Photo: Sparse snow cover on fields mark what could be a dry spring in Alberta. Rural Alberta Report/C. Bowman

Farmers across the southern Canadian Prairies are entering the 2026 growing season with limited moisture reserves following a winter that delivered below-normal snowfall across much of the region.

Weather patterns through the winter months kept many storm systems tracking north of key agricultural areas in southern Alberta and Saskatchewan, leaving fields with little snow cover and minimal runoff expected during the spring melt. The lack of snowpack means less soil recharge ahead of seeding, increasing concern about moisture levels as planting approaches.

Meteorologists report that many locations across the southern Prairies recorded only small amounts of snowfall through the core winter period. In some areas stretching from southern Alberta toward southern Saskatchewan, snow accumulation was close to zero during parts of the season, well below typical winter averages.

While snow totals were limited in the south, northern portions of the Prairie region received heavier precipitation during the winter, producing a sharp contrast in moisture conditions across Western Canada. The northern snowfall is expected to provide better runoff and soil moisture heading into spring in those areas, but the southern grain belt remains vulnerable if spring rains fail to develop.

Long-range forecasts suggest the broader weather pattern that limited precipitation through winter could continue into early spring. Meteorologists say storm tracks have frequently bypassed the southern Prairies, directing moisture toward northern regions and parts of eastern Canada instead.

The dry conditions come after several years in which large areas of the Prairies have experienced periodic drought. Much of the region’s agricultural land has repeatedly been classified as abnormally dry or in drought during recent growing seasons, leaving soil reserves highly dependent on timely precipitation.

For grain producers, the weeks leading into seeding will be critical. If spring rainfall arrives in April and May, crops such as wheat and canola could still establish normally. Without that moisture, however, farmers may face reduced soil reserves and increased risk of stress during early crop development.

Seeding typically begins across the southern Prairies in late April and May, meaning weather conditions over the next several weeks will play a major role in determining the outlook for the 2026 crop year.