Snow conditions commentary

A bi-weekly commentary of snow conditions based on readings from the B.C. Automated Snow Weather Station (ASWS) network is published during the snow season.

February 17, 2026

During the first week of February, an atmospheric river impacted the North and Central Coasts, followed by a minor storm system impacting the South Coast. Snow accumulation was minor and limited to specific higher elevation locations along the coast. Generally drier conditions occurred during the second week of February. A colder pattern is expected to settle over British Columbia this coming week, bringing a mix of cooler temperatures and increased chances of precipitation, including potential snowfall at lower elevations in some regions.

A complete listing of Automated Snow Weather Stations (ASWS), expressed as a percent of the long-term median for each station’s entire period of record, is available in the ASWS Weekly Summary (PDF, 385 KB)*. Hyperlinks to interactive plots are provided for each station within the table.

Note: These values are not the official snow basin indices.

The provincial average across all ASWS sites is 108% of the period-of-record median for February 15 2026, a slight decrease from 111% on February 1. Stations within the Fraser River basin also average 108% (Feb 1: 111%). By February 15th, on average, approximately three-quarters of the seasonal snowpack has typically accumulated.

As of February 15th, the lowest ASWS basin averages are observed on Vancouver Island (45%), the South Coast (74%), and the Okanagan (78%). The highest basin averages occur in the Liard (157%), Upper Fraser West (154%), and Stikine (131%) regions.

Compared to February 1st, increases over the past two weeks occurred in northern portions of the province with greatest increases occurring in the Upper Fraser West (+12 percentage points), Northwest (+12), and Stikine (+10). The largest relative decreases since February 1 occurred in the Central Coast (-28), Upper Fraser East (-9), and Boundary (-9).

Redfish Creek (2D14P), established in 2001 and located in the West Kootenay, is currently measuring all-time record high SWE values for February 15th.

A provincial composite graph of automated stations with relatively long-term records (beginning in 1988) is provided below.

^{Based on this composite, the February 15th percentage of median is 104% (February 1st: 105%), placing current conditions at approximately the 60th percentile (February 1st: 70th percentile).}     

The next bi-weekly snow conditions commentary is planned to be updated March 2, 2026. The March 1, 2026 Snow Survey and Water Supply Bulletin is scheduled for release on March 10 or 11. The bulletin will provide a more comprehensive summary of the March 1st snowpack conditions and includes the official Snow Basin Indices.