A warm and dry start to spring has left the province's snowpack below seasonal norms, clearing the way for less than ideal conditions, B.C.'s River Forecast Centre says.
“There are concerns for drought this season throughout the province due to long-term precipitation deficits, low snowpack and seasonal weather forecasts,” River Forecast Officials said in the report published on Friday.
Provincewide, the snowpack is now 71 per cent of normal, down from 79 per cent a month earlier.
Drilling down to regions, data shows significant drops in the snowpack were reported in the Southern Interior.
The Nicola snowpack, for example, is now at 51 per cent of its seasonal norm.
The Similkameen snowpack is now 49 per cent of normal and the Okanagan is 67 per cent of normal.
The North and South Thompson snowpacks are, respectively, at 84 and 72 per cent of normal while Lower Thompson is now zero per cent of normal.
West Kootenay's snowpack is at 73 per cent of normal and East Kootenay is 62 per cent of normal.
Temperatures ranged from .5 C to 2.5 C warmer than usual throughout the province. Notably Kelowna had its fourth warmest April since records started being taken in 1899.
“There was very little mountain snow accumulation in April and lower elevation locations had earlier snowmelt than normal for the month,” forecast centre officials said in the latest report.
“On April 1 approximately 40 per cent of snow stations were well below and by May 1 it increased to approximately 60 per cent below normal.”
Looking ahead, the river forecast centre said that the warmer than normal temperatures are expected to persist and rain may not show up with “a drier signal for the southern sections of the province,” showing up.
To date, however, the river forecast centre says there are no signs of a significant heat wave in the short-term forecast.
There is some hope that June could change things.
“Spring weather will continue to play an important role in summer drought conditions.”
Okanagan Lake's water level is above what it was at the same time last year. You can follow the rise of the lake to full pool here.
