Soil moisture (top five cm of soil) on Prairies for November 2016, measured as difference from average. (AAFC Drought Watch map)

Winter wonderland piles on saturated eastern Prairies

CNS Canada — While a wave of snow slowly pummels parts of Saskatchewan and much of Manitoba, one soil moisture expert says water is still trickling through the soil into natural water channels. According to Trevor Hadwen, agroclimate specialist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Drought Watch program in Regina, this is a good thing, as


U.S. forecaster sees La Nina likely in coming months

New York | Reuters — A U.S. government forecaster on Thursday said the chance has increased for weather phenomenon La Nina developing in the coming months in the Northern Hemisphere fall and persist into winter 2016-17. The Climate Prediction Center (CPC), an agency of the National Weather Service, in a monthly forecast pegged the chance

A detailed look at this year’s frost-free season

Winnipeg has shown the longest frost-free season of all the major Prairie stations

I received a few emails asking me to look into frost and the length of the frost-free season in more depth, so that is what we are going to start off with. Years and years ago, back when I was working on my thesis in geography at the University of Winnipeg, I did some research


Pacific Ocean surface temperature anomalies, in degrees Celsius, for the seven-day period centred on Aug. 31, 2016. (CPC.ncep.noaa.gov)

U.S. agency reduces outlook for La Nina in 2016-17

New York | Reuters — A U.S. government weather forecaster reduced its outlook on Thursday for La Nina conditions to develop during the Northern Hemisphere fall and winter of 2016-17, saying neutral conditions were more likely. The Climate Prediction Center (CPC), an agency of the National Weather Service, said in a monthly forecast there was

(Dave Bedard photo)

Diesel prices look to settle in for fall, early winter

CNS Canada — Canadian diesel prices appear to be settling in for a relatively uneventful autumn, according to an industry watcher. “Unless we get a vortex kind of winter, when a lot of diesel is used for heating purposes, I think it’s another cheap autumn-winter scenario shaping up,” said Tom Kloza of the Oil Price