Map: Prairie Precipitation Well Below Normal in March

Mar 28, 2025

A winter storm impacting parts of the Prairies notwithstanding, the month of March failed to deliver any meaningful boost in Western Canada soil moisture.

As can be seen on the map below, precipitation across Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and most of Alberta was well below average over the past 30 days. The lack of precipitation in March follows a mostly unremarkable February and winter season in general, once again leaving many farmers with dryness concerns heading into the planting season. Normally, late March - and especially April - is the first time in the new growing season that precipitation can be great enough to seriously improve soil moisture.

Still, there is hope. A storm expected to last into Friday was impacting portions of all three Prairie provinces today, with some areas in Saskatchewan and Manitoba potentially seeing up to 25 cm of snow. However, many other locations are forecast to receive far less.

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Video: Finding a Balance of Innovation and Regulation - Dr. Peter Facchini

Regulations help markets and industry exist on level playing fields, keeping consumers safe and innovation from going too far. However, incredibly strict regulations can stunt innovation and cause entire industries to wither away. Dr. Peter James Facchini brings his perspective on how existing regulations have slowed the advancement of medical developments within Canada. Given the international concern of opium poppy’s illicit potential, Health Canada must abide by this global policy. But with modern technology pushing the development of many pharmaceuticals to being grown via fermentation, is it time to reconsider the rules?

Dr. Peter James Facchini leads research into the metabolic biochemistry in opium poppy at the University of Calgary. For more than 30 years, his work has contributed to the increased availability of benzylisoquinoline alkaloid biosynthetic genes to assist in the creation of morphine for pharmaceutical use. Dr. Facchini completed his B.Sc. and Ph.D. in Biological Sciences at the University of Toronto before completing Postdoctoral Fellowships in Biochemistry at the University of Kentucky in 1992 & Université de Montréal in 1995.