More moisture needed across the Prairies

It's hard to believe we are already into December with the lack of snow and warmer temperatures. 

While we've had some snow and rain more moisture is needed across the prairies.

Trevor Hadwen an Agroclimate Specialist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) says we are certainly drier than we would like to be.

"We're looking at a deficit going into the winter snowfall season. We really do need significant snowfall to make that up, especially in terms of the soil moisture, but also in terms of the water supplies.  We're seeing low water supplies throughout many regions."

Hadwen is involved in developing AAFC's drought monitoring map.

He says the biggest area of concern is in Alberta,  the area south of Red Deer down to the U-S border where precipitation is 40 to 60 per cent of normal.

There's also concern in Saskatchewan where some areas have gone through a fairly dry cycle in the last 5 years, areas in the west central area up into North Battleford and the Southwest.

When it comes to Manitoba they normally tend to see more moisture than the other areas.

He says when you look at the moisture deficits in Manitoba it looks really bad, but that's just because the moisture levels are so far from normal.