Agroclimate Spring Outlook: Western Canada 2026

Heading into spring 2026, the agroclimate picture across Western Canada is defined less by a single drought story and more by a regional patchwork — sharply dry in parts of southern Alberta and southwestern Saskatchewan, significantly improved in central and northern zones, and variable across Manitoba. The Canadian Drought Monitor’s March 2026 assessment, the most current published data from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s (AAFC) National Agroclimate Information Service (NAIS), puts roughly 39% of Canada under Abnormally Dry (D0) or drought conditions, with 32% of the agricultural landscape affected. Within that national figure, the Prairie region carries most of the weight — and most of the variability.