As wildfire smoke becomes more common on the Prairies, understanding its effects on herbicide performance and crop development can help farmers make better-informed spraying decisions and avoid costly delays.
Weather
Hazy conditions, clear decisions: How wildfire smoke affects spraying and crops on the Prairies
No direct research has yet been done on how wildfire smoke affects herbicide application
Prairie forecast: Stormy start to the west, summer heat to the east
Forecast issued July 2, covering July 2 to 9, 2025
We start this forecast period with warm high pressure in place across the eastern Prairies and a developing area of low pressure over Alberta.
Prairie forecast: Looking warm and dry for Canada Day
Forecast issued June 25, covering June 25 to July 2, 2025
A broad but unorganized area of low pressure impacts all three Prairie provinces for at least the first half of this forecast period. Unsettled weather means it will be a difficult forecast to pin down. It also means seasonable temperatures with no big intense heat waves expected—though that doesn’t mean we won’t see a few hot days.
Prairie forecast: Unsettled weather ahead
Forecast issued June 18, covering June 18 to 25, 2025
For this forecast period we start, once again, with no strong systems impacting the Prairies. But, as we head into the weekend a strong area of low pressure is forecasted to develop over the western U.S. This low will impact our region over the weekend, but how and where is a little uncertain.
Prairie forecast: Where did the summer heat go?
Forecast issued June 11, covering June 11 to 18, 2025
Looking at the big picture we start this forecast period with a generally zonal flow across the Prairies as Arctic high pressure slides across the far northern Prairies and weak low pressure moves by to the south. This will bring sunny to partly cloudy skies and near to slightly below-average temperatures.
Unsettled weather for Prairies
Temperatures to be a little below normal
The weather situation on the Canadian Prairies will likely become unsettled when moving deeper into June, said Scott Kehler, chief scientist for Weatherlogics.
Prairie forecast: Summer pattern making forecast difficult
Forecast issued June 4, covering June 4-11, 2025
We start this forecast period off with an area of low pressure over far northern Manitoba that is slowly moving off into Hudson Bay. To the west, an area of low pressure is developing over the Yukon which is helping to develop a weak ridge of high pressure over Alberta. Over southern Saskatchewan and Manitoba weak high pressure is in place.
What we know about how wildfire smoke affects Prairie crops
Impacts depend on smoke quantity, plant progress, surrounding weather conditions
Prairie farmers don't have to go far right now to see and feel the effects of smoke in the atmosphere — but what their crops will experience this year is a more complicated matter.
India’s monsoon stalls after early start
Monsoon to pick up again around June 11
Rainfall over India is likely to remain subdued for over a week as the annual monsoon’s progress has stalled after its earliest onset in 16 years, though it is likely to pick up again from June 11, two senior weather bureau officials said on Monday.
What we know about how wildfire smoke affects Prairie crops
Impacts depend on smoke quantity, plant progress, surrounding weather conditions
With nearly 100 active wildfires across the three Prairie provinces at this writing, farmers don’t have to go far to see and feel the effects of smoke in the atmosphere — but what this year’s crops will experience is a more complicated matter. If you’ve got time for some reading right now, here we’ve gathered […] Read more
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