Warmer, drier October followed by colder, snowier November

Reading Time: < 1 minute

Published: October 7, 2024

, , ,

A combine in the Interlake runs against the setting sun on Nov. 1, 2022, in an effort to wrap up harvest.  Photo: Greg Berg

Glacier FarmMedia | MarketsFarm — The balance of October is likely to remain warmer than normal across the Canadian Prairies, but the weather could turn colder than normal in November, Weatherlogics chief scientist Scott Kehler explained.

He pointed to a La Nina event that’s developing over the Pacific Ocean, noting with the phenomenon at this stage it’s not uncommon for the Prairies to have a nice October, one that will likely see dry stretches.

“But the thing is, this month doesn’t average a huge amount of rainfall,” Kehler stated, adding that a single system could provide a month’s worth of rain.

Read Also

Banners of U.S. President Donald Trump and President Abraham Lincoln reading “Growing America Since 1862” hang over the entrance to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 15, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo

Farmers, traders ‘flying blind’ as U.S. shutdown blocks key crop data

U.S. data vital to global grain and soybean trading has gone dark during the country’s federal government shutdown, leaving commodity traders and farmers without crop production estimates, export sales data and market reports during the peak of the autumn harvest.

As well, the forecaster said any precipitation during October will be dependent on the particular location, with some areas getting more or less rain than others.

“As we move into wintertime, with La Nina that generally tends to favour a colder winter on the Prairies. Colder winters tend to be snowier ones,” he continued. “The only caveat is this La Nina event is not looking as strong as initially thought.”

In such a case, Kehler said the usual weather patterns involved with a La Nina become less certain.

“For most locations, it will seem like a colder, snowier winter because of how warm it was last winter,” he added.

About the author

Glen Hallick

Glen Hallick

Reporter

Glen Hallick grew up in rural Manitoba near Starbuck, where his family farmed. Glen has a degree in political studies from the University of Manitoba and studied creative communications at Red River College. Before joining Glacier FarmMedia, Glen was an award-winning reporter and editor with several community newspapers and group editor for the Interlake Publishing Group. Glen is an avid history buff and enjoys following politics.

explore

Stories from our other publications