Heaviest snowpack in 6 years renews flooding fears

Official says 95% of season’s snow remains on hills at high elevations

With the highest reported snowpack in the province, the Okanagan is at risk of more flooding this week.

The snowpack in the Okanagan was at 147 per cent of normal on May 1, the highest level in the region since 2011, the River Forecast Centre recorded in its latest snowpack report released Monday.

In April, the Okanagan snowpack was at 105 per cent of normal.

“The cool and wet weather over the last month has really changed the snowpack through the Southern Interior and the Okanagan,” said Dave Campbell, head of the River Forecast Centre.

The provincial average for snowpack across B.C. was 118 per cent of normal on May 1, up from 98 per cent last month.

At high elevations, including above Mission Creek, 95 per cent of the snow from the season remains, said Campbell.

At mid-elevation, more than half of the snow remains.

“In the last week, a lot of the mid-elevation snow has melted, but looking at high-elevation areas, there’s still a lot of water to come down, including flows into Okanagan Lake,” said Campbell. “There’s still potential for flooding. We’re not through the season yet.”

The snowmelt season was delayed by about two weeks, he said.

The Southern Interior experienced extreme precipitation last month — between 150 per cent and 300 per cent of normal — which contributed to the increased snowpack and stream flow, said Campbell.

“We’ve already seen a number of flood issues through the region, and we’re setting up for a short-term pattern similar to what we saw last weekend, with warming over the next day or two and another transition into stormy, wet weather Thursday and Friday,” he said. “So there’s concern that in the short term, there is the potential for re-emergence of flood conditions later this week.”

Well-above normal seasonal runoff — more than 120 per cent — is forecast in the Okanagan.

Environment Canada has indicated an increased likelihood of above-normal temperatures from the second half of May to July.

GARY NYLANDER/The Daily Courier Spring runoff has caused the level of Mission Creek to rise significantly. Diversion channel gates have been opened to allow more water to flow through.