While southern Saskatchewan and Alberta have received less precipitation than usual this winter, it’s too soon to store the snow blade.
“On the Prairies, there is always a high degree of variability,” said Ted O’Brien, climate specialist with Agriculture Canada.
He said precipitation maps show dry areas south of the Trans-Canada Highway and west of Moose Jaw in Saskatchewan and snow pack accumulations below average in southwestern Alberta near Pincher Creek.
Medicine Hat, Coronach, Maple Creek and Outlook are among the drier areas, with 62 to 74 percent of average precipitation levels. Some pockets are even drier than that, he said. Below to much below average runoff is expected in the Old Man River basin but closer to average runoff is predicted elsewhere in Alberta.
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O’Brien said there is no widespread drought and the months of February through April are still to come.
Long-range precipitation forecasts for southeastern Saskatchewan and southwestern Manitoba are near normal values, said Bob Cormier of Environment Canada.
While the remainder of the prairie grain belt is expected to have below normal precipitation for March, April and May, Cormier noted forecasting is an imprecise science.
