Warm, dry weather across Alberta has harvest operations moving ahead at a steady clip — but at the expense of much-needed soil moisture, according to the latest crop report.
As of this week, 59 per cent of major crops are now harvested, up 20 points from a week ago. That’s well ahead of both the five-year average of 52 per cent and the ten-year average of 41 per cent.
Regionally, progress looks like this:
- South: 67% complete
- Peace Region: 61% complete
- North West: 59% complete
- North East: 56% complete
- Central: 53% complete
By crop, harvest is nearly finished for dry peas (98%), and has advanced strongly in spring wheat (75%), barley (75%), and oats (63%). Canola still has the furthest to go at 28% complete, but one-third of fields have already been swathed.
Dry Weather Speeds Harvest, Depletes Moisture
A few scattered showers popped up in the South and Central regions, but overall conditions remain hot and dry. While this has been a boon for combines, it has left soil reserves dwindling — particularly in the North East, North West, and Peace regions, where moisture stress has been an issue all season.
Surface moisture across the province is rated at 29% good to excellent, well below the five-year average of 43%. Sub-surface moisture tells a similar story at 31% good to excellent compared with the five-year norm of 38%.
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