World Atlas report names Lethbridge one of Canada’s driest cities

A recent report by World Atlas shows that when it comes to precipitation, Lethbridge is one of the driest cities in Canada.

But while southern Alberta has experienced drought-like conditions over the past few years, experts say the report doesn’t show the full picture.

“When you look at what those normals are compared to other places in the country, both Lethbridge and Medicine Hat and this area are really dry,” said Alysa Pederson, Environment and Climate Change Canada meteorologist.

The WorldAtlas.com report gathered data from Environment and Climate Change Canada between 1991 and 2020.

While Lethbridge is listed as dry, meteorologists say when comparing Lethbridge to similar climates, there’s not much of a change over the years.

“Medicine Hat has been anywhere from 200 millimetres to 440 millimetres (from) back in 2016, and it really is one year to the next,” said Pederson.

“Two hundred millimetres to 300 millimetres to 190 millimetres, so there’s really no trend to indicate that it’s getting drier.”

And precipitation is only one factor when it comes to moisture.

“We also have to think about how much water we are getting from snowmelt, which is coming from the mountains, typically, so the report makes it look like we are a very dry place,” said Caroline Aubry-Wake, University of Lethbridge associate professor of geography and environment.

“It is true, but it’s not the full picture.”

And while this winter has been above-seasonal at times, the snowpack in the Rocky Mountains is sitting at about average, which is good news.

“About 50 to 80 per cent of our water in our rivers actually comes from snowmelt,” said Aubry-Wake.

“The snowpack accumulates over the winter, and then it gets released between May and July, really providing us with this pulse of water that we require for water use in the summer, so it’s really essential for us to have a good amount of snow in the mountains by the time spring and summer roll in.”

And that seems to be the case this year, with average amounts of snow to the west.

“We’re getting a pretty good indication of warmer-than-normal temperatures, and with those warmer to normal temperatures, we are seeing some signals that it will be drier than normal as well, so this year is shaping up to have a little bit of dryness through the spring,” said Pederson.

The report also listed Medicine Hat, Calgary and Red Deer among the driest cities in Canada.

CTV News reached out to the author of the report but has not heard back.