The June 15th snow survey is now complete, and there’s good news for the Kootenay’s, thanks to the abundant spring snow and rain! While the the province as a whole is experiencing below-normal snowpack levels, averaging 38%, the East Kootenay’s are faring much better at 74% and the West Kootenay’s are at 68%.

Typically, three-quarters of the annual snowpack melts by June 15th. Despite an early melt of the low elevation snowpack in April, this year’s snow has melted at a typical rate, with 79% now melted. Last year, the average of all stations on June 15th was only 4% of normal. The risk of snowmelt-related flooding remains low, with the greatest flood risk for the rest of the season coming from potential widespread heavy rain events.

However, the combination of a low seasonal snowpack, early snowmelt, and ongoing drought impacts is creating elevated drought hazards for the upcoming summer.

Data for this report was collected from four manual snow courses and 105 automated snow weather stations around the province, through the efforts of the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy’s Snow Survey Program, BC Hydro, and partners. Climate data from Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) and the provincial Climate Related Monitoring Program also contributed to the findings. You can view the full report here.

Hopefully, precipitation levels remain high as we move into the summer months!