Lethbridge seeing less-than-average snowfall while Rockies return to average

LETHBRIDGE — Lethbridge and much of southern Alberta have seen a relatively dry winter.

"Come November-December, though, we haven't really had too much. And then, of course, we did have a brown Christmas for the Lethbridge area. We did get a little bit, though, with this event we had last weekend. But we are about half so far this year to what we would usually have by this point," said Alysa Pederson, Environment and Climate Change Canada warning preparedness meteorologist.

The same can't be said, however, for the Rockies.

After several years in a row of below-average snowfall, the snowpack on top of the mountains is currently average for this time of year.

"Currently, the snowpack situation of the headwaters of the Oldman River basin is near normal or normal. Certainly, way higher than a year ago when we had very severe climate change effects," said Stefan Kienzle, a retired professor of geography and environment at the University of Lethbridge.

Chinook winds have stopped much of the snow from making its way into southern Alberta.

Most of that snow has collected in the Rockies and B.C. interior.

That should help reservoirs fill up more from the spring runoff than in recent years.

"If we have normal snowpack conditions today and we expect more-and-above snowfall for the rest of the winter, those are promising conditions, and we should see full reservoir levels by the end of the spring," Kienzle said.

More snow could be on the way.

A later-than-anticipated La Niña is expected to hit southern Alberta in February.

While it's expected to be weaker than first thought, it could bring more snow and cold weather to the region.

"La Niña usually gives us that cooler-than-normal and snowier-than-normal. That's what we would anticipate. But combat that with the general warming of climate change that we're seeing, we might not see as notable an impact from La Niña this year," Pederson said.