THE PRAIRIES — As British Columbia waits on spring warmth, the Prairies may be the first to experience a true taste of the season, says AccuWeather.
AccuWeather senior meteorologist Brett Anderson expects the eastern half of the Prairies, including a majority of Manitoba, will lie squarely within a zone where early-season warmups will produce above-average temperatures.
Most of Saskatchewan is expected to have near normal temperatures.
The spring thaw may initially prompt fears of flooding from rapid snowmelt, but, Anderson said, that risk is expected to be low due to a combination of factors.
“With the expectation of below-normal precipitation from eastern Alberta to western Manitoba this spring, limited snowpack and less moisture frozen into the layer of earth just beneath the surface, the risk of major spring flooding appears to be slightly lower than normal this year,” Anderson said.
He added that during March and early April, a clearer picture would emerge on the exact threat level for significant spring flooding.
Even though the risk of flooding may be lower than in recent years, the combination of warmth and unusual dryness could lead to a completely opposite concern heading into the latter part of the season and into the summer months – wildfires.
Widespread severe to extreme drought is ongoing across the southern tiers of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, and with the outlook of below-average precipitation across much of this region during spring, forecasters warn these conditions may expand and worsen.
To some extent, there is a concern for expanding drought, most likely late in spring, according to Anderson.
“There probably won’t be a widespread wildfire risk for most of the spring,” he added. “However, if dryness persists into June, then I would be concerned for a more widespread fire risk across the Prairies.”
