Snow accumulation in the Okanagan hills declined significantly in February, which raises the potential for water shortages this summer.
“Generally speaking, we‘re looking at 70 to 80 per cent of average right now, which we would, in fact, now call below normal,” said Bill Kuhnke with the Environment Ministry‘s river forecast centre.
“It‘s still not as low as it was last year, at least at the sites we‘re measuring. But it doesn‘t seem to be improving, certainly not over the month of February. We‘ve seen no improvement but further deterioration.”
The long-range weather forecast for March is not predicting any change in the relatively mild weather, he said.
“Along with that tends to go drier conditions.”
Between 75 and 80 per cent of a typical winter‘s snow has usually accumulated by March 1.
“If you are down in the valleys, of course, it may be in excess of 80 per cent,” said Kuhnke
River forecast staff are still tabulating readings from specific sites around the Valley, and the March 1 bulletin is expected to be posted on the ministry website on Monday.
However, the bi-weekly snow pillow report posted at www.env.gov.bc.ca/rfc/bulletins/
snowpillow.htm says snow conditions in all the major river basins in B.C. declined steadily during January and continued to decline during February.
“Observations across B.C. suggest that low- and mid-elevation snow is well below normal. Following the major drought of the 2009 summer, the below-normal snow conditions in south and central B.C. indicate potential for water-supply challenges to develop again this summer.”
It lists the snow pillow average for the Okanagan, Kettle and Similkameen valleys at 78 per cent.
If the snowpack doesn‘t improve, subsequent monthly bulletins will have “more and more language that things are not looking good and people should be careful,” said Kuhnke.
“Of course, internally, we‘re gearing up for that situation as well. Strictly speaking, we don‘t directly warn anybody other than through the public statements on the
website.”
The level of Okanagan Lake didn‘t change significantly during February. It is 0.2 metres (20 centimetres, or eight inches) below what the ministry considers its
normal level for March 1.
Ministry staff reduced the outflow through the Okanagan River channel in Penticton to its minimum level in December and continue that discharge practice.
March is traditionally the driest month of the year in Kelowna and the second driest month in Pentic-ton, said Doug Lundquist, Environ-ment Ministry meteorologist.
To avoid water shortages and dry forests next summer, it would be nice to see the usual rainy season from mid-May to the beginning of July closer to normal, he said this week.
Penticton received 102.6 millimetres of precipitation, 154 per cent more than the normal 66.5 mm, during December, January and February.
Kelowna Airport received only 70 per cent of its normal precipitation at 57.6 millimetres compared to the normal 82.4 mm. Top of Page
