Rain, snow to fall as Okanagan ends year in a drought

Snow fell across the Okanagan Friday, offering an early taste of what’s ahead as winter approaches.

Environment Canada meteorologist Ken Dosanjh said areas in the Central Okanagan could see measurable accumulation before temperatures shift.

“They could see snow up to five centimetres Friday around West Kelowna and Peachland. Then after that, we’re going to see freezing levels rise up a bit,” he said.

Those warmer temperatures will quickly turn the snow to rain. Dosanjh added that more wet weather is on the way.

“As we continue into the weekend, we’re going to see potential rain coming through, more so later into the week, like Sunday and Monday.”

But even with snow returning to the forecast, it won’t be enough to ease the region’s ongoing drought.

“If you think about it in terms of a budget or a bank account, we’ve had a few years in a row where the inputs have been lower than normal and we’ve still been withdrawing from it,” said Sandra Schira with the Okanagan Basin Water Board. “And so it doesn’t take one good paycheque to put it back.”

The Okanagan has been stuck in drought conditions since 2023, and experts say a substantial amount of winter moisture is needed to rebuild a healthy snowpack.

Schira said it’s too early to predict how this winter will shape up, but emphasized what the region needs.

“We’re going to want an above-average snowpack that is nice and healthy and melts out slowly in the spring. If we have a big accumulation of snow and it melts early, all that water is going to run.”

Environment Canada is projecting a La Nina year, which typically brings cooler and wetter weather. Dosanjh said that aligns with early modelling.

“At least looking into next year, we’re showing cooler-than-normal signal potential, but precipitation climate models are not able to make reliable predictions at this time.”

If the drought persists, Schira says residents, and even city officials, will need to start thinking more seriously about long-term water conservation.