Canadian drought maps show little change at end of August

AAFC – Much of Western Canada remained in some state of drought at the end of August 2021 despite widespread rains late in the mo nth, according to updated maps compiled by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

The area dealing with ‘exceptional drought’ in south-central Manitoba agricultural regions contracted slightly compared to the previous month, although the areas that improved remained classified as in either ‘extreme’ or ‘severe’ drought.

The situation was similar in Saskatchewan, with only small adjustments on the month. Of note, an area around Saskatoon dealing with ‘exceptional drought’ expanded slightly from July. A pocket around Regina was showing some of the best conditions in the province, at the ‘moderate drought’ level.

In Alberta, the Peace River region showed the largest improvement on the month, moving down from ‘extreme’ to ‘severe’.

Looking ahead to the end of September, the outlook from the government agency calls for an improvement to drought conditions across much of southern Manitoba and Saskatchewan. However, the drought is forecast to stay the same or worsen in central and northern areas of Alberta.