Image
NTPC does an annual snow survey to measure the snow levels on the Snare basin to give an indication of what we might expect in water levels for the coming summer.
Although the preliminary results show snow levels at about 95% of normal, there are several factors that determine how much of that snow is realized in spring run-off. The factors include:
- how much rain the basin receives in the spring,
- how fast the melt occurs, how cold it is and
- how much evaporation takes place.
Once the first wave of water makes it way down to the Snare hydro electric plant, we will have an indication of what can be expected the rest of the year.
This year's NTPC snow survey team included Colin Steed, Eileen Hendry, and Matthew Miller -- they were joined by ENR (Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources) staff and university researchers.