Average B.C. snowpack masks ‘strong regional divide,’ provincial bulletin says

The average snowpack is sitting at about 92 per cent of what's considered normal, an improvement over the 79 per cent average at the same time last year.

British Columbia’s latest snow survey and water supply bulletin says the provincial average snowpack is sitting at about 92 per cent of what’s considered normal, an improvement over the 79 per cent average at the same time last year.

But the bulletin covering snowpack up to April 1 says the average “masks a strong regional divide,” with many areas measuring much lower amounts.

The report says snowpack ranged from a low of 26 per cent of normal in the Skagit area to a high of 136 per cent in the Nechako and Peace regions.

It says areas with below-normal snowpack, particularly in parts of the southern Interior and the South Coast, show “early concerns” for drought conditions.

The bulletin shows snowpack on Vancouver Island sitting at 44 per cent of normal, while it was at 51 per cent in the Nicola region and 58 per cent in the Okanagan.

Areas across northern and eastern B.C., including the Skeena-Nass, Stikine, Peace, Upper Columbia and East Kootenay regions, along with the central coast, have meanwhile recorded snowpack levels ranging from 110 to 136 per cent of normal.

The bulletin says seasonal run-off forecasts are generally near normal across much of the province, though regions with near to above-normal snowpack face an increased risk of spring flooding due to snowmelt.

Above-normal run-off is forecast for the Upper Fraser, Bulkley River, Skeena River and Similkameen River basins, along with Cowichan Lake inflows, it says.

Overall, the report says about 60 per cent of snow stations were measuring above-normal levels as of April 1, with about 45 per cent considered well above normal.

Still, while B.C.’s average snowpack is higher than it was a year ago, it says levels in several southern and coastal regions are lower than in 2025.

Those areas include Vancouver Island and the South Coast, along with the Lower Thompson, Lower Fraser, Okanagan and Nicola regions.

“Several stations in the Okanagan and South Coast have recorded near or all-time low snow water equivalent, highlighting the severity of low elevation snow deficits in these regions,” the provincial report says.

The bulletin provides some insight into temperatures and precipitation this spring, saying seasonal outlooks from Environment Canada point to an increased likelihood of above-normal temperatures across B.C. through to June, with the strongest signals in southern and central areas.

Parts of northwestern B.C. show a weaker signal, closer to normal, it says.

Seasonal precipitation forecasts remain more uncertain, though the report notes there is a “weak signal” of below-normal levels along parts of the south coast, including southern Vancouver Island.

Some northern regions show a “slight tilt” toward above-normal precipitation, but there’s “no strong tendency” toward levels outside normal ranges for much of the rest of the province, the report says.

This report by Brenna Owen, The Canadian Press, was first published April 9, 2026.