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95% less snow in Revelstoke this winter compared to last year

However, there’s plenty of snow in the alpine
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Shrubbery peeking through snow in downtown Revelstoke on Jan. 14. (Liam Harrap/Revelstoke Review)

Due to warmer and drier weather there is 95 per cent less snow in the City of Revelstoke this winter compared to last year, according to Environment Canada.

As of Jan. 12, there was six cm of snow measured at the airport, compared to 109 cm on the same date last year.

“That’s pretty low for snow,” said Doug Lundquist, meteorologist at Environment Canada.

READ MORE: Revelstoke already double last year’s snowfall

This winter La Nina has returned, which usually means above average amounts of precipitation and slightly below average temperatures.

However, that has not yet happened.

The temperature in Revelstoke for December was three degrees warmer than average at -0.7 C. Precipitation was also 20 per cent below average that month at approximately 100 ml.

Lundquist said the city received more rain in December than usual.

Some of the reasons for the unusual weather, he said was due to the lack of Arctic air, low sea ice and warmer waters in the Pacific ocean that has pushed colder weather away from Revelstoke.

Lundquist said a warming climate is also to blame, but it was difficult to determine to what extent.

For the City of Revelstoke, the snowiest months of the year are typically December and January. He said the weather could get cooler in the coming weeks, closer to the average yearly temperature in January of -5.3 C.

As of Jan 13, 100.5 cm of snow had fallen in total this season in Revelstoke, acccording to data collected by city. By approximately the same date last year, the city had received 326 cm of snow.

While the Revelstoke valley is bare, the alpine is a winter wonderland.

According to the Revelstoke Mountain Resort, 570 cm of snow has fallen this season as of Jan. 13, which is more than in 2015, 2014, 2012, 2010, 2009 and 2008 on the same date.

The resort opened in 2007.

READ MORE: There’s 3 times more snow near Revelstoke than usual

Regardless, there’s still lots of time left for winter to dramatically change.

“It’s not over, till it’s over,” said Lundquist.

Do you have something to add to this story, or something else we should report on? Email:
liam.harrap@revelstokereview.com


 

@pointypeak701
liam.harrap@revelstokereview.com

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