While the City of Winnipeg digs out from the latest dump of snow, farmers around them are happy to see the amount of moisture this year.
“The last two years have been a challenge with regards to the limited amount of moisture,” said Bill Campbell, president of Keystone Agricultural Producers.
“This particular winter seems to be more normal.”
For the past two years, moisture levels on the prairies have ranged from Abnormally Dry to Severe Drought, according to the Canadian Drought Monitor with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.
To have adequate snow cover means hope for a better growing season in 2019, said Campbell.
But that doesn’t mean a perfect growing season is guaranteed.
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“It will depend a lot on how spring thaw happens,” said Campbell.
“We are hopeful that some of the environmental conditions will allow a lot of moisture to be absorbed by the soil, so that we can have that reserve,” he said.
“That’s like our bank account, that moisture in the soil, and if we don’t have that bank account to rely on in June and July, then we run into challenges a lot quicker than we would normally anticipate.”
Campbell said he’d like to see one more good snowfall before the thaw begins.
“We only need a March break snow storm to alter things significantly.”
-With files from Joe Scarpelli
WATCH: Instagram video of downpour in St. James
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