Snowpack Varied Across Province
By 250 News
Prince George, B.C. - The snow pack report for March indicates a varied situation across the province. The snowpack is near normal in the Upper Fraser and Nechako regions, but well below normal across the South Coast and South Interior (including the Okanagan, Similkameen, Kettle, Nicola, Kootenay), and to above normal in the north (Peace, Skeena, Liard, Stikine).
By March 1, on average over 80 percent of the winter's snowpack has accumulated. For the southern half of the province, peak winter snow accumulation usually occurs by mid-April. For the portions of the province currently experiencing the well below normal snow conditions (Okanagan, Kettle, Similkameen, Nicola and Kootenay basins, as well as Vancouver Island and the South Coast), there is little winter remaining to accumulate additional snow such that the overall basin water supply conditions are likely to be altered. The current snow conditions suggest the strong possibility for below normal streamflow and water-supply in those areas during the summer. This may be reflected in such things as lower than normal lake and reservoir levels, lower than normal recharge of groundwater aquifers, and lower than normal river levels during summer.
The well above normal snowpacks in some portions of northern B.C., such as the Skeena/Nass, Stikine and Liard, may result in higher than normal stream flows during the freshet snowmelt period in late May and June.
Upper Fraser & Nechako Basins:
The snow water index for the Upper Fraser is 109% of normal for March 1st, nearly unchanged from Feb 1st. Most snow courses across a range of elevations are near or slightly above normal. Burns Lake (1A16) is 103% of normal, Prince George A (1A10) is 119%, and Pacific lake (1A11) is 128%, indicative of low elevation snow conditions throughout the Upper Fraser.
The Nechako snow water index is 106% of normal, decreased from Feb 1st, and with abundant variability across the basin. The Mount Pondosy (1B08P), Tahtsa Lake (1B02P) and Mount Wells (1B01P) snow pillows are 76%, 95%, and 124% of normal, respectively. The lower elevation Skins Lake snow course (1B05) is 75%.
Middle and Lower Fraser
The Middle Fraser has a March 1st snow water index of 71% of normal. The Chilcotin and Fraser Plateau areas appear to have near or above normal snow (e.g., Nazko (1C08) = 123%, Big Creek (1C21) = 120%). However, southern portions of the Middle Fraser are well below normal (e.g., Green Mountain (1C12P) = 41%, Bridge Glacier Lower (1C39) = 28%, Mission Ridge (1C18P) = 55%).
The Lower Fraser snow water index for March 1st is well below normal, at only 54%. Dickson Lake (1D16) and Stave Lake (1D08) on the north side of the Lower Fraser valley are 72% and 57% of normal, respectively. These are largely unchanged from Feb 1st. In the Lillooet River basin, the low elevation Wolverine Creek (1D13) snow course is 98% while the high elevation Tenquille Lake (1D06P) is 59%. The Tenquille Lake value is the lowest in the past 10 years. The Chilliwack River (1D17P) and Wahleach (1D09P) snow pillows, located south of the Fraser River, are 85% and 58%, respectively.
Thompson Basin
The Thompson River basin has below normal snow water conditions at March 1st. The North Thompson snow water index is 88% of normal (decreased from 93% at Feb 1st), while the South Thompson index is 84%.
In the North Thompson basin, the Knouff Lake (1E05) snow course is 94% of normal, and the Azure River (1E08P) and Kostal Lake (1E01P) snow pillows are 76% and 98%, respectively.
In the South Thompson basin, Enderby (1F04) is 82% of normal. The Park Mountain (1F03P) snow pillow is 92%. The Celista Mountain (1F06P) snow pillow located north of Shuswap Lake is estimated to be near 76% of normal. Adams River (1E07) is 85%.
The Nicola basin has well below normal snow conditions. Lac Le Jeune Upper (1C25) is 60% of normal, and Brenda Mine (2F18), adjacent to the east edge of the Nicola basin, is only 56%. Brookmere (1C01) is only 33%.
