UPDATE: Next 36 hours critical in changing 'flood advisory' to 'flood warning'
By Nelson Daily Staff
Terry Swan, General Manager of Emergency Management and Fire Services for the Regional District of Central Kootenay said the next 36 hours are critical to determine if areas placed under “flood watch advisory” become upgraded to “flood watch warnings”.
“The current concern for today and (Tuesday) is the cold front that has been forecast and the precipitation may drop,” Swan told The Nelson Daily Monday.
“So the next 24 to 36 hours is critical for us.”
Swan said the type of weather system that has been forecast by Environment Canada is a “convection system” that generally generates localized thunderstorms.
(A convection system always involves rising air. It usually refers to “moist convection”, where the excess water vapor in rising air parcels condenses to form a cloud.)
Environment Canada called for 30 millimetres of rain for Monday over the higher terrain and five to 10 millimetres in the valley bottoms.
The increase in precipitation could cause more the the snowpack to melt much quicker.
Swan said the original forecast after Tuesday was more favorable so any higher flows generated from the recent warm weather should peak.
Some of the rivers in the West Kootenay region placed on flood watch advisory by the BC Rivers Forecast Centre include the Slocan River and Salmo River.
Other rivers in the Kootenays on river advisory are Moyie River, Salmo Elk River and Bull River.
Residents near Redfish and Duhamel Creeks on the North Shore have also been put on notice as both smaller watersheds have seen an increase in snow melt.
Environment Canada is expecting a cooling weather trend over the next week following last week’s summer-like temperatures.
BC River Forecast Centre issues flood advisory for parts of West Kootenay
Here we go again?
The B.C. River Forecast Centre has issued a flood watch advisory for parts of B.C.’s Southern Interior, including the Slocan River and Salmo River in the West Kootenay.
The recent spell of unseasonably high temperatures during the past seven days has resulted in rapid snow melt, causing river water levels to rise.
In 2012, a rainy spring resulted in flooding throughout the region.
Other rivers in the Kootenays on river advisory are Moyie River, Salmo Elk River and Bull River.
Residents near Redfish and Duhamel Creeks on the North Shore have also been put on notice as both smaller watersheds have seen an increase in snow melt.
Environment Canada has called for as much as 30 millimetres of rain for Monday over the higher terrain and five to 10 millimetres in the valley bottoms.
Other areas of concern in the province include Okanagan and Boundary regions where the Mission Creek, West Kettle and Kettle Rivers and Granby Rivers have had flood watch advisories placed on them.
Comments