Snowfall so far this winter is likely helping some Prairie farmers rest a little easier.
As can be seen on the map below, winter precipitation for the Nov. 1 – Jan. 1 period has been near to above normal for much of Alberta and Saskatchewan, with some areas being hit especially hard – including the northern portions of both provinces. Areas east of Calgary have also fared well.
Although spring moisture conditions obviously remain uncertain, the heavy precipitation to begin the winter at least provides some hope of improvement for the 2026 cropping season. According to a CBC report on Friday, December precipitation for the city of Edmonton was more than 400% above the 30-year average. On the other hand, much of Manitoba and the far eastern parts of Saskatchewan have seen below normal precipitation so far this winter.
Despite record production for some crops last year, portions of Western Canada were still stubbornly short on soil moisture heading into winter, most notably the central and southwestern Prairie. That dryness was already raising concerns about soil moisture for spring planting.