Heightened risk of flooding in Kamloops this spring
With 80% of the winter’s accumulation of snow on the ground, there are some concerns about possible flooding this spring in Kamloops. The North Thompson snowpack was 124% of normal as of March 1, according to a B.C. River Forecast Centre report published today, March 8. “The combination...
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With 80% of the winter’s accumulation of snow on the ground, there are some concerns about possible flooding this spring in Kamloops.
The North Thompson snowpack was 124% of normal as of March 1, according to a B.C. River Forecast Centre report published today, March 8.
“The combination of high snow pack in the Upper Fraser East, Quesnel and North Thompson indicates a heightened concern for flooding for Prince George, Kamloops and the overall Fraser River,” the report says. The Nicola and Okanagan regions have snow packs at 89% of normal, so the risk of flooding is much lower.
The Thompson River makes up about 16% of the water flowing into the Fraser River at Hope. The Hope snow basin is at 119% of normal.
It’s early days yet.
“Weather conditions from April through June determine the timing, magnitude and rate of snow melt and heavy rainfall events can exacerbate the situation,” the report says.
While the snowpack in the Nicola region is below average, there is still some risk of flooding because of the damage caused by the fall 2021 atmospheric river that wiped out roads and highways connecting the Lower Mainland to the Interior.
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“The unprecedented and catastrophic flooding that occurred in November 2021 has made many rivers more vulnerable to freshet high flows,” the report says. “Due to the significant erosion and possible changes in river channel morphology that occurred within many areas (including but not limited to the Coldwater River, Nicola River, Tulameen River, Coquihalla River and lower Fraser River), rivers may be at increased vulnerability to flooding at lower levels than previous freshet seasons.”
The next detailed report of snowpack conditions will be issued April 8.
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