Okanagan snowpack unchanged through March, still below normal

Apr 9, 2025 | 10:41 AM

The Okanagan snowpack level held steady through March.

The B.C. River Forecast Centre said the Okanagan basin’s snowpack was 82 per cent of normal as of April 1, 2025.

Though below the average level, it was unchanged from the 82 per cent of normal level recorded on March 1.

The provincial agency said the Okanagan was one of the regions where above normal spring freshet hazards were expected. The other areas with higher risks were Boundary (98 per cent of normal) and West Kootenay (85 per cent of normal).

Elsewhere in the surrounding region, the South Thompson had a snowpack of 86 per cent of normal, the North Thompson was at 86 per cent of normal, the Lower Thompson was at 83 per cent, and the Upper Columbia was at 80 per cent.

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The River Forecast Centre noted the provincial snowpack average was 79 per cent of normal on April 1. Though below average, that was up compared to March 1 when the snowpack was recorded at 73 per cent of normal.

Though snowpack levels were up on a monthly basis when compared to the average, the River Forecast Centre still said the B.C. had a high drought risk for the spring and summer months. It attributed those hazards to the low snowpack and seasonal runoff forecasts, combined with warm seasonal weather and impacts from ongoing droughts.

by Liam Verster

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