By Jaryn Vecchio

Despite avoiding major drought conditions, many areas in Sask. still seeing below-average levels of rain

Aug 4, 2023 | 2:04 PM

Some farmers in different areas of Saskatchewan are counting their lucky stars that they’ve avoided any major drought conditions.

This includes Prince Albert and some parts of the northeast.

While some crops have been lost due to the lack of precipitation, most fields have kept the majority of their yield. This is the case for farmers Bob Reid who works in the Smeaton area and Kerry Peterson who operates in the Shellbrook area.

However, Justin Shelley, a meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada, told farmnewsNOW the amount of precipitation these areas have received is still quite low.

“If you go back all the way to the fall, September 2022 to July 2023, some areas in the north like Prince Albert have seen about 77 per cent of its normal precipitation for that period, Nipawin about 70 per cent, and Melfort has only seen around 58 per cent,” he said.

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Despite being below normal levels, these numbers are higher than those in the southern and western areas of the province.

Moose Jaw has been hit the hardest as the area has only received 37 per cent of its normal precipitation from September to July. After that, Kindersley is at 46 per cent, Outlook at 48 per cent, and Yorkton at 49 per cent.

Shelley explained that rainfall is not cooperative at all, which is why some of the drier areas are relatively close to others that have received much better precipitation levels.

“Outside of any major low-pressure systems that produce a widespread area of rainfall we tend to see a lot of our rainfall from like thunderstorms and those can be pretty localized in nature.”

Meanwhile, farmers in the central part of Saskatchewan hoping for one last rainfall before harvesting their crops may be out of luck.

According to Shelley, there are no major rain systems expected to happen within the next week. He did note that there’s a chance of a thunderstorm popping up here and there, but that it’s not 100 per cent guaranteed.

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Jaryn.Vecchio@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @princealbertnow