Mild conditions leading to declining snow depths

With the above seasonal weather and little snowfall, the average snow depth has decreased by 1.7 cm and the average water content has decreased by 4 mm since last snow survey January 4, reports the North Bay-Mattawa Conservation Authority (NBMCA) who measures snow depth and water content as part of its Flood Forecasting and Warning Program.

“The average snow depth for all sites is 34.1 cm (101% normal for this time of year) and average water equivalence is 76.3 mm (122% normal),” said Kurtis Romanchuk NBMCA’s Water Resources Engineer.

Last year at this time, the average snow depth was 26.9 cm and water equivalence was 49 mm.

Snow is measured for depth and water equivalence at three locations in the watershed.

North Bay Golf and Country Club (Chippewa Creek Watershed, North Bay)

*Data prior to Dec. 2011 collected at the former Northeast Mental Health Centre, Hwy 11

Corbeil Conservation Area (La Vase River Watershed, Corbeil)

Shirley Skinner Conservation Area (Kaibuskong River Watershed, Chisholm)

The North Bay-Mattawa Conservation Authority (NBMCA) was founded in 1972 by the Province of Ontario and the NBMCA’s 10 member municipalities. A non-profit organization, the NBMCA works closely with the public to balance human needs with the environmental needs of the region’s watershed. NBMCA is one of 36 Conservation Authorities who are members of Conservation Ontario.

You can follow NBMCA on twitter @theNBMCA and on facebook.com/theNBMCA.