Okanagan snowpack at lowest in 40 years as drought fears ramp up

The snowpack in the Okanagan is at its lowest level in at least four decades.

Newly released data from the B.C. River Forecast Centre shows a stark contrast across B.C. While northern and eastern regions are above normal, the Okanagan is sitting at just 58 per cent, a record low since tracking began in 1980.

“Of note in particular, the Okanagan had several very long-term stations at all-time record low measurements for April 1,” Jonathan Boyd, a hydrologist with the B.C. River Forecast Centre, said.

Since we’ve got a historical record of the snow basin indices, which start about 1980, it was the lowest snow basin index for the Okanagan at 58 per cent of normal and the previous was 1981 at 67 per cent. So in particular, the Okanagan is an area that highlights just how incredibly low it is this year compared to previous years.”

The chair of the Okanagan Basin Water Board says as drought fears ramp up, so too does planning as the region braces for what could be a very dry summer.

“Everybody’s talking about that,” said Blair Ireland with the Okanagan Basin Water Board.

“Every community is looking at how they’re going to put in water restrictions or what they’re going to do to address this drought.”

A limited water supply could significantly affect daily life and have wide-reaching impacts on agriculture, tourism and the environment.

“Typically, what snow acts as is, it’s like a savings account, and it’s something that essentially saves that moisture to be released later in the season,” Boyd said.

“And if we have it all right now, that might mean that we’re in a deficit once we get into the later spring in June, or into the summer.”

While a low snowpack is worrisome, it’s the amount of moisture in the coming weeks that will really be the deciding factor.

“Snowpack alone doesn’t necessarily guarantee drought one way or the other,” Boyd said. “The overarching weather conditions for the spring and the summer really are indicative of whether drought does or doesn’t occur.”

With spring’s potential to bring heavy rainfall, there is still a chance Mother Nature could help avert a drought disaster.

“I don’t own rain boots,” Ireland said.

“But I don’t care. I want to see it rain. I think we all do.”

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