Ottawa | Reuters — Canada is on track for its worst-ever year of wildfire destruction as warm and dry conditions are forecast to persist through to the end of the summer after an unprecedented start to the fire season, officials said on Monday. Blazes are burning in nearly all Canadian provinces and territories, and federal […] Read more
Canada on track for worst-ever wildfire season
Unusual to see fires nationwide at one time
Rain needed for soybeans, other southern Manitoba crops
Seeded soybeans projected to be up more than 40 million acres from 2022
MarketsFarm – When Toban Dyck started to plant his 600-plus acres of soybeans this year, the soil in the Winkler, Man. area had pretty decent moisture content. But following the combination of hot temperatures and strong winds with little rainfall in May, precipitation is now much needed. “There’s still a little bit of moisture there. […] Read more
Prairie Forecast Update: Forecast pretty much on track
Update issued June 4, covering June 4-7, 2023
The heat and humidity moved into a large portion of the Canadian Prairies late last week and over the weekend as the previous general forecast played out pretty close to what the weather models predicted. There is not much change in the forecast for the next three days. The heat and humidity will continue across […] Read more
Insects posing problems in Saskatchewan crops
Grasshopper, flea beetle damage already reported
MarketsFarm – Although it’s still early in the growing season, some insect pests have already posed a threat to crops in Saskatchewan or could do so in the near future, according to James Tansey, provincial specialist for insects/invertebrate pest management. Among the pests he cited were grasshoppers, flea beetles and pea leaf weevils. Tansey said […] Read more
NEW FEATURE: Prairie Forecast: Summer has definitely moved in
Forecast issued May 31, 2023, covering May 31 to June 7, 2023
As we move into the official start of meteorological summer, it is looking like we have left spring behind and summer is here to stay. While this is great for those of us who like heat, humidity and thunderstorms, it can make it difficult to create an accurate forecast. The large areas of low pressure […] Read more
A hot, dry Prairie June ahead
El Nino pattern could arrive
MarketsFarm — June is expected to see a continuation of the hot and dry weather most of the Canadian Prairies has experienced in May, according to Scott Kehler, chief scientist for Weatherlogics. “It looks like late spring/early summer is pretty hot across almost all of Western Canada. The Prairies are all above normal [temperature-wise],” Kehler […] Read more
Pulse weekly outlook: Manitoba crops get good start but need rain
Some bean growers seek moisture at lower planting depths
MarketsFarm — Pulse growers in Manitoba are waiting for one thing: rain. So far in May, growing areas of the province have not seen any significant precipitation, according to Dennis Lange, industry development specialist for pulse crops with Manitoba Agriculture. Dry beans, he said, are the last pulse crop farmers have been planting in Manitoba […] Read more
Prairie Forecast Update: A few small tweaks
Forecast issued May 28, covering the period from May 29 to 31
The weather regime across southern and central Canada is currently being dominated by a large sprawling surface high over eastern regions with a slowly digging trough of low pressure over the West Coast. The flows around these two features have been producing warm summer-like conditions across the eastern Prairies with slightly cooler conditions as you […] Read more
Ford to keep AM radio, CEO says
Amid rising concerns, Canada's premier automaker will not drop AM
Ford Motor Co. has gone back on its plan to phase AM radio out of its vehicles. Ford CEO Jim Farley made the announcement Tuesday via Twitter, after company officials said last month that AM would be dropped from new non-commercial vehicles. “After speaking with policy leaders about the importance of AM broadcast radio as […] Read more
U.S. grains: Corn hits one-month high on weather worries
Soybean, wheat futures also advance
Chicago | Reuters — Chicago Board of Trade corn futures reached a one-month high on Friday as forecasts for dry weather in the U.S. Midwest kept attention on early risks to this year’s crop. Soybean and wheat futures also rose, with the agricultural markets posting weekly gains following recent declines to multi-month lows. Traders added […] Read more