WATCH: What early snowpack levels say about fire, flood or drought

• Below average snowpack will weigh on fire, flood and drought conditions
• But early-spring precipitation could bring more snow to higher attitudes
• Though low now, a quick spring melt could increase flood risk in the coming weeks

While it may have seemed like there was a lot of snow in the city this winter, snowpack levels at altitude are actually below normal.

According to the monthly Snow Survey and Water Supply Bulletin, the Okanagan and Vancouver Island are the only basins with slightly below snowpack levels, at 86 and 83 per cent, respectively.

“When we do have a lower snowpack, it does put drought and wildfire at the forefront for greater risk,” Jonathan Boyd, a hydrologist with the B.C. River Forecast Centre told Kelowna10.

Boyd said that doesn’t mean the risk of flooding is completely out of the questions for the Okanagan.

“If the snowmelt is delayed and all that snow melts at the same time, combined with a heavy rainfall event afterwards, there is still potential for localized flooding,” he explained.

The Climate Prediction Centre (CPC) said the forecast for spring will have La Nina conditions, meaning cooler temperatures and the possibility of more precipitation.

Boyd said there’s still the potential for snowpack levels to increase if there’s lots of precipitation and snowfall accumulation in the mountains.

There’s also the possibility of the snowpack levels decreasing if March is very dry, but according to Environment Canada, the forecast for the next week will have periods of rain and chances of showers.

More substantial reports will be coming out next month, which will more accurately determine if there’s a risk for spring flooding.