Dry conditions continue to plague Saskatchewan

A rash of stubborn brush and grass fires recently is shedding light on a big problem in Saskatchewan — it is incredibly dry.

Environment Canada’s Sarah Hoffman told 650 CKOM the dry conditions began in March.

“Regina had 0.8 millimetres (of precipitation) in March; the average for them is 17mm,” she gave as an example. “That’s their dryest March on record, with 131 years of data.”

The trend has continued in April, according to Hoffman.

She explained that Saskatoon hasn’t had any rain or snow since the beginning of the month, and it wasn’t very significant amounts.

“For the entire month of April the total accumulation is just 0.4 mm,” she said. “The 30-year-average for April is 21.2 mm.”

There is a chance that central and southern parts of the province will get some moisture over the weekend.

Hoffman said a low-pressure system was beginning to form Wednesday morning in the southwest corner of Saskatchewan.

Although it’s hard to tell this early, she believes the system could bring some rain or snow as it moves across the province.