A significantly higher-than-normal snow pack has prompted the provincial government's River Forecast Centre to predict a potential for flooding this spring along the Nechako River.
As of Feb. 1, the snow pack in the Upper Fraser West basin stood at 148 per cent, which indicates "a trend towards increased seasonal flood risk in the unregulated regions of the Nechako basin this year," the Centre said in a bulletin.
"Similar smaller pockets of higher snow packs and potential increased flood risk exist in west central BC (Houston, Burns Lake, Vanderhoof), West Chilcotin, and Cariboo Mountains (Bowron River, Quesnel River and area).
By early February, two-thirds of the annual B.C. snow pack has typically accumulated. However, the Centre hedged its bets saying that "with two or more months still left of the snow accumulation season, conditions may change in these or other areas of the province."
Snow pack, in the Upper Fraser East was 98 per cent; in the Nechako basin it was
109 per cent; and in the Middle Fraser it was 86 per cent according to the bulletin.
"Warm Pacific Ocean temperatures and weak El Nino-like conditions are expected to persist into the spring," the Centre said.
"These will likely drive continued warmer than average temperatures, particularly along coastal sections of the province. Environment Canada is forecasting a high likelihood of above normal temperatures over the February to April period across British Columbia."
