So far this spring the snowpack in Vancouver Island mountains is lower than normal, but looking better than last year.
The May 15 bulletin from the provincial land and water ministry shows Vancouver Island is at 34% of normal, the lowest in the province. However, the good news is that there’s still snow on the mountains, with not as much melted by this time as there was last spring.
The River Forecast Centre says we are likely in for another dry summer with possible drought conditions in some regions. Several years of relatively warm, dry winters have left the Island vulnerable to drought conditions again this summer, depending on what happens in the next month.
The forecast centre says it’s substantially difficult to predict precipitation compared to temperature.
However, cooler, wetter weather is on the way, as there is a good chance of a La Nina weather system developing this summer, and definitely by winter, bolstering the snowpack for next year.
The next bulletin from the forecast centre will be published June 10.
