The Old Farmer’s Almanac recently released its long range winter forecast
By Diego Flammini
Assistant Editor, North American Content
Farms.com
Farmers in Western Canada might experience early signs of winter this year, as snow showers could hit in mid-September, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac.
From September 15 to 22, rain, snow showers and cold temperatures could occur across The Prairies, according to the almanac.
And that’s not good news for producers.
“We dealt with that (weather) last year and for a week we thought we weren’t going to be able to continue harvesting,” Megz Reynolds, a farmer that grows peas, lentils and barley near Swift Current, Sask., told Farms.com. “Rain and snow during harvest isn’t good. If that happens, whatever it is you’re trying to get off the field, that crop is going to downgrade.”
The Old Farmer’s Almanac also released its long range forecast from November 2017 to October 2018.
This winter, temperatures could be milder than normal. The coldest periods across Western Canada will occur from late November to about early January.
Winter precipitation will be below normal amounts, with the most snow falling in mid-November and mid-March.
In the spring, April and May could be slightly cooler than usual for the Prairies but the region could experience higher levels of precipitation.
With the extremely dry summer in Saskatchewan this year, precipitation early in the 2018 growing season could help.
“Rain at that point might not be too bad,” Reynolds said. “A lot of people don’t get started until the end of April. So, if there’s rain at the beginning of the month, your fields are setting up to have good moisture going into the growing year.”
The Almanac also predicts a warmer than normal summer in Western Canada next year.
Top photo: Megz Reynolds/Twitter