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Snow Survey Bulletin

Snowpack and Water Supply Outlook for British Columbia

June 15, 2008

Every effort is made to ensure that data reported on these pages are accurate. However, in order to update the graphs and indices as quickly as possible, some data may have been estimated. Please note that data provided on these pages are preliminary and subject to revision on review.

Province-wide Synopsis   graphs BC Summary Graphs of Snow Water Equivalents

The June 15th snow survey is now complete. Data from 5 snow courses and 56 snow pillows around the province have been used to form the basis for the following reports. This is the final Snow Survey Bulletin for the 2007/08 snow season.

Snowpack
The 2008 spring snowmelt is well advanced. The snow water indices for most basins are above normal for the date, reflecting the cool spring weather and slow melt. In most areas, low and mid elevation snow is gone, and approximately one-quarter to one-half of the high elevation snow remains to melt. The largest amount of snow still being recorded is on Vancouver Island (snow water index = 1090 mm, 151% of normal) and the South Coast (index = 852 mm, 121% of normal). High elevation portions of the Thompson and Columbia still retain about one-half of their peak late winter snow.

Weather
Weather over the past three weeks has been dominated by a series of weak frontal systems moving off the Pacific and through the province. Weather has been consistently cool and damp. Precipitation has generally been near normal for most of the province, with the north-east corner (e.g., the Liard basin) being notably wetter than normal. Temperatures have been near or slightly below normal. The cool weather has allowed snowmelt to proceed in a subdued and orderly manner.

Most mainstem rivers in the province experienced their freshet peak flows in late May or early June. Since then, most rivers have been receding. Rainfall during late May and early June has moderated the flow recession in some areas.

Rapid snowmelt during a hot period in mid-May produced high flows (in the 2-5 year return period range) in small and mid-sized rivers in portions of the Interior (South Thompson, Nicola, mid-Fraser, Upper Fraser, elsewhere). No significant flooding (in the 20+ year return period range) occurred this spring.

Most gauged rivers in the province are near or above median flows for mid-June.

Outlook
There are no water supply issues for the province evident at this time.

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Upper Fraser & Nechako Basins   graphs
Data Graphs
 
Snow Survey Data Measurements

June 15
The upper Fraser snow index is 116% of normal at June 15, with about 30% of high elevation snow remaining to melt. The Nechako index is 68% of normal, with about one-quarter of high elevation snow left to melt.
Precipitation in the Upper Fraser was near normal for May and early June.

The Fraser River at Shelley (at Prince George) peaked on May 22, near 4300 cubic metres per second..

Hydrograph of the Fraser River at Shelley

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Middle and Lower Fraser   graphs
Data Graphs
 
Snow Survey Data Measurements

June 15
Snow water equivalencies throughout the Middle Fraser are very low, with all the plateau snow melted completely. For the Lower Fraser, the June 15 index is 108% of normal, with about one-half of the high elevation snow remaining to melt.

The Fraser River at Hope experienced a peak discharge near 10,200 on May 25. Flows are currently receding, and are near normal for mid-June.

Hydrograph of the Fraser River at Hope

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Thompson Basin   graphs
Data Graphs
 
Snow Survey Data Measurements

June 15
The North Thompson snow water index is 117% of normal for June 15. Low and mid elevation snow has melted off. The South Thompson snow water index is at 121%. In both basins, about one-half of high elevation snow remains to melt.

The North Thompson River at McLure peaked on May 22 at 1920 cms, while the Thompson River near Spences Bridge peaked on May 25 at 2720 cms. They are currently receding and are near normal for the date.

Hydrograph of the North Thompson River at McLure

Hydrograph of the Thompson River near Spence's Bridge

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Columbia Basin   graphs
Data Graphs
 
Snow Survey Data Measurements

June 15
Relatively very few snow surveys are conducted in the Columbia basin at this sampling date. Based on the limited sample, snowpacks in Columbia are near 50% of normal.

Streamflows in the region, as represented by the mean monthly flow in the Columbia River at Donald, are currently receding, after experiencing their freshet peaks in early June.

Hydrograph of the Columbia River at Donald

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Kootenay Basin   graphs
Data Graphs
 
Snow Survey Data Measurements

June 15

Based on a limited sample, the Kootenay snow water index is 88% of normal on June 15. All low and mid elevation snow throughout the Kootenays is gone, with about one-third of the peak high elevation snow remaining.

Most rivers throughout the West and East Kootenay experienced high flows in late May. No significant flooding occurred this spring.

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Okanagan, Kettle, and Similkameen Basins   graphs
Data Graphs
 
Snow Survey Data Measurements

June 15
Most snow in the Okanagan, Kettle and Similkameen has melted, and most areas are snow free, with the exception of remnant patches at high elevation.

Small streams in the Okanagan basin experienced their high flows in mid-May, and are now receding. They are generally near seasonally normal discharge levels for mid-June.

The Similkameen, Tulameen and Kettle rivers experienced their freshet peak flows in mid-May. They are currently slightly near normal for mid-June.

Hydrograph of the Similkameen River near Hedley

Vancouver Island & Coastal Regions   graphs
Data Graphs
 
Snow Survey Data Measurements

June 15
Vancouver Island and the South Coast continue with significant
high elevation snow. The Vancouver Island index is 151% of normal, while the South Coast index is 121%. About one-half of high elevation snow remains to melt.

May and the first half of June were cool and damp throughout the coast. The rain and continuing snowmelt have maintained streamflows at above normal levels as of mid-June, and provides a positive outlook for summer streamflows.

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North East Region   graphs
Data Graphs
 
Snow Survey Data Measurements

June 15
Based on a limited survey, the Peace River basin snow index is 151% of normal for June 15, with about one-third of high elevation snow remaining to melt.

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North West Region   graphs
Data Graphs
 
Snow Survey Data Measurements

June 15
The Skeena/Nass basin snow water index almost snow free, with just a portion of high elevation snow remaining to melt.

Regional stream flows, as reflected by the mean monthly flows in the Skeena River at Usk, were above normal during early June. The Skeena River experienced a freshet peak of 4950 cms on May 28.

Hydrograph for the Skeena River at Usk

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