Weyburn has received little rainfall this spring and summer. Since April 1st, just 83 millimeters of precipitation has fallen on the Opportunity City. It has made for some difficult times for many, including farmers, gardeners, landscapers, and more.

The question many have been asking is whether this would be classified as a drought. David Phillips, the senior climatologist with Environment Canada, said whether or not it is drought depends on who is making the call.

“A drought is really in the eyes of the beholder,” Phillips explained. “It really depends. For growers it could be different than ranchers; it could be different than people involved in forest fire fighting, or even water managers.”

While 81 millimeters has fallen this year, it isn’t close to being the driest year on record. In 1958, just 34 millimeters fell from April 1st to July 6th, and in 1980, the same time period saw 36 millimeters. The most recent dry, hot spell many recalls is 1988 when temperatures for the months of June and July averaged 31.1°. To put it into perspective, the next hottest average for the time period was 2015, when it was 25.7°. This year, the average high in the month of June was 23.7°.

The situation for the coming weeks isn’t too promising either, according to Phillips. He said the long-range models developed by Environment Canada, as well as models developed in the United States, show very little precipitation in this part of Saskatchewan for the majority of the summer. While the weather is good for some industries, such as tourism, fishing, camping and other outdoor activities, there are genuine concerns how the weather will affect the agricultural sector in the region, among others.