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.

March 17, 2025

Weather during the first week of March was generally stable with little precipitation accumulation. A strong storm pattern returned for the 2nd week of the month, including a weak and cool atmospheric river. Snow accumulation is slightly above average for March, so far.

A complete listing of Automated Snow Weather Stations (ASWS) expressed as percent of long-term median for the entire length of record is found in the ASWS Weekly Summary (PDF, 186KB)*. Hyperlinks to interactive plots are available for each ASWS in the table.

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

The provincial average for March 15th at all ASWS sites is 83% of the period of record median, increasing from 78% on March 1st. The Fraser River basin stations also averaged 83%, which increased from the March 1st value of 77%. By March 15th, on average, approximately 88% of the total seasonal snowpack has accumulated.

As of March 15th, the ASWS measured significant increases in snowpack from March 1st in the following regions, West Kootenay (+12 percentage points), South Coast (+12) and Bridge (+12). There were no regions that measured significant decreases compared to March 1st. 

A provincial composite graph of all automated stations with relatively long-term record is shown below. The data for the graph begins in 1988. 

^{From the above graph, the March 15th percentage of average is 76% (March 1st: 73%) and at the 7th percentile (March 1st: 9th).} 

The April 1st, 2025 Snow and Water Supply Bulletin is scheduled to be released April 9th or 10th, 2025, based on data availability. The April 1st bulletin is considered the primary bulletin for historic seasonal snowpack comparison.  The official Snow Basin Indices are calculated within the Bulletin.