'A big help': Relief anticipated with rainfall to break dry spell in southeastern Alberta
Parts of southern Alberta are expecting significant rainfall over the next few days, which is welcome news for farmers.
"It's going to be real helpful to all the farmers in southern Alberta," said Magrath farmer Gary Stanford.
"It will really help the dryland farmers and the cow pastures but also, it's going to be a big help for irrigation farmers."
Widespread rainfall totalling 50 to 70 millimetres is expected throughout southeastern Alberta.
Stanford serves as a delegate on the Alberta Grains Commission and farms wheat, barley, canola and alfalfa.
He's farmed for more than 40 years and says the past few have been some of his driest.
"There was no rain in April and the beginning of May. Through the summer, it was hot and dry," Stanford said.
Environment and Climate Change Canada has issued rainfall warnings for southeastern Alberta.
The agency says the bulk of the rain is expected on Monday night and on Tuesday and that rainfall totals will be variable.
"It will be significant -- probably some of the greatest rain we've seen in years across the region, as far as general coverage," said Drew Lerner, World Weather senior agriculture meteorologist.
According to Lerner, southern Alberta is entering its seventh year of below-normal precipitation, which has wiped out subsoil moisture.
For the area, this expected rainfall event is very important in providing subsoil moisture back into the area, helping plants grow.
"This won't break the drought. This will continue to ease the drought, and it's a huge benefit. We will definitely see some relief," Lerner said.
Lerner says this initial precipitation event provides enough time for follow-up rain to prevent the impact of dryness the area has experienced over the past few years.
"I do have a lot of good hope that we're going to see a fairly decent production year, even though the official drought will not necessarily be completely eliminated in this growing season," he said.
Tricia Stadnyk, a professor and Canada research chair in hydrologic modelling with the University of Calgary's Schulich School of Engineering, calls the rain "good news" but not nearly enough to pull the area out of drought conditions.
"It will certainly help, in terms of the immediate soil moisture values," Stadnyk said.
"Right now, it's been such a deficiency in water storage that our groundwater levels, our lake levels and our river levels have decreased."
According to Stadnyk, much of the southeastern part of the province has been under drought conditions for the past three years.
She points to a lack of snowpack.
"We're actually at the point where we've depleted the natural storage in the environment," she said.
"So it will really take a much longer sustained period of wet conditions to pull us out of drought."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More Canadians only making minimum payment on credit cards: TransUnion
Some Canadians are seeing their credit card balances grow as the cost-of-living crisis and higher interest rates eat into household budgets, a new report shows.
Tornado touches down west of the Island of Montreal
Emergency services in the town of Rigaud, Que. are investigating after a tornado touched down shortly after 5:30 p.m. on Friday.
Teen was doing homework at family's Mississauga, Ont. restaurant when gunman opened fire: testimony
The 13-year-old sister of a young man killed in the attack on her family’s Mississauga restaurant in 2021 took the stand in a Brampton courthouse on Monday to describe the terrifying moments of coming under fire.
Tanks reach Rafah's centre as Israel presses assault despite global scrutiny
Israeli tanks reached the centre of Rafah for the first time on Tuesday, witnesses said, three weeks into a ground operation in the southern Gaza city that has sparked global condemnation.
What a CBSA strike could look like, according to an expert
Slowed or interrupted travel, the passing of goods and significantly restricted borders should be expected if Canadian border workers take upcoming strike action.
Arm of mummy came off after mishandling by museum staff: Mexican government
Mexico's federal archaeology agency on Monday accused the conservative-governed city of Guanajuato of mistreating one of the country’s famous mummified 19th century bodies.
Five of Ontario's top 10 worst roads are located in the Toronto area
A new pothole-riddled street in Hamilton has taken the top spot for the worst road in Ontario, according to a new list released by the Canadian Automotive Association (CAA) on Tuesday.
DEVELOPING In Trump's hush money trial, prosecutors and defence lawyers are poised to make final pitch to jury
Prosecutors and defence lawyers in Donald Trump's hush money trial are set to deliver closing arguments to the jury Tuesday, each side looking to score final points with the panel before it starts deliberating the fate of the first former American president to be charged with felony crimes.
B.C. senior prepares to move due to devastating effects of fraud
A Courtenay, B.C., senior is downsizing and packing to move as she comes to accept she can no longer afford to stay in her home, after falling victim to a scam that robbed her of her life savings worth more than $100,000.