Let it rain: Professor weighs in on Saskatchewan drought

As parts of the province brace for some moisture, a professor at the University of Saskatchewan says it couldn’t come at a better time.

John Pomeroy, the director of hydrology at the university, described the current conditions felt in the province as extreme.

“Large swaths of Saskatchewan are in an extreme drought right now. In fact, 93 per cent of the agricultural part of the prairie provinces are either abnormally dry or in moderate to extreme drought,” Pomeroy said on Tuesday’s Greg Morgan Morning Show. “We have had less than 40 per cent of our normal precipitation since last fall.

“Some creeks are bone dry. Others, like the bigger rivers like the Assiniboine, are recording some of the lowest flows ever recorded.”

Bone-dry conditions haven’t been anything new for the prairies in recent years.

Some regions of Saskatchewan saw record-breaking dryness in 2020, with Moose Jaw experiencing the driest conditions ever recorded in the region since Environment Canada started recording precipitation levels for the area in 1916.

Estevan had its second-driest year on record, Regina its fourth, Swift Current its fifth and Yorkton its fifth.

According to Pomeroy, an occasional day of rain won’t fix the drought problems the province currently is facing, but an extended period of precipitation could really help things.

Starting Tuesday afternoon, rain is expected to start coming down throughout southeast Saskatchewan, including in Regina.

“We’ve had dry conditions like this in May that have turned around,” Pomeroy said. “Farmers have to be hopeful. They have to hope it will rain more in June.

“It’s not over yet.”