Provincial snowpack still low, Okanagan rises

The provincial snowpack has dropped to nearly half of normal, but the Okanagan has shown some improvement.

The B.C. River Forecast Centre said the provincial snowpack average was about 57 per cent of normal as of June 1.

That was unchanged from the 57 per cent of normal on May 15, but down from the 66 per cent on May 1.

The centre noted that, on average, roughly 46 per cent of the seasonal snowpack melts by June 1, stating this year is back on trend as 52 per cent of the year’s snow has melted. That was not the case in 2023, when 86 per cent of the province’s snowpack had melted by June 1.

The provincial agency said there was some relatively wet weather in May, and though there was some high temperatures from May 9 to 12, temperatures were near normal for the month.

The Okanagan’s snowpack was at 73 per cent of normal as of June 1.

While still below average, the report showed the conditions improved from the 49 per cent of normal on May 15, and the 60 per cent of normal as of May 1.

The River Forecast Centre said the risk of snowmelt-related floods are very unlikely, and that the greatest flood risks for the rest of the season would be from widespread heavy rain events.

It was added that the low snowpack, early snowmelt and impacts from last year’s drought means there is a higher risk of droughts this summer.