Vancouver Island saw plenty of precipitation in February, but due to warmer-than-average temperatures, most of it came in the form of rain, not ideal conditions for snowpack levels, currently at 46 per cent of average. (File photo/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By Jordan Davidson

low snow

Snowpack levels at second-lowest in B.C.’s history despite recent snow

Mar 8, 2024 | 3:23 PM

NANAIMO — While the numbers are up slightly, the volume of snowpack in B.C. is still well below average across the province.

The March 1 snow survey and water supply bulletin also showed an increase to the snowpack on Vancouver Island, currently at 46 per cent of normal for this time of year, up from 30 per cent in February.

Head of the B.C. River Forecast Centre Dave Campbell said province-wide, the average snowpack level as of March 1 is at 66 per cent of normal, up from 61 per cent in February.

“In terms of historical context, this is tied for the second lowest provincial March 1 snowpack that we’ve seen. The historic low was in 1977 when we had 53 per cent of normal, and then we saw in 2001, similar to what we have right now, 66 per cent.”

The three zones with the lowest current snowpack are the Skagit area (30 per cent), followed by the South Coast (40 per cent), and finally Vancouver Island (46 per cent). (B.C. River Forecast Centre)

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Campbell said a lot of the additional snow which fell last month helped build up snow lost during unseasonably warm weather earlier in the year.

“The overall trend of low snowpack this year has really been driven by the warm, earlier season temperatures, in particular in January, where we did experience that incredibly warm atmospheric river event, which melted a lot of snow.”

He said while there’s a chance of more snow this month, they’re not expecting any major increases to the snowpack levels before their next report at the start of April, which coincides with the start of wildfire season in B.C.

As of March 1, 2024, only the Northwest (114 per cent) area is above average for the amount of snowpack for this time of year. (River Forecast Centre)

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jordan@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @JordanDHeyNow