Near Normal Conditions Expected for Flood Season

The latest snow pack information has been released by the BC River Forecast Centre and things still remain normal in the BC Interior.

The snow survey data shows that in the Okanagan and Thompson regions the basins are just below normal for this time of the year. According to River Forecast Centre Hydrologist Tobi Gardner, above normal precipitation and warm temperatures have reduced the size of the snow packs.

Photo Credit: BC River Forecast Centre

“The March survey indicates that over the past month there has been an overall decline in the snow basin in much of the province, in particular for the lower and mid-level elevations,” explains Gardner. “At this point we are about 80 per cent of the way through the snow accumulation season.”

That means that the areas of the province where there are low snow packs, it is unlikely these will recover to average conditions normally expected. In the Interior, conditions are average or below average and it depends on the systems that could potentially develop, but it is unlikely there will be high levels of flooding this year.

While flooding is always a concern, especially in low lying areas such as the Similkameen, farmers and orchardists are watching the snow packs closely as the runoff water basins provide much needed water for the growing season.

Photo Credit: BC River Forecast Centre

“The Okanagan basin for summer run off conditions is sitting around 85 per cent of average conditions, Nicola Lake and River is in the high 70 percentile for average conditions and the Thompson basin is in the high 90s, so around normal conditions,” he adds. “What that means is in areas such as the Okanagan we can expect some low flow conditions in the summer but that will depend on the spring and the replenishment of the reservoirs.”

With the current seasonal weather outlook and snow pack conditions in southwest British Columbia, it is unlikely that snow packs will recover significantly. With extremely low snow packs in the Lower Fraser, South Coast, Skagit and Vancouver Island, runoff from snow melt will be limited. Environment Canada is forecasting a high likelihood of above normal temperatures over the March to May period across British Columbia.