Ducklings on display at the Red River Ex in Winnipeg on June 20, 2023 stuck to the shady side of the waterer as daytime temperatures maxed out at nearly 36 C. (Dave Bedard photo)

Prairie Forecast: Shift in the pattern

Issued June 21, covering June 21 to 28

The weather pattern that brought some record heat to the eastern Prairies, and some significant rains to parts of Alberta, looks like it will be undergoing a bit of change during this forecast period. The overall flow across the Prairies appears as though it will become predominantly northwesterly as an upper low sets up over […] Read more

(Medioimages/Photodisc/Getty Images)

CBOT weekly outlook: Weather fuels rallies in grain prices

Rains expected in U.S. Plains states

MarketsFarm — Weather and less-than-stellar crop conditions were the primary factors that caused week-long rallies on the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) for the week ended Wednesday. Ongoing dryness in most areas of the U.S. saw crops begin to deteriorate. The corn crop dropped six points to 55 per cent good to excellent as of […] Read more


CBOT November 2023 soybeans with 20-, 50- and 100-day moving averages. (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Soy, corn, wheat rally to multi-month highs on weather concerns

Meteorologists 'pretty much threw in the towel'

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn, soybean and wheat futures rose to multi-month highs on Wednesday, supported by concerns about crop shortfalls around the globe due to adverse weather in key production areas. “Listening to the meteorologists this morning, they pretty much threw in the towel on any moisture for the dry areas of the […] Read more

Detail from the front of the CBOT building in Chicago. (Vito Palmisano/iStock/Getty Images)

U.S. grains: Soy, corn futures steady; wheat mixed

Large Russian exports tempered fears of Black Sea corridor agreement breakdown

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn and soybean futures steadied on Tuesday after the market rallied sharply at the end of last week on concerns that hot and dry weather will lead to harvest shortfalls. The market remained underpinned by the most recent forecasts, which remained unfavourable for key growing areas of the U.S. Midwest, […] Read more



CBOT July 2023 corn with Bollinger bands (20,2) and December 2023 corn (orange line). (Barchart)

U.S. grains: Corn, soy, wheat set multi-month highs on weather worries

U.S. markets closed Monday for Juneteenth

Chicago | Reuters — U.S. corn, soybean and wheat futures all closed higher on Friday and all set multi-month highs during the session as worries about stressful dry conditions in key portions of the Midwest prompted a flurry of buying ahead of a three-day holiday weekend, analysts said. “We have an issue here in the […] Read more


File photo of storm clouds over northeastern Alberta. (ImagineGolf/E+/Getty Images)

Prairie Forecast: Alberta low looks to dominate

Forecast issued June 14, covering June 14-21

So far, the weather models have been doing a good job with the medium-range forecasts, only falling off late in the forecast period. Of course, in the summer, short-range forecasts can be difficult, especially when it comes to just when and where thunderstorms will develop. I always find it interesting that a forecast could be […] Read more

Smoke billows upwards from the Donnie Creek wildfire south of Fort Nelson, B.C. n June 11, 2023. (Photo: B.C. Wildfire Service handout via Reuters)

Western Canada covered in smoke as wildfires loosen grip on Quebec

Over 200 of 449 wildfires now out of control

Ottawa | Reuters — Smoke shrouded Western Canada on Monday as wildfires flared again in the main oil-producing province of Alberta, while firefighters in Quebec doused some of the worst early-season blazes, allowing thousands of evacuees to return home. Canada is enduring its most destructive start to wildfire season, with about 4.8 million hectares — […] Read more


AAFC’s Drought Monitor map as of May 31, 2023.

Drought expands across Canadian Prairies

Dry conditions push eastward in Manitoba

MarketsFarm — Warm and dry conditions across much of the Prairies in May caused drought conditions to worsen, especially in Alberta, according to the latest Drought Monitor report from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. As of May 31, an estimated 79 per cent of the Prairie region was classified as abnormally dry (D0) or in moderate […] Read more

(Brett Holmes Photography/iStock/Getty Images)

Prairie Forecast: Switch in pattern but summer sticking around

Forecast issued June 7, covering June 7-14

The weather models are doing a good job handling all the heat and humidity that has been driving thunderstorms and breaking temperature records across the eastern half of the Prairies over the last week. To the west it has been a little cooler and drier, with not as much instability to deal with, but nonetheless, […] Read more


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