CNS Canada – Despite above normal precipitation over the last couple of months, when comes to the drought, the Prairies are not out of the woods as winter approaches.
For next growing season, especially like this year, they are going to require frequent, reliable rain during the growing season,” he explained.
Patrick Cherneski of the National Agri-Climate Information Service said Canada has a probability of experiencing an El Nino in the 70 per cent range.
He said an El Nino would mean a warmer winter for Western Canada with less precipitation and that would contribute to overall drier conditions.
“Quite often the arrival of the conditions, the climate phenomenon, does arrive but over the past several years they arrive slower than expected and not at the magnitude expected.
In this case for Western Canada that would be a positive,” Cherneski said.
In light of this fall’s precipitation, Burnett said southern Manitoba remains below normal in terms of moisture and there is a chance for southern Saskatchewan and southern Alberta to receive late season precipitation.
“But at this time of year you tend not to get as much precipitation just because of the atmospheric dynamics are far more subdued,” he said.
As for the central Prairies, Burnett said they are a bit dry and that the northern Prairies almost have too much moisture.
In turn, harvesting in northern Alberta and northern Saskatchewan could be delayed to until spring.