Above Average Snowpack

Greater Vernon’s watersheds are showing above average levels for snowpack.

The Regional District of North Okanagan’s three sites range from 104 to 120 percent of normal as of March 1.

Water sustainability coordinator Jennifer Miles says the spring weather will be a factor in how quickly the snow melts.

“Our pattern of snow accumulation and precipitation and heat has been very different in the spring than what we’re used to. We’ve had very warm and early springs which has really impacted our water demand,” Miles tells Kiss FM.

The levels of the Duteau reservoirs is also above the 20 year average.
There’s some discrepancy between the local and provincial snowpack readings for Greater Vernon.

RDNO three sites range from 104 to 120 percent of normal — while the provincial sites for the Kal Lake and Duteau Creek sources are 86% of normal.

Miles says the BC numbers are a broader measurements .

“Our sites are really close to our reservoirs and some of them are in clear cut areas, so they will have greater snow accumulation at certain times of the year.”

Miles says the different levels show how variable the snowpack can be in different parts of the watershed.

Eighty percent of the snowpack is usually received by March 1.