The Boundary’s snowpack levels have taken a significant dip since the last report in January.
The latest provincial snowpack figures show British Columbia’s snow levels are well below normal levels.
The latest report from the province’s Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, was released Feb. 11, and showed a drop across all of B.C. after an unusually dry and warm January. For the Boundary region, its snowpack is sitting at 89 per cent of normal, a notable drop from the 115 per cent recorded on Jan. 1. The neighbouring Upper Columbia, West Kootenay and East Kootenay regions are all below 70 per cent of normal.
To the west of the Boundary, the Okanagan was 84 per cent of normal and the Similkameen registered 57 per cent normal.
The Liard basin was the only part of the province to record a snowpack level higher than normal, with a snowpack of 108 per cent recorded there.
Vancouver Island’s snowpack is 82 per cent of normal, but the neighbouring South Coast was at 59 per cent and the Central Coast was at 60 per cent.
The Middle Fraser’s snowpack is at 64 per cent of normal and the Lower Fraser is at 73 per cent.
The Upper Fraser West basin was at 92 per cent of normal and the Upper Fraser East was at 81 per cent of normal.
As of Feb. 1, the provincial snowpack was 72 per cent of normal, a significant drop from the Jan. 1 level, of 87 per cent of normal. However, the snowpack this year is greater than the measurements from the same time in 2024, when the provincial average was 61 per cent of normal.
The summary stated La Niña weather conditions are expected to continue from February to April. This weather pattern is connected with cooler temperatures for the province and wetter weather on the South Coast and Vancouver Island.
La Niña conditions are often associated with above-normal snow levels, particularly on the South Coast and Southern Interior, the summary stated.
The report summary stated two-thirds of the province’s snowpack typically accumulates by early February. However, with two to three months left in the snow accumulation season, significant changes can still occur.
