Don’t let the recent snowfalls dampen your day — the wet conditions are actually good news.
After a dry winter, the Lac La Biche area has been seeing near normal levels of precipitation, says Ralph Wright, a soil moisture specialist with Alberta’s Agriculture and Rural Development Ministry.
“It’s a break to that long, warm, and dry spell we had,” Wright said. “It’s a nice shift, and we’re seeing that province-wide.”
He said this is good news for farmers who may have been worried that the soil would be too dry for seeding.
“It’s good to see moisture, it helps prepare seed beds,” Wright said. “It’s good to see at this point in the game.”
The wet weather is expected to continue in the province, but it’ll be hard to say if they will hit the Lac La Biche area.
“These moisture patterns will continue throughout Alberta, but it’s hard to track exactly where they’re going to sweep,” he said.
Wright also warned that there is always a risk of seeding too early as a frost may still happen and affect the crops.
“Typically, seeding early brings a bigger yield, but you do run the risk of an unexpected frost,” Wright said.
“It’s a temptation that people are going to have to wrestle with. It’s a hard decision to make.”
LOW WILDFIRE RISK
While some parts of the province are issuing fire bans, the Lac La Biche area doesn’t have the same risk. The area has a low fire hazard, no fire bans, and no wildfires currently burning, said Leslie Lozinksi, a local forest information officer with Lac La Biche Sustainable Resource Development.
In February, the area was under moderate risk and was forecasted to start the season off with a high risk for wildfires. Because of the dry conditions, the province had even called an early start to fire season.
But for now, this turned around because of the recent precipitation that the area has been seeing. Lozinski said.
“With the precipitation we got, the risk went down to low,” she said, stressing that this can still turn around and the risk can increase.
Anyone who suspects a wildfire should call 310-FIRE, and more information about wildfires and fire safety can be found online at http://srd.alberta.ca/Wildfire/
