Cool and unsettled weather in April led to an increase in snowpack levels across B.C.’s Southern Interior.
That’s according to the River Forecast Centre (RFC), which says the provincial snowpack average increased to 121 per cent on May 1, up from 103 per cent on April 1.
The RFC attributed the increase to delayed snowmelt, adding that most regions saw increases of five to 15 percentage points.
“The overall cooler pattern has delayed snowmelt through much of the province and several storm systems have added additional mountain snowpack,” the forecast centre said this week.
Further, the RFC says the upcoming seven-day forecast is calling for below-seasonal temperatures with the possibility of a couple of storm systems affecting the province.
“Longer range weather forecasts do not indicate any significant warm period on the horizon at the moment,” said the forecast centre.
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An interactive map available on the RFC website currently lists the Okanagan snowpack level at 74 per cent.
Daily data from the RFC listed the Okanagan at 80 per cent of normal on April 1, but jumped to 91 per cent on April 22. But by May 1, it fell to 72 per cent.
The Similkameen is currently listed at 94 per cent, while the Boundary is shown as being at 87 per cent.
Notably, the West Kootenay and South Thompson regions are both at 101 per cent, while the Lower Thompson is at 83 per cent.
The RFC releases detailed monthly snowpack data, and this month’s data will be released on May 10.
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