From left to right: Minister of Community Services Cory Bellmore, Water Science and Stewardship Hydrologist Anthony Bier, Director of Emergency Measures Organization Greg Blackjack and Fire Information Officer for Wilalnd Fire Management Mike Fancie at a flood and wildfire outlook briefing in April. Photo Courtesy of Macklen Linke/CKRW.
Whitehorse, YT – Most of Yukon continues to see above to well above normal snowpack as spring melt is well underway.
A May 1 snow survey found most major river basins including around Whitehorse, Carmacks, Dawson and the Southern Lakes are above seasonal averages, with many areas well above normal.
Officials say this increases the risk of a more “compressed” freshet, meaning faster snowmelt and higher peak river flows over a shorter period of time.
Flood risk is considered elevated in several communities including Teslin, Carmacks, Upper Liard and the Klondike Valley. Smaller waterways across much of the territory are also at risk.
In the Southern Lakes, lower elevations remain well above normal while mountain snowpack is closer to average. Officials say flood risk there will depend more on weather and the timing of melt in the weeks ahead.
Flooding is already underway in the Klondike and emergency crews are responding.
