Dry January doesn’t necessarily signal significant drought this summer

Lethbridge had a dry January, but despite low moisture amounts in the forecast, the region might not experience significant drought this summer.

Above-seasonal temperatures have given Lethbridge a January that is one of its driest on record.

But despite low moisture amounts in the forecast, the region may not experience any significant drought this summer.

After a cold, snowy December, most of southern Alberta experienced a warm and dry January.

Several days saw heat records broken with temperatures approaching 20 degrees.

The average daytime high for January is zero.

“As you moved into January, we did see a noticeably drier month. Only 2.9 millimetres this January. … You usually see about 11,” said Christy Climenhaga, Environment and Climate Change Canada meteorologist.

“So, it actually makes it the fifth-driest January you’ve had on record.”

Those mild conditions appear to be sticking around.

The next 10 days are expected to have daytime highs well above zero.

Cooler temperatures might return toward the end of the month.

“Our forecast is looking fairly warm for the region as we head through the next week. Some models are indicating maybe a bit of a cooldown by the end of the month,” Climenhaga said.

Despite the lack of moisture, the City of Lethbridge so far isn’t concerned about drought in the spring and summer.

The mountains have been seeing snow and are sitting with an above-average snowpack.

The reservoirs are at average to above-average levels.

“The snow situation in the mountains and in the reservoir and the water volumes in the reservoirs are looking really well,” said Mark Svenson, City of Lethbridge environment manager.

“The Oldman Reservoir is sitting about 64 per cent full right now, which is up into the normal range.”

Reservoirs might not be a concern, but there is some worry about groundwater.

A lack of snow across the Prairies has left the ground in many areas very dry.

“If there’s water in the river, that’s one thing, but if the land is dry, that still impacts farmers and ranchers and could cause fires,” said Shannon Frank, Oldman Watershed Council executive director.