Watch: Extremely low snow pack levels in the mountains could have dire consequences, ranging from water shortages to an increased risk of forest fires. Jeremy Hunka reports.
The lack of snow this season has meant bad news for local ski hills, but it could have serious consequences for our province come spring.
Extremely low snow pack levels in the mountains could lead to water shortages and an increased risk of forest fires.
The river forecast centre says snow pack levels on Vancouver Island and the South Coast are just 30 per cent of what they normally are at this time of year.
Tobi Gardener with BC River Forecast Centre told Global News that translates into low water supply conditions and it could be an issue later in the summer when the conditions are drier.
Dry conditions could also increase the risk of forest fires.
“A lower snowpack means that we usually dry out earlier in the spring,” says Greg Norton with Agriculture Research Development Corp. “So that moisture is not in the forest. With the longer period of dry that the forest experiences, the risk of wildfire rises.”
It’s sparking worries for farmers who are concerned about their water supply.
Blueberry grower Jason Smith says the snowpack on the local mountains near his farm has already vanished, meaning much of his spring and summer water supply has now melted away.
“I am really concerned. The previous two years, we had a regular snowpack and I was having issues having enough water,” says Smith. “I don’t know what’s going to happen this summer if we are going to have a long, hot and dry one.”
But while it’s not expected the snowpack will recover completely, experts stress Mother Nature still has plenty of time to reverse the trend.
With files from Jeremy Hunka
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