'A colder and wetter winter' nears its end in B.C.'s southern Interior

Warmer weather is finally on the way for much of B.C.'s southern Interior following a 'colder and wetter' winter than normal.

Warmer weather on the way, temperatures expected to reach 12 C by the weekend

Jaimie Kehler · CBC News · Posted: Mar 06, 2018 5:13 PM EST | Last Updated: March 6, 2018

Snow covers a backyard greenhouse in the East Kootenay community of Fernie, B.C. this week. (Kim Geitz)

Some relief finally appears to be in sight for parts of the B.C. Interior following a season some people are calling a "never-ending winter."

"It hasn't been a longer winter, but it's definitely been a colder and wetter winter," said Jennifer Hay, meteorologist with Environment Canada.

"Everyone has seen more snow than normal this year."

And, based on social media posts, it appears many people have had enough. Okanagan residents, in particular, are venting about the snow that just won't go away.

kelowna is stuck in a never ending winter
—@taarynmurray

I refuse to shovel snow in March; you can't make me!
—@KelownaRealtors

Another 10cm of snow last night in Lumby. The current snow depth is 59cm. My friends up on Trinity Valley Rd. have more than double that. I've had about 3.5m of snowfall at my place so far this winter. The EC weather station at Vernon has had over 2m! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BCStorm?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BCStorm</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/50ShadesofVan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@50ShadesofVan</a> <a href="https://t.co/6ePPRXA38Z">pic.twitter.com/6ePPRXA38Z</a>
—@Junah_B

Hay said it all began with an early snowstorm on November 3.

She says the Okanagan typically has four days with snow on the ground in November while the Kootenays has nine, but this winter was an exception.

'It's really hanging around'

"It was almost the whole month, so that was quite unusual," she said.

That was followed by multiple snow storms, record-breaking snowfall and unseasonably cooler temperatures in December, January and February.

As of Monday March 5, Cranbrook in the East Kootenays still had 29 centimetres of snow on the ground when it normally would have only seven, based on 30-year averages.

"It's really hanging around a lot longer," she said.

In February, the snowpack in the Okanagan was sitting at 131 percent of normal.

Hay predicts much of the valley snow will melt later this week though, as the Okanagan, Kootenays and Columbia region are expecting temperatures of up to 12 C.