A wet fall could mean a higher-than-normal spring runoff in southern Saskatchewan.
The Water Security Agency (WSA) issued its 2019 Conditions at Freeze-up Report on Monday. In it, the agency said precipitation in the fall was well above average, so conditions are “favourable” for a higher runoff in much of the southern part of the province.
The wettest areas in Saskatchewan are around Swift Current and in the Souris River Basin.
The potential for an above-average spring runoff is a result of the wetter-than-normal soil conditions this fall. The agency says less moisture than normal will sink into the soil in the spring because of current conditions.
The agency stressed that its forecast doesn’t mean there will be flooding in southern Saskatchewan. The amount of snow that falls through the winter will be a determining factor — and the agency said long-range weather forecasts are calling for near-normal precipitation and above-average temperatures for the first three months of winter.
Northern Saskatchewan had a wetter-than-normal summer, but precipitation levels in the fall were below average. As a result, that area of the province enters the winter with normal conditions.
The next report on the spring runoff is to be released in early February.