written by Trevor Wallace Nutrient Management Specialist at Alberta Agriculture and Forestry
In Oct 2024, the estimated soil moisture reserves for approximately 65% of the province tended to
be near to above normal for that time of the year. Large parts of the eastern portions of the
Central and Southern Regions were estimated to be above normal. (Map 1). However, throughout much
of the North West Region, western portions of the Central Region and the western and northern
portions of the Peace Region soil moisture reserves ranged from once in 3 to once in 12-year lows.
Soil moisture in a large area south and east of Red Deer is trending toward a once in 25-year lows.
The winter or cold season, from November through March, is usually the driest time of the year in
Alberta. The cold season precipitation accumulation (Map 2), to date, is near normal across much of
the east half of the province, north and east of Edmonton and north into the Peace. A large area
running west of Lethbridge, north to Edmonton, then east to Lac La Biche County as well as around
Peace River and High Level continue to report moderately low (once in 3 to 6-year lows), and low
(once in 6 to 12-year lows) moisture accumulations relative to normal.
Looking back over the past 365 days, precipitation accumulations continue to remain below normal
across a large area from Mountain View County, north to Yellowhead County and then extending
east to the Saskatchewan border (Map 3). Similar below normal conditions are being recorded through
much of the Northern Peace Region and around Grand Prairie. Once in 25-year lows continue to
persist in areas in and around Red Deer. Once in 6 to 12-year lows extend around Red Deer,
northeast of Edmonton, around and west of Grande Prairie, as well as north in the Peace
Region to the border with the Northwest Territories. This area is reporting, relative to average,
year- over-year precipitation accumulations 70 to 90% of normal (average) with some areas only
receiving 50 to 70% of annual average precipitation.