Early-September rains will likely interrupt harvest progress in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, according to a U.S. meteorologist — but producers will still likely be able to avoid frost.
Field work will operate around rains that are expected to fall between Sept. 6 and 9, said Drew Lerner, president of World Weather Inc.
“We’ve been spoiled the last couple years where we just went dry and stayed dry, and this is going to be a more typical autumn harvest season. It will be disrupted periodically,” he said.
Parts of Alberta and Western Saskatchewan already reported temperatures in the frost range, he said, but temperatures haven’t dropped low enough to harm crops.
In mid-September there’s a risk of colder weather impacting Manitoba and Saskatchewan.
“As for significant freezes — killing freezes — are concerned, it’s probably not going to occur for at least another week to 10 days,” Lerner said.
As for Alberta, the province is expected to have milder weather longer into the fall and above-normal temperatures for the season as a whole, Environment Canada said in its fall forecast.
“The El Nino phenomenon will make it a drier bias in late autumn and winter,” said Lerner.
That weather will most likely come after harvest is finished, he said.
“I don’t want to leave any doubt that we’ll see at least a little precipitation periodically.”
Source : AlbertaWheat