A Comparison of 1858-59 and 2000-01 Drought Patterns on the Canadian Prairies

Abstract

Summer precipitation on the prairies in 2000-01 exhibited a distinctive spatial pattern—severe drought in southern Alberta and above-normal rainfall east of Swift Current. This pattern was almost identical to that which occurred during the historic Palliser Expeditions in 1858-59 and possibly during some other droughts that have been identified in dendroclimatic reconstructions in southern Alberta. It is suggested that 2000-01 may provide an analogue event that may assist in the understanding of the historic events. © 2006, Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.