Drought eases in part of the Prairies in April

May 26, 2026 | 3:27 PM

Multiple rounds of precipitation improved drought conditions across Canada’s Prairie region.

That’s according to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Drought Monitor for April. The map of conditions as of April 30 shows much of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta had no drought, particularly in central and northern regions.

But agroclimate specialist Trevor Hadwin said southern Saskatchewan and Alberta were still showing abnormally dry to moderate drought conditions.

“Some regions in the south continue to be slightly below normal. There continues to be a small region of severe drought in southwestern Alberta, surrounded by a larger area of moderate and abnormally dry conditions that cover much of southern Alberta and southwest Saskatchewan.”

Hadwin said snow events later in April provided some good moisture to southern regions, improving soil moisture. This combined with a cooler than normal spring has resulted in improved drought conditions.

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“At the end of April, 17 per cent of the agricultural land in the prairie region remained in drought or abnormally dry conditions,” he said.

Hadwin said southeastern Alberta and southwest Saskatchewan saw notable improvement last month.

“Spring precipitation, snow melt and cooler than normal temperatures have all led to improved conditions. In Alberta and Saskatchewan, early spring snowstorms contributed significantly to increased soil moisture levels.”

Despite the improvement, Hadwin said the southwestern Prairies remain an area to watch as the growing season begins.

“Several years of drought through this region have created increased vulnerability. While we’ve seen some improvements through the winter and early spring, it won’t take much to dry out the soils and see this region return to drought.”

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alice.mcfarlane@pattisonmedia.com

by Pattison Media

Drought eases in part of the Prairies in April

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