The latest outlook from Accuweather says parts of the Western prairies could face another dry summer.

Meteorologist Brett Anderson says ongoing and worsening drought across southern Alberta and southwestern Saskatchewan will likely feed the heat through the summer.

He says the drought conditions in place as of mid-May across a swath of the western prairies is not a good sign as summer approaches.

Anderson expects a hotter summer compared to normal in cities like Calgary and Regina, citing the ongoing drought as a key reason for the temperatures to soar above normal.

The continued dryness and increasing heat will also spell a danger of wildfires in the southern prairies.

He says the exceptions to the elevated heat and wildfire risk, at least in the early summer, are likely to be portions of southeastern Saskatchewan and southern Manitoba.

He says the soil in these areas is still quite moist, with river flooding from recent heavy storms.

The increased moisture may temper the potential for above average heat in the early summer in the eastern prairies, but he doubts it will last the entire summer.

He says conditions may flip to drier and hotter during the second half of the summer as the soil dries out.
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