Lack of rain continues for southern, central Sask.

Saskatchewan is experiencing one of the driest springs ever, as its two biggest cities continue to set records for the lack of moisture so far.

Regina is on pace to set a new mark for driest May ever, having received just 2.8 millimetres of moisture up to Tuesday — just five per cent of the 30-year average of 47.6 mm, according to Environment Canada. The current mark was set in 2007 when 4.2 mm fell through the entire month.

The Queen City already set a record for driest March in history, though April ran close to average thanks to several storms rolling through the provincial capital.

Saskatoon won’t break a record this month, after setting a new one for driest April ever in 2019, but the skies have still held back. Environment Canada’s numbers show only 4.4 mm of precipitation has fallen in the Bridge City through May, representing about 10 per cent of the average 40.2 mm. If no more rain falls, it would mark the third-driest May ever in Saskatoon.

No rain is in the Environment Canada forecast for either city up to May 27.

“We were already coming into the spring relatively dry,” meteorologist Terri Lang told 650 CKOM. “Now this is just kind of extending that.”

The dry conditions through southern and central Saskatchewan come as farmers are in the midst of seeding operations.

Lang said if drought conditions continue, crops struggling to grow could actually contribute to a prolonged lack of rain.

“In the summer when all the crops start to green up, they give off a tremendous amount of moisture, and that moisture fuels all the thunderstorms we see,” Lang said. “If the crops aren’t growing well because there’s no moisture, then we don’t get as many storms.”

She noted it doesn’t mean there won’t be any rain at all, but it could mean fewer pop-up thunderstorms through the season.

Lang added that until crops and grasslands “green up,” the province will continue to be at high risk for wildfires.

“Moisture is good all the way around,” she said.