British Columbians are asked to prepare for elevated drought conditions across B.C., but also the simultaneous possibility of spring flooding.
While much of the province has lower than normal snowpack levels, the timing, speed and intensity of the snowmelt currently underway coupled with rain events can quickly elevate flood hazards, Randene Neill, B.C.'s Minister of Water, Land, and Resource Stewardship, said during a briefing at the provincial legislature.
"We absolutely cannot let our guard down," she said.
Neill made these comments as part of an update about seasonal emergency preparedness. Forests Minister Ravi Parmar and B.C. Emergency Management Minister Kelly Greene joined her during the update, which also included senior staff.
Figures released April 1 show B.C.'s snow pack levels at 79 per cent of normal, up from 73 per cent on March 1 and up from 63 per cent on April 1, 2024.
David Campbell, head of the River Forecast Centre, later singled out the Okanagan and the Boundary regions of the province as areas of concern because of their higher snowpack levels relative to other parts of province. Areas less likely to experience spring flooding are Vancouver Island and areas of B.C.'s south coast.
"We are looking at areas that don't really have much snow or experience their flood seasons during the fall (and) winter," he said.
But he also noted that spring flooding depends on weather patterns, as extreme weather events can bring heavy rainfalls during B.C.'s wet season in May and June.
"It can happen anywhere in the province," he said. "(It) is also typical that those patterns do emerge during that May-June period. So I think that is where the caution is. Despite the low snowpack, we really do need to be watching these other factors that play a risk."
Areas with low snowpack levels include the Central Coast, B.C.'s northern coast and along the interior side of the coast mountains.
Matt MacDonald, lead forecaster for British Columbia Wildfire Service, said northeastern B.C. will continue to experience drought in the medium-to-short term. MacDonald also pointed to the western Chilcotin region and the southern Nechako region as areas of concern because of low snowpack levels.
Southern regions, of the province, meanwhile, are expected to see a less aggressive start to fire activity because of recent precipitation.
Parmar said today's update provides a snapshot.
"We don't know for sure what the upcoming wildfire season will bring, but what we do know many parts of the province will likely a play a role in wildfire activity this summer," he said
He added B.C. is preparing through various changes including recruitment efforts and the transformation of BCWS into a year-around-service. Government has also made additional investments in technology to allow for air operations at night.
Looming over this year's wildfire season is the worsening relationship between Canada and the United States.
Parmar said B.C. has a very strong working relationship with California when it comes to sharing resources during times of need.
"So no matter what the President tweets, I think British Columbians can be rest assured that we will be there to support our partners," he said. "I know that they will be there to support us, just like they have in the last couple of years."
Cliff Chapman, BCWS's director of wildfire operations, also pointed to strong working relationships with firefighters from Washington State and Oregon.
"So rest assured that if we need resources, we will have the ability to ask for them...should we require that this summer."
Greene stressed how this is the time for British Columbians to prepare their emergency plan including their grab-and-go kits and review their insurance policies with an eye toward upgrading them, she added.
"Different communities have different hazards that they need to prepared for," she said. "The other part of that is the response on behalf of the province. We are continually upgrading the way we respond in an emergency, evolving through every emergency season to incorporate the learnings that we have."
