Image Credit: CFJC Today / Kent Simmonds

By Dylana Kneeshaw

SNOWPACK CONDITIONS

Recent snow dump a positive for low snowpack levels in Thompson region

Jan 19, 2024 | 6:00 PM

KAMLOOPS — The BC River Forecast Centre says this most recent dump of snow is a good thing for the low snowpack levels, but it hasn’t pulled the region out of ongoing drought potential.

Preliminary data hasn’t been finalized, but hydrologist Natasha Cowie says the storm did bring about 15 to 20 millimetres of snow-water equivalent — which is how much liquid water is contained in the snowpack. Even with the thick blanket of new snow, it hasn’t caught up to the current snowpack deficit.

“The provincial deficit was averaging about 150 millimetres. I just looked [Friday] morning (Jan. 19) at the Thompson River area, and it looks like that may be closer to around 200 millimetres of a deficit there,” explains Cowie. “It’s positive, but we need a lot more to really get back up to normal conditions.”

Cowie says to get back to near normal snowpack levels, the area would need several more weather events like this past week, all before the end of winter.

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“In a typical year at this time of year in mid-January, usually a little over half of the snowpack has accumulated that’s going to accumulate for the whole winter.” said Cowie. “We still have a good bit of winter remaining so that’s the positive. Even with that big deficit there’s still a chance things could flip and we could see some rebound.”

The next official snowpack bulletin is expected by the first week of February.