Halfway through March and there is still a considerable amount of snow on the ground and that snow contains elevated levels of water.
Snow depth measured on March 14 remains about twice the long-term average for this time of year and water equivalence is about 60 per cent above the long-term average, according to the North Bay-Mattawa Conservation Authority.
“Water equivalence has decreased about 20 millimetres over the past two weeks,” said Joel Harrison, NBMCA’s Water Resource Scientist. More melting has occurred due to the sunnier daytime weather since the readings were taken.
The snow depth average at the three sites is 90.8 centimetres (211 per cent of the long-term average for this time of year), up 6 cm since the last snow survey readings on February 28.
Meanwhile, the water equivalence of the snow pack has decreased by 17.7 mm to 182.7 mm (161 per cent of the long-term average).
The long-term averages reflect measurements taken by NBMCA since it began measuring snow
depth and water equivalence in 1987 as part of its Flood Forecasting Program.
NBMCA measures in three locations including the North Bay Golf and Country Club (Chippewa Creek watershed), the Corbeil Conservation Area (LaVase River watershed) and Shirley Skinner Conservation Area (Kaibuskong River Watershed).
