April precipitation lowers drought conditions
The Canadian Drought Monitor recently brought good news for farmers, just as seeding begins.
April saw much of Canada experiencing normal to above-normal precipitation, resulting in improved soil moisture, stream flow and water supplies.
“Nationally, we went from 39 per cent of the country in drought or abnormally dry conditions at the end of March to 27 per cent of the country at the end of April. Although, there was considerable drought improvement through April, some of the regions in the country continued to see moderate to severe drought conditions,” said Trevor Hadwen, agri-climate specialist with Agriculture Canada.
Why it Matters: With numerous Prairie regions battling years of drought, getting good news from Mother Nature early in the seeding/growing season is welcome news, especially with dryland operations.
Those regions included the interior of British Columbia and southern Alberta.
As a result of normal precipitation in many regions of the country, drought and abnormally dry conditions saw significant improvement. At the end of April, 19 per cent of Canada’s agricultural land was classified in drought or abnormally dry conditions, a marked improvement from 33 per cent one year ago.
“Spring precipitation, snow melt and cooling normal temperatures have all led to improved conditions in Alberta and Saskatchewan. Early spring snow storms contributed significantly to increased soil moisture levels,” said Hadwen.
The southwestern Prairies continue to be an area to monitor closely. Several years of drought have created increased vulnerability, despite the early 2026 gains, as producers prepare for the growing season.
“While we’ve seen some improvements through the winter and early spring, it won’t take much to dry out the soils and see this region return to drought,” said Hadwen.
Much of British Columbia received below to well-below normal precipitation in April. However, despite the recent poor precipitation, longer-term precipitation levels remain high through most of the province, with the exception of Vancouver Island and the southern interior.
Longer-term data shows that some shortages in the northern interior are still resulting in minor concerns. The most significant drought concerns remain in the Thompson Okanagan region and the West Kootenay region.
The central and northern Pprairies have received well-above normal precipitation, while some regions in the south continue to be slightly below normal.
There continues to be a small region of severe drought in southwestern Alberta, surrounded by a larger area of moderate and abnormally dry conditions that cover much of southern Alberta and southwestern Saskatchewan.
Large snow events later in April provided some good moisture to southern regions, improving soil moisture. This, combined with a cooler than normal spring, has resulted in improved drought conditions.
“At the end of April, 17 per cent of the agricultural land in the Prairie region remained in drought or abnormally dry conditions,” said Hadwen.