'Everything started regrowing': Alberta farmers welcome rainfall

Amir Said · CBC News

· Posted: Jun 25, 2025 9:46 AM EDT | Last Updated: 2 hours ago

Recent rainy days person fixed a large boost to section farmers and producers.

With up to 100 millimetres of precipitation successful parts of the state this past weekend, the rainfall is being heralded arsenic "a blessing" by Airdrie-area husbandman Larry Woolliams.

"The rainfall is impeccable timing for a batch of america astir the Rocky View area," helium said. 

Woolliams Farms, which grows hay, effect and straw, benefited importantly from the bedewed weather, with Airdrie receiving much than 70 millimetres of rainfall since past Friday.

With drought conditions successful the area, the rainfall couldn't person been much welcome, Woolliams said.

"Things stopped increasing upwards. They were increasing downwards, trying to pursuit that water," helium said.

"It's conscionable not bully premier increasing conditions," Woolliams said astir dealing with adust ungraded and precocious temperatures exacerbated by beardown winds. He said helium lone had up to 2 weeks of reserve moisture for his crops earlier the much-needed rainfall.

"You could conscionable spot everything springiness that suspiration of alleviation erstwhile this rainfall started coming," helium said. "Everything started regrowing."

Parts of Alberta soaked, others dry

Much of Alberta experienced the rainfall, but immoderate parts of the state are inactive dealing with drought conditions.

Trevor Hadwen, an agroclimate specializer with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, said farms that received dense rainfall volition payment significantly, but that immoderate areas didn't person arsenic overmuch rainfall arsenic they needed.

"Certainly the rainfall has helped successful galore regions of the province, but areas successful the north, particularly the Peace River region, and areas successful the southeast did not person precise overmuch rainfall, oregon immoderate astatine all, this past weekend," helium said.

"We've seen highly adust conditions successful some those regions this spring."

According to Hadwen, Calgary and the surrounding country benefited the astir from the rainfall, with immoderate precipitation totals westbound of the metropolis reaching implicit 100 millimetres. Parts of occidental and cardinal Alberta received 50 to 75 millimetres, helium said. 

"The main cultivation portion of Alberta got important moisture this past weekend," helium said.

"This is simply a blessing for sure. This provides [farmers impacted by drought conditions] optimism to determination forward. It provides them a mates weeks of bully moisture and it provides immoderate quality to determination guardant successful the play without this rainfall."

Hadwen besides said the dense rainfall did not travel with galore of the antagonistic outcomes often associated with akin upwind events, similar works washout oregon infrastructure damage.

"We're not proceeding that, truthful the tempest lawsuit seems to beryllium each affirmative astatine this point," helium said.

Despite that alleviation for galore section farmers, drought conditions extracurricular of those areas stay "a precise large interest for producers successful the region," Hadwen said.

"The country of Medicine Hat, down successful the [southeast] country of the province, we are watching that country precise closely," helium said.

According to the Government of Alberta, the Medicine Hat country is classified arsenic abnormally dry, while some of the province's southernmost parts are experiencing terrible drought conditions.

Lethbridge, which received conscionable nether 45 millimetres of rainfall connected Saturday, is among the communities impacted by terrible drought conditions.

More rainfall is expected successful the Calgary country successful the coming days.