The Columbia basin snow index is 76% of normal, decreased from 81% at Feb 1st. For the Upper Columbia, most snow courses are in the 65-90% of normal range, with a high of 97% for Canoe River (2A01A) and a low of 55% for Vermont Creek (2A19). For the Lower Columbia, measurements range from a low of 57% for Record Mountain (2B09) and a high of 105% for Barnes Creek (2B06P).
The overall Kootenay snow water index is only 71% of normal, a slight drop from 76% at Jan 1st and 73% at Feb 1st. For the East Kootenay, values for individual snow survey sites range from a low of 62% at Sullivan Mine (2C04) to a high of 92% at the Moyie Mountain snow pillow (2C10P). For the West Kootenay values are similarly low, with 64% at East Creek (2D08P) and 72% at Nelson (2D04).
Okanagan, Kettle, and Similkameen Basins
The overall March 1 snow water index of 72% for the Okanagan-Kettle is well below normal, and has decreased from 76% at Feb 1st. For the Okanagan basin, snow conditions along the west and south sides of the valley are notably well below normal. Mount Kobau (2F12) in the far south Okanagan is only 63% of normal for the date. The Summerland Reservoir (2F02) and Trout Creek (2F01) snow courses are 60% and 83% of normal, respectively. The Mission Creek (2F05P) snow pillow east of Kelowna is 85% of normal, while Silver Star (2F10) north of Vernon is 79%. In the Kettle River drainage, the Grano Creek (2E07P) snow pillow is 69% and Big White Mountain (2E03) is 71%.
Snow conditions in the Similkameen Basin are poor at March 1st, with a basin index of only 59% of normal. This is a significant decline from 83% at Jan 1st. Missezula Mountain (2G05) and Hamilton Hill (2G06) are 40% and 46% of normal, respectively. Isintock Lake (2F11), adjacent to the eastern Similkameen, is 56%. The Blackwall Peak snow pillow (2G03P) is 66%.
Vancouver Island & Coastal Regions
Mid and high elevation snow packs on the Vancouver Island and Coastal regions are well below normal as of March 1st. The Vancouver Island snow water index is only 56% of normal, while the South Coast index is 63% of normal. On Vancouver Island, the Jump Creek (3B23P) and Wolf River (3B17P) snow pillows are 60% and 48% of normal, respectively, at March 1st. On the South Coast, the Grouse Mountain (3A01) and Orchid Lake (3A19) snow courses in the Metro Vancouver North Shore are 97% and 55%, respectively.
Precipitation in the Peace River basin was below normal for February, and its snow water index has decreased to 104% of normal at March 1st, from 109% at Feb 1st. Most snow courses are in the 95 - 120%, with a low of 84% at Tsaydaychi Lake (4A12) to a high of 137% at Ware Lower (4A04).
Precipitation in the Liard River basin has been above normal for much of the winter. For the Liard basin, snow water equivalencies range between 152% at Dease Lake (4C03) and 155% at Jade City (4C15), with a basin average of 130%.
North West Region
The Skeena/Nass basins have a snow water index of 112% of normal for March 1st, a decrease from 124% at Feb 1st. For the two snow courses with the longest periods of record, Hudson Bay Mountain (4B03A), located near Smithers, is 100%, and Johanson Lake (4B02), located in the north-east corner of the basin, is 111%. Bear Pass (4B11A) and Granduc Mine (4B12P) located near the west side of the Nass basin are 114% and 125%, respectively. The Lu Lake (4B15P) and Tsai Creek (4B17P) snow pillows are 98% and 111% of normal, respectively. In the Bulkley River basin, Mount Cronin (4B08) is 86% and Tachek Creek (4B06) is 90%.
Snow conditions in the Stikine basin are well above normal, at 141%. The Kinaskan Lake (4D11P) and Wade Lake (4D14P) snow pillows are 171% and 143% of normal, respectively.
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