 1949.

Peter Geiger, the Almanac’s previous publisher, said he’s “confident (Konrad) will honour its heritage and carry it forward for generations to come.”

‘Secret weather formula’

The Almanac last November said its plans to close “reflect(ed) the growing financial challenges of producing and distributing … in today’s chaotic media environment.”

The print version of the Farmers’ Almanac is an annual journal featuring regional weather forecasts based on a “secret weather formula,” plus astronomy information, folklore and assorted advice for farmers and home gardeners.

It is not to be confused with the Old Farmer’s Almanac, a separate annual journal now operated by Yankee Publishing of New Hampshire. That book dates back to 1792, when it was launched by farmer Robert B. Thomas, making long-range forecasts based on what the publisher describes as “a complex series of natural cycles and observations.”

In the Manitoba Co-operator, weather expert Daniel Bezte’s column in recent years has included regular Prairie weather outlooks which tracked and compared the accuracy of the previous outlook against those of both almanacs and of established Canadian and U.S. weather forecasting models.

Bezte’s monthly outlooks and other weather columns can be found here.

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