Spring has arrived in British Columbia, but the province’s snowpack is holding strong after a dynamic second half of March that brought both heavy rain and fresh mountain snow.
According to a government update released on April 1, a nearly week-long atmospheric river that began around March 15 delivered warm temperatures and high freezing levels across coastal regions before pushing into the Interior. The event caused significant snowmelt at lower elevations, while higher elevations continued to build snowpack, increasing overall snow water equivalent (SWE).
Cooler, more typical late-season conditions returned in the final week of March, bringing additional snowfall to the mountains and helping stabilize the snowpack.
As of April 1, the provincial average snowpack sits at 115% of normal, up slightly from 112% on March 15. Historically, about 97% of the seasonal snowpack has accumulated by this point, meaning most regions are now near their seasonal peak.
There is, however, significant regional variability. The lowest snowpack levels are currently on Vancouver Island (57% of normal) and in the Boundary region (54% of normal). In contrast, northern and interior regions are thriving, with the Upper Fraser West (171%) and Liard (176%) reporting the highest snowpack totals in the province.
Some regions saw major gains over the second half of March, including the Nechako and Central Coast (both +23 percentage points), Liard (+21), Upper Columbia (+17), and Skeena-Nass (+16). Meanwhile, the Boundary (-20), Okanagan (-17), and East Kootenay (-6) recorded the largest declines.
Several long-term monitoring stations are now reporting record-high snow water equivalent levels for April 1, including East Creek in the West Kootenay and Pine Pass in the Peace region. East Creek has already reached an all-time seasonal high. On the flip side, the Brenda Mine station in the Okanagan recorded a record low for this time of year.
Overall, the British Columbia snowpack currently sits at about 117% of the long-term median, placing it in the 82nd percentile historically — well above average heading into spring.
A more detailed look at conditions will be provided in the province’s official Snow Survey and Water Supply Bulletin, expected to be released in early April.
Note: These values are not the official snow basin indices.
