Reading Time: 4 minutes Trevor Hadwen says recent snowfall in many parts of the Prairies is welcome, but is a “drop in the bucket” when it comes to rebuilding soil moisture reserves. The agroclimate specialist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s National Agroclimate Information Service in Regina says a lot of the winter precipitation to date has been lost to […] Read more
How to get the most out of canola crops when moisture is scarce
Is it possible to obtain more yield with less available moisture? You have a number of variables within your control
Prairie forecast: Spring has sprung but winter might not be done
Forecast issued April 10, 2024, covering April 10 to 17
Spring has definitely sprung across the prairies with only a few locations still having snow cover. Spring is a notorious time for forecasting as warm air builds to the south while cold air still sits to the north. That means this forecast period looks both easy and hard.
Prairie forecast: Cooler and unsettled west, mild and dry east
Forecast issued April 3, covering April 3 to 10
In a nutshell, it looks like Saskatchewan and Manitoba will see dry weather and nice, warm, spring temperatures. Alberta is going to have to deal with colder air being drawn southwards into the developing storm system over the south-central U.S. Along with the colder air, southern Alberta may deal with some more snow as moisture is pulled northward and then westward on the eastern side of the low.
Prairie forecast: Spring trying to regain control
Forecast issued March 27, covering March 27 to April 3, 2024
The main weather maker will be a trough of low pressure forecasted to develop over the northwestern U.S. today, which will then track eastwards over the next several days.
Prairies expected to be cooler, wetter this year
A La Niña weather pattern is on its way and may even bring timely spring rains
There’s a good chance western Canadian farmers and ranchers will see rain in April and May to get crops started and grass growing, says a U.S. based weather scientist.
Prairie forecast: Is winter making one last push?
Issued March 20, covering March 20-27, 2024
A sprawling Arctic high pressure system is poised to dominate the region, ushering in colder-than-normal temperatures reminiscent of January's grip, but not as cold. While cold snaps this time of year often bring snow, the prevailing high pressure suggests storm activity will largely skirt the area, save for southern and southwestern Alberta where significant snowfall is anticipated.
How volcanoes can both cool, and warm our climate
Sometimes an eruption can cool the Earth, sometimes it warms it
Reading Time: 3 minutes Volcanoes usually have a cooling effect on our planet. The ash and SO2 (sulfur dioxide) propelled into the atmosphere from an eruption tend to block incoming solar radiation, resulting in an overall cooling effect. Location is also important. High latitude eruptions tend to have less impact as the ash of SO2 cannot reach as high […] Read more
Prairie forecast: Very warm west, mild but a little unsettled east
Issued March 13, covering March 13 to 20
The cold weather has also been replaced by above average temperatures. The question I have been hearing the most is--has spring arrived or is there still a bit of winter left to be felt?
Precipitation does little for Prairie drought relief
Most areas dryer than a year ago, drought monitor shows
While much of the Prairies received above-normal amounts of precipitation during the month of February, the additional moisture did little to alleviate dry conditions according to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s (AAFC) Canadian Drought Monitor (CDM).
Railways weather few winter woes
Grain shipments on track despite January cold blast
Reading Time: 4 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – At the midway point of the 2023–24 shipping year, grain shipments are moving at a good clip. “In the last 12 to 18 months, we’ve seen some really good performance from both of the railroads,” said Mark Hemmes, president of Quorum Corporation, Canada’s grain monitor. “The exception was the last four or […] Read more
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