(image credit - CFJC Today)

By Michael Reeve

DROUGHT CONCERNS

Despite historically low snowpack around Kamloops, still too soon to predict drought: province

Apr 10, 2024 | 5:30 PM

KAMLOOPS — The April snowpack report released on Wednesday (April 10) is referred to as the premier snow bulletin for accessing the year’s seasonal snowpack and for comparing to years past. Usually by April 1, 95 per cent of the snow that will fall in a given season has fallen.

The North and South Thompson basins are both sitting with below normal snowpacks for this time of year at 71 and 79 per cent.

“The North and South Thompson don’t necessarily vary very much. Even though the South Thompson is at the 79th percentile, there was a station that was reporting the record low there. From a percentile perspective it is very low,” said BC River Forecast Centre Hydrologist Jonathan Boyd.

That leads to the potential of flooding along the Thompson and it’s tributaries being very low this year, although rain events could still lead to some flooding on smaller streams

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Overall, it’s still a little early to properly predict drought, according to Boyd.

“It still is always a little bit premature to set a drought level just based on the snow right now until we have actually gone through the melt season,” said Boyd. “Only time will tell, and we will see what happens over the next three-to-four weeks in terms of temperatures.”

The stark numbers came as no surprise for Utilities Manager Greg Wightman and the City of Kamloops, which on Tuesday (April 9) passed its new water use bylaw in an effort to be prepared for a possible drought-riddled summer.

“Obviously, those are extremely low numbers, where we are below even where we were last year. Everybody remembers the extreme drought we were in last year — all indications are it could be a lot worse this year, even,” Wightman told CFJC News.

While currently homeowners can water three days per week, that will likely decrease. The message to residents are, times are changing in Kamloops.

“Year-round restrictions, less opportunity for water use. And really it’s lawns. Lawns are going to be one thing that is going to suffer. Being able to keep a nice green lawn throughout summer when you are living in a semi-arid desert — it’s just not going to be a reality anymore,” said Wightman.

As for the snowpacks affect for the wildfire season, the next few months and possible precipitation will be critical in determining the summer’s outcome.

“Typically speaking, drought and wildfire go hand in hand. It’s not setting up to be a great season but it still just depends on what the weather conditions are,” highlighted Boyd. “If we have last year’s spring weather conditions this year, it will be worse from a drought perspective.”