Mild temperatures and a lack of snow have not been helpful for farmers in the Moose Jaw area. 

Carter Smith farms in the Brownlee/Keeler area just north of Moose Jaw. He said it is dry but he is still hopeful for some moisture later on this winter and into spring. 

“You have never lost a crop in January or December. So, we’re still optimistic about getting some snow and getting some moisture. I mean, rain is always better but the runoff from the snow is always nice to have too,” he said. 

He said they aren’t hitting the panic button yet. He said, that in the farming industry, you can’t concern yourself too much over factors you can’t control like the weather. 

“Historically, there’s always a big boomer in March or April before you want to get into the field anyway. Like I said, you just go about your day and wait and see,” Smith said. 

That being said, Smith added that there is a positive to the nice weather this winter. He said the weather has allowed producers to get more work done outside. 

“We’ve got some cows and then just getting equipment ready and cleaning seed. We took some days for Christmas and New Year’s and today we’re going to get back at it and figure out a game plan,” he said. 

According to Environment Canada, Moose Jaw received 15.9 mm of precipitation in October, and 19.7 mm in November before it drastically dropped off with 1.7 mm in December. So far in January, we’ve had 1.1 mm of precipitation. 

However, what snowfall the city did receive didn’t stick around for too long. Environment Canada’s “snow on ground” statistics showed a maximum of 8 cm in October. That melted down to 6 cm in November and was down to zero in December. 

Overall, in 2023, Moose Jaw received 195 mm of precipitation, which is about 53 per cent of the average amount of rain and snowfall. 

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