April had near-normal temperatures, precipitation: River Forecast Centre

It was a near-normal April for B.C.

That’s according to the River Forecast Centre, which said, except for one small area, temperatures were near normal and that precipitation was either near normal or below normal.

The lone exception: Fort Nelson, which saw above-normal monthly precipitation.

“At lower elevations, short periods of warm weather in early April rapidly melted the shallower-than-normal snowpack,” the RFC said in its May 1 snow conditions commentary.

2:01 Alberta’s mountain snowpack still 20% below normal

For example, it noted that data from Brenda Mine said it melted to zero earlier than ever in 29 years, but that many other lower-elevation stations also melted rapidly.

“At higher elevations, the cooler temperatures in the second half of April delayed the onset of snowmelt, especially compared to last year,” said the RFC.

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Overall, the RFC said the provincial average for its automated snow weather stations is 67 per cent of median, up from 62 per cent on April 15.

However, it also said the provincial average can be difficult to calculate when some stations are fully melted while others are still accumulating snow.

Next week, on May 9, the province will release its monthly snow and water supply bulletin.