Dry winter might cause headaches for southern Alberta farmers this spring

Seeding time is fast approaching for southern Alberta's farmers, but will the dry and mild winter the region has seen have an impact on crop yield?

In January, the Lethbridge region saw just 2.9 millimetres of precipitation.

Coupled with higher-than-average temperatures, it’s dried out much of the ground and vegetation in the region.

“It makes it the fifth-driest January you’ve had on record,” said Christy Climenhaga, Environment and Climate Change Canada meteorologist.

That’s raised some concern over soil conditions.

Farmers will start seeding in about two months.

But one expert says soil conditions are still up in the air.

“It’s still a little ways out, thankfully, but I think ‘variable’ is the biggest word. So, even in southern Alberta, there are spots where there’s been a little bit more moisture,” said Willemijn Appels, Lethbridge Polytechnic senior research chair.

One positive for producers is the above-average snowpack in the mountains and solid water levels in reservoirs.

But they could still use plenty of help from Mother Nature.

Consistent precipitation between now and seeding would be a huge boost.

“Some great stretches of grey days, with low-hanging clouds and lots of drizzle and rain to let that sink into the soil and not just wet up the top layer but penetrate deeper into the root zone,” said Appels.

That moisture may not be coming any time soon.

Forecasts show conditions in the Lethbridge region will likely stay dry for much of February.

“In terms of our precipitation outlook for February, it does have a bit of a dry factor in or around the foothills and further south and more of that wetter-than-normal weather into northern Alberta, but otherwise not much of a signal,” said Climenhaga.

“So, it might be a bit of a waiting game, but as of now, warm weather is looking to last for the next little while.”