Okanagan lost roughly a third of its snowpack in January

The province as a whole is doing well when it comes to snowpack, but the Okanagan has lost almost a third of its snowpack in the last month.

On Jan. 1, the Okanagan had 90 per cent of its normal snowpack and on Feb. 1 it had around 67 per cent of its normal snowpack, according to the latest data from the River Forecast Centre released today, Feb. 11.

B.C. had 107 per cent of its normal snowpack on Jan. 1, and on Feb. 1 it had 96 per cent.

“The two regions lower this season compared to last year include Vancouver Island and the Okanagan,” the forecast centre report reads.

Penticton and Kelowna had the driest January on record. Penticton had 2.5 millimetres of precipitation out of a normal 28.1 mm and Kelowna had 7.1 mm of precipitation out of a normal 31 mm, according to Environment Canada.

Kamloops and Vernon had a bit more precipitation last month but still well below normal. Vernon had 17.8 mm of precipitation out of its normal 37.1 mm and Kamloops had 5.3 mm of precipitation out of a normal 21.7 mm.

The South Thompson region went down a bit from 93 per cent of normal to 81 per cent of normal snowpack.

Big White Ski Resort has 157 centimetre alpine snowbase with 331 cm of total snowfall this season. SilverStar Mountain Resort has a base of 131 cm and 315 cm total this season. Apex Mountain Resort has a base of 122 cm and 286 cm total. Sun Peaks Resort has an alpine base of 145 cm.

The low snowpack is expected to impact water flows come spring.

“Below normal, 70 per cent to 90 per cent, flows are forecast for the Nicola River and Okanagan Lake,” the report reads.

Many parts of B.C. are well above normal for snowpack.

The Central Coast has 142 per cent of normal snowpack and Nechako has 128 per cent of normal snowpack.

The River Forecast Centre said there is still time to make up for a lack of snow in the Okanagan before spring.

“With another two or three months left for snow accumulation, seasonal snowpacks can still change significantly based on weather patterns through the remainder of the season,” the centre said in its report.