Plenty of snow in B.C. cities, but 2017 snowpack actually below average
Snow basin measurements below 70 per cent of normal for much of northern B.C.
British Columbians have seen plenty of snow this winter, but that doesn't mean it's landing in all regions of the province.
Single day snowfall records were shattered from Vancouver Island to Sparwood over the last month, but across the province the snowpack is below average, according to figures from the B.C. River Forecast Centre.
"We look at the province as a whole. We're at about 79 per cent of normal," said Dave Campbell, who heads the forecast centre.
Snow fell much more in populated centres and valleys than at the tops of mountains, Campbell said, resulting in lower snowpacks in much of the province.
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"Because we've had a number of snow events in the populated areas that don't normally see that much snow, the Lower Mainland and other communities, there is that perception people are seeing and dealing with more snow than they normally do," said Campbell
The South Coast, Lower Fraser and Nechako regions are the only areas of B.C. where the snowpack is relatively normal for this time of year, measured within 90 per cent of their respective seasonal averages.
The lower snowpacks means that at this stage of the winter, the River Forecast Centre believes there is limited risk for any part of the province developing a seasonal flood risk.
