Water Supply Outlook for Alberta
January 2005
December 2004 Precipitation |
| Normal to much above normal precipitation was recorded in central and northern Alberta, with below normal precipitation in the Slave Lake area being the exception (Figure 1). In southern Alberta, the Medicine Hat area and most areas north of Calgary also recorded normal to much above normal precipitation. Most areas south of Calgary, and the Coronation area, recorded much below normal precipitation (Figure 2). December precipitation totals are illustrated in (Figure 3). |
Winter Precipitation (November 1, 2004 to December 31, 2004) |
| Below normal precipitation has been recorded in much of central and northern Alberta, with much above normal winter precipitation in High Level, Peace River, and Cold Lake being the exceptions (Figure 4). In southern Alberta, the Medicine Hat area and most areas north of Calgary recorded below normal to normal precipitation, while most areas south of Calgary, and the Coronation area, recorded below to much below normal precipitation (Figure 5). Winter precipitation totals are illustrated in (Figure 6). |
Fall Precipitation (September 1 to October 31, 2004) |
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Much above normal precipitation was recorded in a band across the province from Peace River and Jasper to Cold Lake, whereas northeastern Alberta recorded normal precipitation and the northwestern corner of the province recorded below normal precipitation (Figure 7). Most of southern Alberta recorded below normal to normal precipitation except in Rocky Mountain House, High River, and Claresholm where much above normal precipitation occurred, and the Drumheller, Brooks, and Medicine Hat areas where much below normal precipitation was recorded (Figure 8). Fall precipitation totals are illustrated in Figure 9. Soil moisture conditions in agricultural areas of the province, as measured by Alberta Agriculture for October 31, 2004 , can be seen in Figure 10. Soil moisture generally ranges from normal to well above normal in southern and western Alberta, with the most notable exceptions being in the High Level and Edson areas, which range from below normal to extreme deficit. Much of east central Alberta is classified as having below to well below normal soil moisture. |
Long-Lead Precipitation Outlook |
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Environment Canada's long-lead precipitation forecast for Alberta issued on January 1, 2005 for the January through March 2005 period is for cold and wet weather. Above normal precipitation is forecast for most areas, except for normal precipitation in west central Alberta. Environment Canada's long-lead precipitation outlook is available from their website located at: http://weatheroffice.ec.gc.ca/saisons/index_e.html. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) long-lead precipitation forecasts issued on December 16, 2004 for January 2005 through March 2005 is for warm temperatures and an equal chance of normal, below normal or above normal precipitation for southern Alberta, as the NOAA is anticipating weak El Nino conditions to persist for at least the next three months. NOAA's long-lead precipitation outlook is available from their website located at: http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/predictions/90day/. |
For technical enquires about this web page please contact Alberta Environment - Environmental Management Water Management Operations Branch at AENV-WebWS@gov.ab.ca
