The snowpack in the Prince George area has increased in the past two weeks.
According to BC River Forecast Centre Hydrologist, Jonathan Boyd, it’s changing more relatively speaking compared to normal.
“Typically, by this period of time in the season, we start to see melt occurring, and because it’s colder temperatures through April, and now for the first few weeks of May, it has resulted in a delay of the snowmelt. The Upper Fraser East has actually increased from 125% of normal for May 1st up to 137% of normal,” Boyd explained.
“There still has been some accumulation in some of the higher elevation stations, so it’s not directly only delayed snowmelt, there has been a little bit of an increase, but not necessarily dramatic rises in the snow level.”
Boyd adds the risk of flood is significantly higher because of the extra snow and delayed snowmelt.
“The change is of course, is that the worst case scenario for a lot of the interior rivers is that if the snowmelt is delayed for a substantial period of time, and then a significant heat wave occurs. We’re now at essentially stage one of that situation,” he said.
“Part two of that risk that’s required for flooding is if we get that period of extended heat, and this year has just been surprising because it hasn’t happened.”
Boyd added they are modeling the river forecasts every weekday, and on weekends if there is a significant risk.