The season is young and off to a hot start for the Jones family farm east of Airdrie. They’ve been dealing with drought conditions for years, and this spring, at first glance, appears to be much of the same.
“If it stays warm and stays windy the moisture profile will dry down and we could have some challenges. But we’re hoping to get some timely rain,” said Allen Jones.
Get breaking National news
“We’re all dryland here. No irrigation. So all hope and faith.”
Area firefighters are echoing drought concerns, with restrictions and advisories lighting up Alberta’s fire ban map on Monday.
- IBC estimates $230M in insured damage claimed from Edmonton storms
- Calgary area ‘very uniquely situated’ for study of hailstorms, says researcher
- Saskatchewan boosts disaster aid in response to storm-packed spring and summer
- Flooding damage closes Telus World of Science for months, 68% of staff laid off
“Because we haven’t had that green up and the fuels are still there, they’re very dry and ready to go and just waiting for that ignition source,” said Dave McMahon, deputy fire chief with Rocky View County.
Calgary saw just six millimetres of precipitation in the month of April. That’s well below the Environment Canada average of 15 millimetres for the same month.
Comments
Want to discuss? Please read our Commenting Policy first.