Image Credit: B.C. River Forecast Centre

By James Peters

SNOWPACK

Snowpack across B.C. surged above normal in February

Mar 9, 2021 | 11:20 AM

KAMLOOPS — The latest B.C. River Forecast Centre snow survey shows the season setting up for potential high water in the spring.

The agency says typically, 80 per cent of the winter’s snowpack has accumulated by March 1. This year, the province’s overall snowpack is at 114 per cent of normal.

Around Kamloops, the North Thompson is at 111 per cent of normal, while the South Thompson is at 106 per cent.

The Lower Thompson basin, which stretches from near Merritt west to Lytton, is at 136 per cent. That basin includes the Nicola River sub-basin, which is at 119 per cent of typical levels.

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Further to the north, the Bridge basin is the only area of the province at below normal levels, at 95 per cent. The Chilcotin basin, though, shows one of the highest levels in B.C., with 132 per cent of normal.

Most snowpack levels in the province increased from February to March. Hydrologist Jonathan Boyd says a series of storm systems that hit the province later in February contributed to more snow accumulation.

Boyd says the weather forecast from Environment Canada indicates we could see a colder spring period with more precipitation than normal, which may result in a delayed runoff this year.

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