There may still be plenty of snow on the ground, but flood forecasters are already looking ahead to the spring melt.
David Sauchyn, a researcher with the Prairie Adaption Research Collaborative says he expects many wet years ahead for Alberta.
Sauchyn says “the scientific evidence show that floods tend to be grouped together over time, so Alberta's had a series of severe floods in recent years and then it can go decades without a flood” The El Nino phenomenon is primarily to blame for what’s expected to be wetter than average years.
However, experts with the Provincial River Forecasting Centre say it’s still too soon to tell if this could be another high-risk year for floods.
Colleen Walford, River Forecaster, Alberta Environment
“It's hard to say what the risk is. We really won’t know until we get on in the spring season”.
The snowpack is a key element in flood risk for Southern Alberta. It is average right now and isn’t expected to really melt until May or June.
