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 2, 2026

A strong high-pressure ridge persisted over western North America for nearly two weeks in late January, resulting in very dry conditions and little to no snow accumulation, even at higher elevations. Warmer-than-normal temperatures during this period led to snowmelt at some lower-elevation Automated Snow Weather Stations (ASWS). An atmospheric river centered on Vancouver Island during the final days of January, producing minor snowpack increases at higher-elevation stations for the first time in several weeks. Another atmospheric river is forecast to impact the Central and North Coasts this upcoming weekend; however, much of the remainder of the province is expected to return to relatively dry conditions with minimal snow accumulation over the next week.

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 111% of the period-of-record median for February 1, 2026, decreasing from 127% on January 15. Stations within the Fraser River basin also average 111% (January 15: 126%). By February 1st, on average, approximately two-thirds of the seasonal snowpack has typically accumulated.

As of February 1st, the lowest ASWS basin averages are observed on Vancouver Island (49%), the South Coast (78%), and in the Okanagan (81%). The highest basin averages occur in the Liard (161%), Central Coast (157%), and Upper Fraser West (142%) regions.

All regions in the province declined relative to percent of long-term median since January 15th, with the exception of the Central Coast, which remained steady at 157%. The greatest decreases over the second half of January occurred in the Skeena-Nass (-24 percentage points), the Peace (-21), Vancouver Island (-21), and Stikine (-20).

Redfish Creek (2D14P), established in 2001 and located in the West Kootenay, is currently measuring all-time record high SWE values for February 1st.

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

^{Based on this composite, the February 1st percentage of median is 105% (January 15th: 122%), placing current conditions at approximately the 70th percentile (January 15th: 80th percentile).}     

The February 1, 2026 Snow Survey and Water Supply Bulletin is scheduled for release on February 10 or 11. The bulletin provides a more comprehensive summary of the February 1st snowpack conditions and includes the official Snow Basin Indices.