File photo of autumn colours around Lake Diefenbaker in Saskatchewan Landing Provincial Park. (Nancy Anderson/iStock/Getty Images)

Prairie forecast: Cooler, but still warmer than average

Forecast issued Sept. 25, covering Sept. 25 to Oct. 2, 2024

Despite a fairly unsettled pattern over the last forecast period, the weather models did a pretty good job of the forecast. For this forecast period, things should settle down a bit with a ridge of high pressure starting off our forecast. That doesn't mean that we won’t see any areas of low pressure, but unsurprisingly, the weather pattern is slowly shifting towards more of a fall pattern. That means quicker moving systems.



(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Prairie forecast: Weather pattern has undergone a shift

This forecast period starts with one of the northwestern U.S. lows slowly lifting northwards. The unsettled weather that started the week across parts of Saskatchewan and much of southern Manitoba looks to continue. It appears the low will only move out late Friday or early Saturday. Even parts of southern Alberta my see some rainfall from this low on Wednesday.



Root diseases do their worst between germination and early flowering, leading to poor emergence and stunted, yellowed seedlings.

Phytophthora’s Prairie evolution

For Manitoba the ‘honeymoon’ is ending as soy diseases such as phytophthora root rot arrive

Glacier FarmMedia — The worst phytophthora infection that Laura Schmidt of Manitoba Pulse and Soybean Growers has ever seen was in the province’s west, just south of Souris. “Probably 25 per cent of the field was impacted,” the production specialist told attendees at a Westman Agricultural Diversification Organization field day near Melita, Man. “One in […] Read more


(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Prairie forecast: Cooler and wetter in the west, dry and warm in the east

Forecast issued Sept. 11, covering Sept. 11 to 18, 2024

Our weather pattern looks to be on the brink of a shift as a trough of low pressure begins to develop along the West  Coast. For those of you in Alberta, this will mean cooler and wetter conditions. In Manitoba, it looks like summer will continue for at least one more week. If you are in Saskatchewan, well, you will be stuck in the middle of these two features.

(Photo courtesy Canada Beef Inc.)

Klassen: Feeder cattle markets in price discovery mode

For the week ending September 7, Western Canadian yearling markets traded steady to $5/cwt higher in Alberta but steady to $6/cwt lower in Saskatchewan and Manitoba compared to seven days earlier. Major feedlots in Alberta appear to be focusing on local cattle. The calf market is in price discovery mode with prices quoted $10/cwt higher to $10/cwt lower.


A partially harvested wheat field near Selkirk, Man., on Aug. 24, 2024.  Photo: Greg Berg

Manitoba Crop Report: Harvest nearly one-quarter complete

Manitoba’s harvest continued to progress, reaching 24 per cent completion as of Sept. 2 despite light to moderate precipitation in most areas, according to the latest provincial crop report. Combining for winter wheat and fall rye was near complete at 97 per cent with a few fields in the northwest and Interlake regions yet to […] Read more