The latest snowpack levels for British Columbia show the snowpack is slightly lower than normal, and much higher than it was a year ago.
However, some parts of the province are well below normal levels and have an increased risk for drought conditions this year.
The information, from the provincial Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, was released on Wednesday, Feb. 11, and shows the Feb. 1 snow levels at 78 manual snow courses and 116 automated snow weather stations.
Provincewide, the snowpack is at 96 per cent of normal levels, up from 72 per cent of normal levels on Feb. 1, 2025.
However, this number by itself does not tell the full story of this year’s snow levels.
The Central Coast region is at 142 per cent of normal, the Nechako snow pack is 128 per cent of normal and the Peace is at 122 per cent of normal levels.
Many other regions are close to normal snowpack levels.
Some regions are significantly lower than normal.
The Vancouver Island snowpack is 39 per cent below normal and the Skagit snowpack is 49 per cent below normal.
For the South Coast, the snow pack is 61 per cent of normal.
In the Okanagan, the snowpack is 67 per cent of normal, but nearby, the Similkameen — an area affected by a lengthy drought in 2025 — is at 104 per cent of normal levels.
Areas with snowpacks considerably higher than normal are at risk of flooding related to the snow melt, especially if La Niña conditions linger into the spring, the ministry says.
By the beginning of February, around two-thirds of the annual snowpack has typically accumulated, but there are still two to three months remaining in the snow season.