As of April 22, the Okanagan’s average snow pillow level was 102% of normal for the watershed. The next snow bulletin will be released on May 8th.
As you can see from the snow pillows, most of the snowpack has melted from the mid-elevation Brenda Mines observation station on the west side, but there is still a very significant snow pack in the Mission Creek drainage which means there is some ongoing risk of flooding downstream.
There is also significant snow in the northern end of the valley, and Kalamalka Lake is high.
Realtime hydrometric data for Okanagan Lake at Kelowna – March 30, 2020
The province continues to draw down Okanagan Lake level releases into the Okanagan River channel.
Mission Creek snow pillow – April 28, 2020 (135% of normal on April 22)
Brenda Mine snow pillow – April 28, 2020 (73% of normal on April 22)
Seasonal Forecast: June – August
The most recent seasonal forecasts from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in the U.S. suggest that the summer will be warmer and drier than normal.
Drought Projections: The drought monitor for Washington State (and the Okanogan County) are ramping up their projections for a hydrologic drought this summer. For us, this signifies that we may experience lower rainfall and drier soils than normal, especially in the southern portions of the valley.
