Water Supply Outlook for Alberta
July 2003
June 2003 Precipitation |
| Above-normal to much-above-normal precipitation was recorded during June in northeastern Alberta from Slave Lake to Fort McMurray to Fort Chipewyan, and in Calgary. Normal to much-below-normal precipitation was recorded in the remainder of the province (Figure 1). The mountain and foothill areas of southern Alberta recorded below-normal to much-below-normal precipitation while Calgary and Empress recorded much-above-normal precipitation (Figure 2). June storms generally tracked northeast through Grande Cache, Slave Lake, and south of Fort McMurray (Figure 3). |
Summer Precipitation (May 1, 2003 to June 30, 2003) |
| Summer precipitation was normal to much-above-normal in the southern plains and the eastern half of northern Alberta while the western half generally recorded below-normal to much-below-normal precipitation (Figure 4). In southern Alberta, the mountain and foothill areas received below-normal to much-below-normal precipitation while the plains received normal to much-above-normal precipitation (Figure 5). Most of the summer precipitation was in the mountains and the Slave Lake to Fort McMurray area (Figure 6). |
Winter Precipitation (November 1, 2002 to April 30, 2003) |
| Most of the province received normal to much-above-normal precipitation during the winter with the exception of southeastern areas and the northern third of the province which received below-normal to much-below-normal precipitation (Figure 7). In southern Alberta, below-normal to much-below-normal precipitation was received in areas south of Claresholm and east of Drumheller except for the Empress area which received much-above-normal precipitation. Normal to much-above-normal precipitation was recorded north of Claresholm and west of Drumheller (Figure 8). The bulk of winter precipitation fell in the mountains, foothills and generally the central third of the province (Figure 9). |
Fall Precipitation (September 1 to October 31, 2002) |
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Below-normal to much-below-normal precipitation was recorded north of Red Deer in the September and October 2002 period, except for the Fort Chipewyan and Peace regions where precipitation was much-above-normal (Figure 10). Areas south of Red Deer recorded above-normal to much-above-normal precipitation (Figure 11). The least precipitation recorded was in east-central Alberta (Figure 12). Soil moisture going into winter is below-normal to much-below-normal north of Calgary. South of Calgary, soil moisture is generally normal to above-normal, especially west of Lethbridge and east of Medicine Hat. A map of fall soil moisture is available from Alberta Agriculture at: http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/cl5882/$FILE/fall02.pdf |
Long-Lead Precipitation Outlook |
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Environment Canada's long-lead precipitation forecast issued on June 1, 2003 for this summer (June through August) is for above-normal precipitation in central areas of Alberta, and normal precipitation elsewhere. The long-lead forecast for the fall period (September through November) is above-normal precipitation throughout the province. 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 forecast issued on June 14, 2003 is for an equal chance of normal, below-normal or above-normal precipitation for the summer and fall (June to November) for southern Alberta. 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
