Do recent snow events provide relief to drought?

In short, yes, snowmelt provides some relief to the drought. However, more moisture is needed to replenish the soil moisture deficit that accumulated over the past few years.

On average, though the ratio varies, 25 cm of snow translates to 2.5 cm of rain equivalent. Among the 2.5 cm of rain equivalent, 20 to 50% will become soil moisture available to plants. Between 50 to 80% is lost through runoff and evaporation. The loss is closer to 50% when the topsoil is dry, and up to 80% when surface soil is wet.

To find out about the soil moisture trends in your region, refer to Alberta moisture situation update and Alberta Climate and Atlas Maps. Make realistic yield expectations and related fertilizer plans based on the moisture conditions.