The majority of Saskatchewan is in a good position when it comes to moisture.
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's Drought Monitor for the month of May shows only the southern most parts of the province having abnormally dry to moderate drought conditions.
When looking at the rest of the Prairie region, it was the same situation for Manitoba, but Alberta had large areas of abnormally dry to moderate drought conditions, covering the south, an area in between Calgary and Edmonton, and in northwestern Peace River region. The southern most part of Alberta also had severe drought conditions.
Ag Canada's Agro-Environmental Specialist Trevor Hadwen says the Prairie region had below to well below normal precipitation for most of May, until the last day of the month, when "a large system established in Alberta producing over 40 to 80mm of precipitation within 24 hours." He also said the system provided rain in parts of western Saskatchewan.
Temperatures were up and down with the beginning of May being hotter, resulting in a fast melt of snowpack, creating localized flooding in Saskatchewan, specifically in the northeast and east-central regions.
Temperatures then cooled down in the middle part of the month, then it was hot again at the end of the month.
Despite the temperature swings, Hadwen noted Saskatchewan and Manitoba didn't see much change in drought conditions.
"Drought conditions remained relatively unchanged. Cooler-than-normal temperatures along with slow vegetation growth resulted in less water demand. Previous months’ precipitation was adequate to sustain good moisture conditions through most of the region." he said.
Hadwen adds "as of May 31, 18 per cent of the prairie region was classified in abnormally dry or drought. Abnormally dry and drought conditions expanded slightly across the Prairie region's agricultural extent, going from 17 per cent at the end of April to 19 per cent at the end of May."
By province, Hadwen says 33 per cent of Alberta's agricultural land is in drought or abnormally dry condition, while Saskatchewan has seven per cent and Manitoba 13 per cent.
The situation is likely to change by the time the next Drought Monitor is out.
A map of average precipitation over the last 30 days and up to Wednesday shows much of the Prairie Provinces getting above to well above normal rainfall.
The same area between Calgary and Edmonton, as well as much of the south, got 150 to over 200 per cent of normal precipitation, while the Peace region was below normal – between 85 and less than 40 per cent of normal.
Saskatchewan was mostly above normal with the west and east-central regions getting above normal rain, while areas around Saskatoon and south, and north of Prince Albert got below normal rainfall.
Manitoba was above normal with small pockets of areas north and southeast of Winnipeg, as well as one area in the southwest, receiving less rain.
