By Corey Fischer

Okanagan Snowpack: ‘Not a Huge Concern’

Jan 9, 2018 | 3:38 PM

Officials say BC’s snowpack is near normal for this time of year, with an average of all areas at 96%.

Dave Campbell from the BC River Forecast Centre says some interesting weather the last couple months has led to this.

“A fairly heavy snow start to the season in November, and then really dry weather for the first two-thirds of December, so that led to pretty normal snowpack,” Campbell tells Beach Radio News.

The snow basin indices range from a low of 52% of normal in the Stikine, to a high of 141% in the Similkameen.

The snowpack in the Okanagan is at 123% of normal.

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“That’s not a huge concern now, but if that trend continues into the next couple months, that would start to raise a little more concern in terms of the potential for increased flood risk.”

Campbell says about half of the expected snowfall usually hits the ground by Jan. 1.

“We are in a La Nina cycle, and typically with that, we have an increased likelihood of seeing heavier snowpacks, particularly in the southern half of the province. We don’t see that trend yet.”

by Corey Fischer