Welcome to the first week of spring – and snow! If you are curious about how our snow and river water levels are doing, read on.

With local temperature expected to reach between 10-15°C in the next few days and more precipitation by Thursday, it’s a good time to look at local conditions.

Most of the main river in the Boundary are showing normal water level for this time of year.

Snow levels, as a percentage of normal, vary across the region and with elevations. South of Grand Forks, at Sentinel Butte, levels are higher than normal. The upper Kettle River watershed, measured at Grano Creek station, is in the normal range. However some of our lower elevations and the stations to the west and north show lower-than-normal for this time of year.

The River Forecast Centre produces a monthly snow report for the province, which shows the March 1st snow level (snow water equivalency) for the Boundary Region at 86% of normal (with 100% being normal). This percentage is based on data from only two BC snow monitoring stations. We hope the April review (posted April 12) can include data from more stations.

Environment Canada anticipates a slightly warmer spring for the Boundary region, with no clear forecast for the spring precipitation levels. As the El Niño/La Niña (ENSO) climate pattern shifts from a La Niña in the winter months to a more neutral state, we expect temperature and precipitation levels closer to normal for the time of year.