Snow (7713808 © Aprescindere | Dreamstime.com)

By Pete McIntyre

Update

Okanagan has one of highest snow packs in B.C.

Jan 4, 2023 | 12:00 PM

The Okanagan has experienced a snowier than normal start to the winter, according to the statistics.

In a snow conditions update issued Jan. 3, the B.C. River Forecast Centre said the regions with the highest average snow pack above long-term median are Boundary (147 per cent above normal) and Okanagan (125 per cent).

The centre said the snow levels vary considerably between regions, although regional average snow packs are generally low in comparison to historical data for the start of the new year.

“The provincial average for all ASWS [automated snow weather stations] sites is 89 per cent and the Fraser River basin also averages 88 per cent. By January 1, on average, approximately 46 per cent of the total seasonal snowpack has accumulated in a typical year,” the centre stated.

The regions with the lowest snow packs are Vancouver Island (60 per cent of normal), the South Coast (64 per cent) and the North Thompson (64 per cent).

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The agency said weather conditions were cooler and drier than normal with few snowfall events in November and early December, with significant precipitation in late December throughout the province – most notably for the Okanagan and Boundary.

The River Forecast Centre will release a more detailed snow and water supply bulletin on Jan. 10 which will include about 60 manual snow survey measurements.