For the second straight month, British Columbia’s average snowpack is slightly above average, but it doesn’t mean it’s time to panic.

In February, it was 110% of its normal and in March it’s 111%, but a slightly larger than normal snowpack doesn’t mean there necessarily will be springtime flooding.

Photo Credit: NowMediaKelowna dealt with record-breaking flooding in 2017.

Instead, the main factor to focus on is how fast it warms up and the amount of spring rainfall we get over the coming weeks.

“Snowpack alone does not predict whether flooding will occur,” says the March version of the province’s Snow Survey and Water Supply Bulletin (SSWSB).

“Spring weather is a critical factor determining the rate that snow melts, while extreme rainfall can also cause spring flooding independent of snow conditions.”

When it comes to spring flooding, the hardest hit areas in recent years have been in the BC Interior.

The Okanagan snow basin was only at 86% of normal at this point in 2017 and the region saw some record-breaking flooding, which virtually wiped out the entire summer.

Photo Credit: NowMedia

The following year, the snowpack was at 141% of normal on March 1, but there was very limited flooding despite a large amount of panic. 

This year, the Okanagan snow basin has dropped from 129% of normal to 115% of normal over the past month.

As of March 1, both Thompson snow basins are within 4% of what they were on Feb. 1, while the Boundary and both Kootenay snow basins have increased around 5% over the last month.

To see the province’s SSWSB for March, click this link.