Just in time for spring planting, abnormal dryness and drought improved substantially in Ontario and Quebec in April.
According to the latest monthly update of the Canadian drought monitor, just 5% of the agricultural lands in the Central Region – which includes both provinces – was being impacted by abnormal dryness or some form of drought as of the end of April. That is way down from 34% at the end of March and over half in February.
As the map below shows, abnormal dryness in southern Ontario is now limited to the Niagara peninsula, with southern Quebec impacted by just small pockets east of Montreal.
Above-normal precipitation and snowmelt led to the removal of areas of abnormal dryness and moderate drought in southern Ontario in April, the monitor said. Drought in the St. Lawrence and Gaspé regions Québec improved due to significant moisture over the past three months, it added.