Rainfall across the prairies and even provincially has been quite variable this year.

Some areas have seen some pretty wicked storms bringing heavy rain, high winds and hail.

The Canadian Crop Hail Association says storm activity across the prairies in the last two weeks of June resulted in farmers filing well over 2000 hail claims.

According to the report mid-June thunderstorms dropped pea- to toonie-sized hail across Western Canada.  

CCHA member companies received more than 900 claims of crop damage from hailstorms that occurred June 13-20. The majority of which were filed in Alberta and Saskatchewan.

President Tyson Ryhorchuk says most only sustained light to moderate damage from these storms, adding that with crops in the early stages of development they can likely recover from the hail damage.

Here’s a look at storm damage across the region:

In Alberta, reports of crop damage came in from Carmangay, Strathmore, Bassano, Didsbury, Olds, Morrin, Elnora, Big Valley, Delburne, Ponoka, Heisler, Strome, Daysland, Holden, Kinsella, Edgerton, Ryley, Vegreville, Warburg, Thorsby, Beaumont, Elk Island, Morinville, Gibbons, Redwater, Vimy, Clyde, Thorhild, Jarvie, Sexsmith, Nampa, Fairview, Wainwright, Worsley.

It was a similar story in Manitoba and Saskatchewan where storms in mid-June hit Bengough, Bruxelles, Canwood, Cudworth, Drake, Eston, Estevan, Foam Lake, Frobisher, Ituna, Kelliher, Lanigan, Leross, Minnedosa, Neepawa, North Battleford, Prince Albert, Raymore, Redvers, Roblin, Rosthern, Saskatoon, Wadena, Wilkie, Willow Bunch, Wynyard.

Ryhorchuk notes when it comes to crop hail damage, the majority of claims have come in from Saskatchewan.

"In Southeast Saskatchewan, there had been that one Friday evening. I believe it was on the 19th where they had several tornadoes that occurred with that. There were a lot of spotty areas that had also received hail in a widespread area ranging anywhere from east of Regina, all the way down to Estevan. We've also seen a lot of crop hail claims coming from Ituna, as well as the Kindersley-Plenty area. "

He says in the last week of June we saw hail pretty well every day in one part of Saskatchewan or another. 

"So with all that said year over year, this year over last, we're pretty well par for where we were in quantity and severity in claims."

He adds CCHA has not completed their Saskatchewan reporting yet for for claims numbers, but he suspects it will be around 900 to 1000 claims .

He notes that, a lot of these crops, a week ago, 10 days ago, were still pretty early in the growth stages. So there's a good chance of recovery pending ideal conditions. 

"In Southeast Saskatchewan, there had been that one Friday evening. I believe it was on the 19th where they had several tornadoes that occurred with that. There were a lot of spotty areas that had also received hail in a widespread area ranging anywhere from, you know, east of Regina all the way down to Estevan. We've also seen a lot of crop hail claims coming from the Ituna area as well as the Kindersley-Plenty area."

CCHA member companies are investigating 1,257 claims of crop damage from hailstorms that occurred June 21-28. The majority of the claims were filed in Saskatchewan, where farmers saw golf ball-sized hail in some locations.

According to the CCHA hail damage during that week of storm activity ranged from light to heavy, with most crops are still in the early stages of development.

Storms impacted the majority of crops, from oilseeds to pulses, sunflowers, sugar beets, and potatoes.

Hail damage reports for Alberta came in from Lomond, Scandia, Brant, Nanton, Cayley, Standard, Crossfield, Irricana, Veteran, Consort, Altario, Myrnam, Mannville, Paradise Valley, Willingdon, St. Albert, Legal, Vimy, Barrhead, Lac La Biche, Cold Lake, Red Deer, Vermillion, Lloydminster, Wainwright, Provost, Hanna, Oyen, Vegreville

Saskatchewan claims came in from Alan, Assiniboia, Bengough, Big River, Biggar, Briercrest, Carrot River, Debden, Dodsland, Drake, Gravelbourg, Hepburn, Humboldt, Ituna, Kelvington, Kerrobert, Kindersley, Krydor, Lanigan, Langham, Lumsden, Luseland, Maidstone, Meathpark, Melfort, Michael, Moose Jaw, Nipawin, Ogama, Outlook, Paradise Hill, Paynton, Plenty, Prince Albert, Radisson, Raymore, Regina, Rosetown, Rosethern, Smiley, Spiritwood, Wadena, Weyburn.

While the hail claims came in from Ashville, Russell, Brandon, Pelican Rapids, Oakland, High Bluff, Gilbert Plains, Gladstone, and Austin, Manitoba.

Ryhorchuk points out that overall, Alberta hasn't seen the claim activity that Manitoba and Saskatchewan have so far this season. 

Source - https://www.discoverhumboldt.com