MARCH 2017 • COUNTRY LIFE IN BC


Snow pack lows reduce flows


by TOM WALKER VICTORIA – Snowpack


levels remain, on average, below normal across the province, leading the BC River Forecast Center to say there is a low risk of flooding this spring. “By early February, two-


thirds of the annual BC snowpack has typically accumulated,” according to the February 1 snow survey and water supply bulletin issued by the BC Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations. “At this stage in the season, there is limited indication that any region of the province is developing increased seasonal flood risk due to high snow pack.” Snow levels are only part of the flooding equation, the bulletin points out, citing high temperatures or heavy rainfall events during melt season as conditions that add to the risk. “With two to three months


remaining in the snow accumulation season, changes to the seasonal runoff outlook are possible, but at this stage would require extremely wet conditions to make a


significant impact on seasonal flood risk,” the forecast center reports. The average provincial


snowpack levels are 79% of normal, which is a slight drop from the January average of 82%. The Liard district has the lowest snow level at 49% of normal while the Nechako region is highest at 101% of normal. Boundary and Stikine regions also measure well below normal. Slightly below normal snow packs (65-80%) are present in Upper Fraser, West Kootenay, East Kootenay, Okanagan, Similkameen and the Skeena-Nass. Near normal snow packs (80-105%) are showing throughout the rest of the province. The Lower Fraser is 97% of normal, with the South Coast at 95% and Vancouver Island 81% of normal. The dry cold weather of


mid-January (0.5-3.0C below normal) changed to warm wet conditions and melted the low-level snow that had been in place since early December. While normal temperatures


prevailed during the Pacific Agriculture Show in Abbotsford at the end of January, the mercury dropped again by the beginning of


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Spuds in tubs! Volunteer BJ Severson, left, and BC Agriculture in the Classroom staff member Carla McBeth were packaging up 11,000 seed potatoes for distribution to 458 classrooms thoughout BC this spring. The potatoes were donated by W&A Farms in Richmond. AITC will host their annual Spring Fling fundraising dinner on April 29 in Maple Ridge. AITC PHOTO


February. The southern half of the province, including the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island, saw a second heavy dump of snow making highway travel difficult. Rather than risk going over the hump to Port Alberni, many Islanders avoided the Islands Agriculture Show.


Most of northern BC saw temperatures 0.5-3C above normal in January while northeast BC received well above normal temperatures. Seasonal forecasts from


Environment and Climate Change Canada are indicating an increased likelihood of near normal temperatures across most of BC from


February through April. In most areas of the


province, spring and summer weather is the key cause of low summer stream flow. Yet below average snow packs in the Stikine, Liard, Peace, Upper Fraser and Boundary indicate there is potential for increased risk of low flows in those regions this summer.


OUR TEAM OF EXPERTS


British Columbia / Evergro Gurnaib Gill Fraser Valley


Top-notch seeds!


gurnaib.gill@cpsagu.ca 604 835-3124


Balkar Gill Fraser Valley


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Terry Stevens Vancouver Island


terry.stevens@cpsagu.ca 604 883-5361


Ben Yurkiw Fraser Valley and BC Interior


ben.yurkiw@cpsagu.ca 604 830-9295


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Warren Peacock wp@norseco.com 519 426-1131 |


Manitoba Gilliane Bisson


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Yves Thibault, agr. yt@norseco.com 418 660-1498 |


418 666-8947


Customer service order@norseco.com 800 561-9693 |


Martin Deslauriers Sales Manager Vegetable Division


mdeslauriers@norseco.com 438 989-4863


519 426-6156


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800 567-4594


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