The Prairies have had it good when it comes to moisture.
According to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's (AAFC) map showing percentage of average precipitation over the last 30 days, up to this past Monday, July 27, most of Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba had normal to slightly above normal rainfall.
Areas that had well above normal rain include the Edmonton area, parts of north-central and east-central Saskatchewan, and western Manitoba. Parts of Saskatchewan and Manitoba had so much rain it caused flooding conditions.
Those that received below normal rainfall include the Calgary area and northwestern part of Alberta, an area southwest of Saskatoon as well as an area east of Regina, and a small strip southeast of Winnipeg in Manitoba.
There are several pockets of areas that received various amounts of rain during this time frame in all three provinces.
The drier areas can be attributed the current heatwave that's been around for the last few weeks. Conditions are likely to change during the heatwave and once it passes.
It's a little bit of a contrast from June, when it consistently rained for most of the month.
During the latest report of the Canadian Drought Monitor, Agri-Climate Specialist with Ag Canada Trevor Hadwen notes several large rainfall events brought a ton of moisture to the region.
He said, "large portions of the southern Prairies received over 150 per cent of normal June precipitation. A region through the central Prairies, stretching from Edmonton through Yorkton and into west-central Manitoba, received 200 to 300 per cent of monthly normal precipitation."
The June rain resulted in no drought areas in the agricultural region of the Prairies for the first time since 2020, Hadwen said, though noted there were areas in northern Saskatchewan around La Ronge and in northwestern Alberta where there was below average precipitation, expanding abnormally dry to moderate drought conditions.
As of June 30, 12.6 per cent of Canada's agricultural land was classified as in drought or abnormally dry conditions, compared to 66 per cent one year ago.
