Reading Time: 2 minutes In the first half of May, temperatures have been the warmest since 1961 in most parts of the province and most areas received less than 10 mm of moisture. This has provided the ideal weather for quick ground thaw and allowed for seeding operations to be in full swing across the province. Provincially, as of […] Read more
Thirty-eight per cent of crops seeded, soil moisture varies
Alberta crop conditions as of May 15, 2018
If you like cold, the first half of April delivered in spades
Most forecasts predicted it would be chilly, but they’re split on what May and June have in store for us
Reading Time: 3 minutes After dealing with a cold and snowy March, most of us across the Prairies were hoping for a little better weather in April. Just how good or bad you saw April’s weather depends on what you wanted. For example, the cross-country skiers were more than happy in my region as the cold start to the month […] Read more
A treasure trove of weather info awaits
Reading Time: < 1 minute Producers can get near-real-time weather info and nearly six decades of archived data at the Alberta Climate Information Service (ACIS). “With more than 350 weather stations to choose from, you should be able to find one close enough to you to be approximate to the conditions you are experiencing,” said provincial crop specialist Harry Brook. […] Read more
Seeding schedule behind on five-year average, pastures green up
Alberta crop conditions as of May 8, 2018
Reading Time: 2 minutes Warm, dry weather throughout the province during the reporting period dried soils sufficiently to allow producers to start spring operations in all regions. Seeding progress is approaching 10 per cent completed as compared to the 5 year average of near 30 per cent, approximately 7-10 days behind normal. Standing water is disappearing but remains a […] Read more
Seeding delayed across the province, overland flooding continues
Alberta crop conditions as of May 1, 2018
Reading Time: < 1 minute A late spring has delayed seeding in all regions. Daily average temperatures in the first half of April were 8-10 degrees below long term normals postponing snow melt. Warm temperatures during the second half of the month has melted all the snow though soil dry down and warming have been negatively impacted by the late […] Read more
Website offers climate change forecasts
Reading Time: < 1 minute Developers of a newly launched website say it allows users to see what global warming could mean for their communities or regions in the decades ahead. The Climate Atlas of Canada was developed by the University of Winnipeg’s Prairie Climate Centre. It has data on 2,000 towns, cities, and regions. The centre said the warming […] Read more
The numbers are in and, baby, it was cold this winter
A cold snap that started in February and continued through March made for a long and chilly winter
Reading Time: 3 minutes Yet another month has come and gone, and for most of us across the Prairies, March 2018 was not one we really care to remember. After a warm start to 2018 that saw January temperatures averaging from 1 C to 3 C above the long-term average across all three Prairie provinces, cold weather moved in […] Read more
Normal monsoon season expected for India
Reading Time: < 1 minute The India Meteorological Department is suggesting this year’s monsoon season will be average, the Times of India reports. The newspaper points to a recent weather bulletin from the agency saying El Niño won’t be a factor during the summer rainy season. The weather pattern — an abnormal warming of the ocean surface in central and […] Read more
Bezte: What the weather forecasters predict for this spring
As usual, you wouldn’t want to bet the farm on these predictions but it’s always fun to see who comes closest
Reading Time: 3 minutes By an overwhelming amount, the No. 1 question I’ve had over the last couple of weeks is what will the spring be like? While I usually wait until the end of the month to do the look-ahead forecast, I will use this article to go through each of the medium- and long-range forecasts to see what they […] Read more
It could have been a wreck, but no-till saved the day
Rain-soaked fields caused endless worry in spring but if you got a crop in, those moisture reserves were a godsend
Reading Time: 5 minutes The growing conditions Alberta producers experienced this past summer were a little like a man with one foot in hot water and the other in cold — neither is very comfortable, but overall it’s OK. “That’s kind of what we saw this year across the province,” said provincial crop specialist Harry Brook. “In the far […] Read more