Snowpack High

By 250 News

There is some good news coming out of all the snowstorms that have  hit the region.  The Snowpack levels are above normal for this time of the year, in fact, they are at January 1st record levels  in the Nechako and Skeena basins, as well as some locations on Vancouver Island and the South Coast.

The  levels  are welcome news for  the Peace River basin, the Upper Fraser and Nechako, and the mid-Fraser and Thompson Nicola regions which  had record, or near-record drought conditions through the fall. If the snow continues, those regions can  expect sufficient water supply in the spring and summer.

The Fraser River though Prince George was so low,  the full concrete piers for the CN Train bridge were  exposed.

Conditions changed in late October when the first  big storm  moved through the  region bringing  heavy snowfall to the Nechako and Skeena regions. Then came November and December which  brought  storm after storm after storm. Total precipitation for  most areas of the Province during Novermber and December was well above normal.

Right now. the snowpack  for the Nechako Basin is 174% of normal.

Skeena           153%

Peace Region   143%

Thompson        110%

Fraser Basin low elevation snow index is about 150% of normal.

This all means there is, at this point, a very favourable outlook for  spring and summer water supply.

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