Synopsis
Over the past week wet weather has continued to dominate over much of the province, with many areas experiencing a mix of rain and snow. During this time, south of the Peace River Region, most agricultural lands have received at least 10-15 mm of moisture, with upwards of 20-40 mm recorded throughout much of the west-half of the Southern Region, in and around the Medicine Hat area and all along the foothills and nearby plains, extending up as far north as Edson (see map 1). In contrast the Peace Region was dryer, with most areas reporting less than 5 mm.
After a relatively dry winter, March 28th marked the beginning of a much wetter trend, particularly for areas lying north of Wetaskiwin, ranging up as far as the southern-half of the Peace River Region. Here 28‑day precipitation totals range from 50 mm to over 100 mm (see map 2). It is estimated that for some areas, accumulations this great occur on average less than once in 50-years (see map 3). Much of this moisture fell as snow, with cooler than normal conditions prevailing, along with poor drying conditions.
Across many parts of the province, an unusually wet fall accompanied by this springs above normal precipitation, has resulted in soil moisture conditions that are well above normal for this time of year, with the exception on the northern tip of the Peace Region and a small area centered on the M.D of Taber, were conditions remain relatively dry (see map 4). Of significant note is that soil moisture reserves across a large area north of Wetaskiwin, stretching well up into the central Peace Region are estimated to be at least this wet, less than once in 50-years Here, warm dry weather is needed in the coming weeks to allow seeding to progress in a timely fashion.