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The region’s snowpack accumulation is dropping well below normal and remains one of the lowest regional averages in the province during what should be the highest snowpack cumulation time of the year.
The West Kootenay’s monthly snowpack accumulation is continuing to trend well below normal at 74 per cent — and below the provincial average of 83 per cent — for the second half of January.
January typically averages the highest mountain snow accumulation of any month, noted the snow conditions commentary on Feb. 1 by the B.C. River Forecast Centre’s “Snow Conditions and Water Supply Bulletin,” but due to prolonged province-wide dry weather patterns the averages have dropped.
“During the last few days of the month a moderate storm system brought the first precipitation in weeks to many areas of the province,” the commentary read. “A return to drier and cool conditions is expected for the upcoming 10-day weather forecast.”
The automated snow weather stations (ASWS) figures for the seven stations in the West Kootenay are expressed as percent of long-term median for the entire length of record, but it is not the official snow basin indices.
The snowpack accumulation rocketed out for the winter when it hit a high of 194 per cent on Nov. 22 — 118 per cent at Nelson’s Redfish ASWS — and began to decrease to 101 per cent by Dec. 8.
The snowpack continued to spiral down by Dec. 22 when it was at 87 per cent, slipping to 77 per cent by Jan. 8 and then 72 per cent on Jan. 22. The Redfish ASWS, however, has remained the strongest in the region only slipping to 82 per cent (Jan. 22) once since early November, and remaining well above 90 per cent for most of that time.
Although the provincial average is for Feb. 1 at all ASWS sites is 83 per cent — of the period of record median — is has decreased from 89 per cent on Jan. 15. As well, the Fraser River basin stations averaged 83 per cent (down from 87 per cent on Jan. 15).
The figures are not encouraging when viewed with an eye to the future, the report stated.
“By Feb. 1, on average, approximately two-thirds of the total seasonal snowpack has accumulated,” it read.
As of Feb. 1, the ASWS measured significant decreases in snowpack over the second of half of January on Vancouver Island (-23 percentage points), Boundary (-19) and the South Coast (-15).
For the area
The percentage of snowpack accumulation in West Kootenay automated snow weather stations:
- Farron: between Castlegar and Christina Lake – not available
- Barnes Creek: near Nakusp – 70 per cent
- St. Leon Creek: north of Nakusp – 71 per cent
- Duncan Lake Dam 2: northeast of Kaslo – 58 per cent
- East Creek: north of Crawford Bay – 73 per cent
- Gray Creek upper: south of Crawford Bay – 86 per cent
- Redfish Creek: east of Nelson – 85 per cent
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