Source: Environment Canada
Freshet Looms Large
Annual snowmelt is beginning throughout the region. When temperatures rise above 20 degrees and it remains warm for a few days, ‘freshet’ or spring snowmelt starts. Above average snow packs indicate that spring runoff could be vigorous and may last well into June. Freshet can become a problem when winter snow packs melt rapidly, overwhelming stream channels and creating floods. Spring freshet can also destabilize soil and rock, causing mudslides, landslides and rock slides; which are unpredictable. Several low lying areas in the region went into the fall and winter with high levels of ground water saturation which has affected overland ground water movement this spring, and may have contributed to some of the localized slides and debris flows. Property owners have a window of dry, sunny weather for the next few days to prepare. This is the opportunity for those living in vulnerable areas, on or near floodplains, or those who have experienced spring flooding in the past to be ready.
Source: RDOS – EO Centre