Spring moisture sustains crop through dry July

Aug 12, 2026 | 2:17 PM

The area of Canada covered by drought increased from 18.8 per cent at the end of June to 38.9 per cent at the end of July.

According to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Canadian Drought Monitor, the increase was largely attributed to developing drought conditions across northwestern Ontario, northwestern Quebec and the northern Prairies.

Trevor Hadwin, an agri-climate specialist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, said agricultural regions affected by drought remain limited, with most affected regions in northern and boreal areas.

“Much of the Prairie region received below-normal to well-below-normal precipitation and above-normal temperatures throughout July,” Hadwin said. “Southern Alberta and southern Saskatchewan saw the largest rainfall deficits and the highest temperature anomalies, with much of the region seeing less than 40 per cent of normal precipitation and monthly temperatures three to five degrees above average.”

Despite dry and hot conditions in July, seasonal totals for most of the region remain near to above normal. Spring moisture sustained most agricultural crops and water levels.

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Drier conditions have begun to result in agriculture-related impacts, especially through the region between Calgary and Red Deer, which resulted in an emergence of an abnormally dry classification.

Hadwin said northern regions of Saskatchewan and Manitoba received well below normal precipitation in July.

“As of July, 38 per cent of the prairie region was classified as abnormally dry or in drought, including 15.7 per cent of the region in drought, a significant increase from June, where we only saw 1.5 per cent in drought,” he said.

Short-term and seasonal precipitation deficits have led to the development of a large, severe drought and a smaller extreme drought north of La Ronge. This means a high wildfire risk throughout the region. The one area that continued to receive high precipitation and no concerns for drought is in northern Alberta and portions of west-central Saskatchewan. This region received above normal precipitation with many areas seeing saturated soils and flooding.

While the agricultural portion in the Prairies continues to be largely drought-free, with just two per cent of the region’s agricultural landscape in drought, soil moisture reserves declined quickly through July because of abnormally high temperatures and low precipitation.

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alice.mcfarlane@pattisonmedia.com

by Alice McFarlane

Spring moisture sustains crop through dry July

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