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. This is not the snow bulletin and the values listed are not the official snow basin indices. 

March 2, 2026

The second half of February began with cooler temperatures across B.C. before a warming trend at the end of the month. A few moderate precipitation events occurred bringing snowfall into the mountains and even lower elevations in some areas of the province. A mild and wetter period of weather is expected for the upcoming 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 109% of the period-of-record median for March 1 2026, a slight increase from 108% on February 15. Stations within the Fraser River basin also average 109% (Feb 15: 108%). By March 1st, on average, approximately 80% of the seasonal snowpack has typically accumulated.

As of March 1st, the lowest ASWS basin averages are observed on Vancouver Island (58%) and the Okanagan (72%). The highest basin averages occur in the Liard (146%) and Upper Columbia (130%) regions.

Compared to February 15th, the greatest increases occurred on Vancouver Island (+13 percentage points) and the South Coast (+6). The largest relative decreases since February 15 occurred in the Liard (-11) and Boundary (-11) regions.

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

Brenda Mine (2F18P), established in 1992 and located in the Okanagan, is currently measuring all-time record low SWE values for March 1st. 

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

^{Based on this composite, the March 1st percentage of median is 105% (February 15th: 104%), placing current conditions at approximately the 64th percentile (February 15th: 60th percentile).}     

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.