This graphic shows the average global temperature from July 1-23 from 1940-2023. July 2023 is on pace to be the hottest July on record globally.

Heat waves: sunshine and sinking air

Temperatures above 30 C have cropped up a lot this year, but what makes up an official heat wave?

Reading Time: 3 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – Let’s continue our look at severe summer weather by examining heat waves. While we have seen recent hot weather, it pales in comparison to some of the extreme heat reported in other parts of our planet this July. Heat waves have enveloped large portions of the Northern Hemisphere, bringing record-breaking heat to […] Read more

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Drought Monitor map at July 31, 2023. (AAFC)

Prairie Forecast: Cooler and unsettled

Issued Aug. 9, covering Aug. 9 to 16

First off, I must apologize for not producing an update to the last forecast; I had the opportunity to do some backwoods camping, which meant I was off the grid for about five days. I’m back now, and from the weather model runs I’ve been able to check out, this forecast period is going to […] Read more


Field peas. (Lisa Guenther photo)

Pulse weekly outlook: Average yields expected for Manitoba crops

Beans, soy may still benefit if rain comes

MarketsFarm — Pulse crops in Manitoba fared well against the elements which included sporadic rainfall and normal to below-normal temperatures for much of the past month. Provincial pulse specialist Dennis Lange in Altona said field peas should begin harvesting operations next week. “As far as pea acres go, we’re looking at about 145,000 acres. That’s […] Read more

(Photo: Reuters/Diego Vara)

Saskatchewan Crop Report: Dryness continues as harvest begins 

Since April 1, the entirety of the province received 200 mm or less of rain

MarketsFarm – With the exception of a handful of areas, most of Saskatchewan remained dry for the week ended July 31 as harvest operations began in the province’s southwest and west-central regions. Areas north of Prince Albert and northwest of Kindersley, as well as inside and around Hudson Bay each saw more than 30 millimetres […] Read more


Hot weather is posing a threat to corn crops in the U.S.  Photo: Thinkstock

Prairie forecast: Warm-hot start then slow cooldown

Issued August 2, covering August 2 to 9

The weather models have been doing a good job with the overall weather picture over the last several weeks, despite a fairly unsettled, tough-to-figure-out weather pattern. In this next forecast period, it will again be tough to figure out some of the finer details as our region experiences weak highs, lows, and even the possibility […] Read more

 Photo: Thinkstock

UPDATE prairie forecast: unsettled start as sub-arctic high builds in

Issued July 26, covers July 26 to August 2

Update: A low tracking through central prairies is a little weaker than expected. This will result in less precipitation with showers, thundershowers, and storms being less widespread. Another issue is the smoke which can be difficult to predict. In areas with smoke, we see cooler than expected daytime highs. An upper ridge that brought plenty […] Read more


Thunderstorms are a fact of life in Alberta, but severity is due to a combination of factors.

The ingredients for a severe summer storm

Air temperature and movement determine whether it will be a storm to remember

Reading Time: 3 minutes What turns a regular thunderstorm into a severe thunderstorm, or occasionally, into a thunderstorm that you truly remember? First, there is a hot humid air mass in place, the air a few thousand feet up is very cold, providing for good lift, and there is a strong jet stream overhead to provide venting at the […] Read more

 Photo: Thinkstock

Updated prairie forecast: unsettled start as sub-arctic high builds in

Issued July 26, covers July 26 to August 2

Update: A low tracking through central prairies is a little weaker than expected. This will result in less precipitation with showers, thundershowers, and storms being less widespread. Another issue is the smoke which can be difficult to predict. Areas with smoke we see cooler than expected daytime highs. An upper ridge that brought plenty of […] Read more



Crop conditions in parts of western Saskatchewan have already dropped into crop insurance range, Burce Burnett says. (WeatherFarm video screengrab)

At Ag in Motion: Significant Prairie yield drop expected

'A lot of damage done' by drought, Bruce Burnett says

MarketsFarm has released its first yield estimates for Western Canada’s crops and the outlook is grim. Analyst Bruce Burnett just recently completed a crop tour covering most of Saskatchewan. “Unfortunately, I don’t have a lot of good news on the crop front,” he told growers attending the Ag in Motion show in Langham, Sask. “There […] Read more


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