River levels low but snow pack ‘near normal’

NEWS — It could be a lot of water under the bridge, or it could be a non-event.

Low river levels have people wondering which it will be, but a new snowpack survey shows this year is “near normal.”

The North Thompson Basin is at 97 per cent of the normal snowpack, and the South Thompson is at 105 percent.

The provincial River Forecast Centre says moist air masses last month affected much of the south and west parts of the province, with below average temperatures across the north and Interior. The Middle Fraser was at 96 per cent of normal, the Okanagan-Kettle at 97 and the Similkameen at 124 per cent.

What happens next is entirely up to Mother Nature. A sudden spell of hot weather might cause a sudden melt and a dramatic rise in river levels. The best-case scenario is a gradual melt.

The forecast centre said the peak of snow accumulation in B.C. usually occurs in mid-April and then begins melting at higher elevations. “Therefore the April 1 snow survey data is a good reflection of the overall seasonal snow pack that is available for melt during freshet.”

Andy Philpot, who has the contract for looking after river buoys on the Thompson and South Thompson rivers, has been on the job already and says he’s found four buoys that need repositioning.

“They actually came through the winter not bad,” he told The Armchair Mayor News. He said the four buoys that are out of place are in low areas.

Philpot said the rivers are comparatively low for this time of year and whether or not there’s any danger of flooding depends on average temperatures between now and June, when the rivers crest.

There’s a 50-50 chance it could go either way, he said.

The next snowpack bulletin is scheduled for May 1.