'It's bad news': Warm December and low snowpack could mean trouble for B.C. salmon, wildfires

December was unusually dry and warm on Vancouver Island, leading to concerns of low snowpack levels in the alpine.

“For fish, it’s bad news,” said Kyle Armstrong, executive director of the Peninsula Streams Society.

He says without an adequate snowpack in higher levels, critical salmon spawning habitat in our rivers could struggle once we get into the summer months.

“That snowpack works as a giant reservoir that slowly releases over time, precisely when we need it when it’s warmer and getting hot,” said Armstrong.

The province will be releasing its snowpack data on a basin-by-basin basis next week.

“The preliminary numbers are in and it’s not looking super optimistic at this point,” said Brain Proctor, meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada.

Proctor says typically by Jan. 1, snowpack should be well above median levels. In the central and north coast that has happened. “(But) very little of that has gotten to the south coast,” said Proctor.

A cold front is expected to move in over the next five to seven days, although currently it’s not expected to help our mountain snowpack levels.

“The reason I’m saying that is we’ve got an El Niño in place; it’s a very strong event and El Ninos tend to dominate winter circulation modes of the atmosphere,” said Proctor.

Meaning that front is not expected to bring with it much precipitation.

“We’re pretty concerned,” said Brad Chappell, a Comox Valley cattle rancher.

It’s not just streams that will be negatively affected by a low snowpack.

“It’s going to affect everything from hay and forage production across the island for livestock,” said Chappell. “From vegetable growers, to everybody.”

It’s also a major concern for the province after a summer of record-setting wildfires.

“The best advice I’m receiving from our team is that if we don’t see significant snow this winter, that we’re going to be into a really awful fire season again,” said B.C. Premier David Eby on Dec. 26.

All we can do now is to hope for a late arrival of seasonal winter conditions, to bring snowpack levels up, before summer arrives.