Tale of 2 provinces as B.C. continues to record below-average snowpack

The B.C. River Forecast Centre says the province's snowpack was around 79 per cent of normal levels on April 1, with fears of drought continuing into the spring season.

B.C. has recorded a below-average snowpack in the last two monthly updates, with low snow accumulation historically associated with the risk of drought.

The provincial river forecast centre says, however, that snowpack accumulation in March varied widely throughout the province, with the southern half getting a lot of precipitation and the northern half recording historically low levels.

Its report notes that there's a diminished risk of snowmelt-related flooding this spring, with the April snowpack update considered the standard bulletin that is compared to previous years.

On that front, B.C. is in far better shape than last April, when the spring snowpack levels were the lowest on record after years of drought.

Jonathan Boyd, a hydrologist with the river forecast centre, said it was possible more snow could accumulate before the next forecast on May 1, but he doesn't think the province will get above historical normals by then.

"We saw snowpack levels decreased marginally in the northern sections of the province, and then we saw relatively healthy improvements for the southern half of the province," he said.

WATCH | Lot of rain for southwest B.C. in March: 

Metro Vancouver's heavy rainfall increases snowpack levels and landslide risks

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The need for caution remains as Metro Vancouver experiences the tail end of an atmospheric river system. The storm dumped more than 100 millimetres of rain in some areas, triggering a landslide in Port Coquitlam's Citadel neighbourhood.

Boyd said areas of the southern Interior, like Kelowna and Penticton, got a lot of precipitation during the month of March.

In contrast, Boyd pointed to regions in the northern half of the province, like Smithers, which recorded its driest March on record, going back to 1938.

He said the province is doing much better than last April, but the risk of droughts will continue, potentially increasing the risk of wildfires come summer.

The hydrologist said that in 2023, snowpack levels were healthy, but accumulated snow melted quickly due to extreme heat in May that year.

"Time will still tell what the story will be, but to me, it's unlikely to have that type of extreme heat that happens again in the near future," he said. "But really, who knows?"