Snow depth is normal for this time of year, but much higher than this time last year (27.7 cm in 2022) according to the North Bay-Mattawa Conservation Authority which measures the snowpack as part of its flood forecasting program.
“The average snow depth for the three sites is 52.7 cm, a 5.7 cm decrease from the March 15 measurements, and the average water equivalence for the three sites is 171.0 mm, a 25.7 mm increase from last week,” said Angela Mills, NBMCA’s Water Resources Specialist.
“The snowpack is storing much more water than normal, with considerable increases at both Corbeil (up by 50mm) and North Bay (up by 35mm), while Chisholm decreased slightly (by 8mm). While the water stored on the landscape is high for this time of year, the risk of spring flooding depends on how fast it melts and is released to local waterways,” said Chitra Gowda, CAO.
NBMCA is now measuring the snowpack weekly, to monitor conditions leading up to and during the spring freshet.
Snow is measured for depth and water equivalence at three locations in the watershed.
