Maps: Heavy Rain Batters Parts of Western Canada

Repeated storms have left large portions of the Canadian Prairies saturated over the past month, flooding fields, damaging roads and raising concerns about crop losses as the growing season enters a critical stage. 

Agriculture Canada’s precipitation map for the 30 days ending July 2 (below) shows a broad corridor from central Alberta through Saskatchewan and into western Manitoba receiving 150% to more than 200% of normal rainfall. Some of the wettest areas are located around Edmonton, across central and eastern Saskatchewan and near the Saskatchewan-Manitoba border. 

The soil moisture map shown below provides further evidence of saturation. As of June 30, much of the agricultural Prairies held between 150% and 200% of normal soil moisture, with pockets above 200%. The excess contrasts sharply with continued dryness in the Peace River region and parts of interior British Columbia.  

The pattern began taking shape at the end of May, when a major system dropped large amounts of rain across parts of Alberta in a single day. East-central areas received as much as three times their normal monthly precipitation during that event alone.