Severe thunderstorm watch for Okanagan, Shuswap and other parts of the Southern Interior

Soggy spring conditions are expected to ramp up in the days ahead, with the national weather agency predicting severe thunderstorms and the potential for torrential rain.

The list of possibilities noted by Environment Canada also includes large hail and damaging gusts of wind.

The real issue, however, may be “heavy downpours” that “cause flash floods and water pooling on roads.”

4:15 How Kamloop is preparing for possible spring flooding

The report covers the South Thompson, Nicola, Similkameen, the Okanagan Valley, Shuswap and Boundary and doesn’t specify if one area is likely to get more intensely wet weather than another.

The low-pressure system offering up this weather prompted the River Forecast Centre to put a high streamflow advisory into effect on Thursday in anticipation of rising temperatures and steady rain.

“Steady warming this week is leading to increasing snowmelt rates and river runoff. Daily maximum temperatures have been reaching the low to mid-20 C range and are expected to reach similar levels today,” reads the alert.

“While low and mid-elevation snowpack is now depleted, higher elevation areas (above 1,600 metres) have experienced a delayed melt this year, and significant snowpacks remain.”

The areas specified in the river forecast advisory are the Nicola River and tributaries, including the Coldwater River, Spius Creek and surrounding tributaries; the Similkameen River, including the Tulameen River and surrounding tributaries; the Okanagan, including tributaries around Osoyoos, Penticton, Kelowna, Vernon and surrounding areas; and Salmon River near Salmon Arm and the Boundary Region, including the Kettle River, Granby River and surrounding tributaries.