Okanagan drought rating increased

Aug 28, 2025 | 1:04 PM

The regional drought rating has gone back up.

The B.C. River Forecast Centre issued the Okanagan a drought rating of Level 1 Thursday, Aug. 28, indicating the region was drier than normal, but not to any severe level.

That rating comes after being recorded at Level 0 the week prior. That designation indicated normal or wetter than usual conditions in the Okanagan.

The increase in the rating comes following a seven-day stretch where Vernon saw an average daytime high of 32.4 °C and 0.6 millimetres of rain. Kelowna also had an average daytime high of 33.4 °C and no precipitation during those seven days.

Elsewhere, the Similkameen was still at Level 4 for the seventh straight week, the Nicola area was at Level 3 for the eighth consecutive week, and the Bridge region saw its rating climb from Level 2 to Level 3. The South, Lower and North Thompson all stayed flat at Level 0.

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“Streamflow in many areas is rapidly declining, especially in interior regions, with drought conditions expected to worsen,” the River Forecast Centre said in the weekly report Thursday.

“Long-term dryness continues to impact some areas even where short-term rainfall has helped, particularly in the northeast and southeast corners of B.C.”

The agency added flows in Salmon River and Bessette Creek are declining below the fish population survival thresholds, and that low flow in many Okanagan tributaries pose a risk to aquatic ecosystems.

The forecast did indicate temperatures dipping below normal levels over the weekend, but returning to above-normal in the upcoming week. There was also minimal precipitation expected over the coming week.

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by Liam Verster

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