Spring-like temperatures are quickly melting the last remaining low-elevation snow away. With 11.8°C (53 F) recorded in Sicamous today, this has been the warmest day of this year so far. The spotty ice cover on Shuswap Lake is also quickly breaking down and the remaining ice on Mara Lake has become highly unstable. The mild weather has drawn local residents for a walk along public beaches and parks. Quite a few boats have been launched during the past couple of days, signaling an unusually early boating season this year. The low water levels are hiding sandbanks close below the surface; be careful when approaching the shoreline.
After a few potential rain showers tonight and Sunday night, the forecast predicts more sunny, mild weather for the next 2 weeks. While nighttime temperatures may be falling below freezing this week, daytime continues to be very mild with even warmer periods. It sure looks like as the worst of the winter is now gone.

Mountain daytime temperatures, while slightly cooling down a bit, remained close around freezing today with lots of sunny periods. Up to an inch of new snow has fallen into the higher regions but turned into rain below 1,500m altitude. It has been a great day for sledding in the alpine Shuswap mountains - but getting there has become increasingly difficult as roads turning wet, slushy, and partially icy in some sun-protected areas. There is a chance of light snowfall tonight and tomorrow night, as nighttime temperatures are expected to drop this week. However, the next 2 weeks should be nice and sunny during daytime with no rain or snow in the forecast. Be careful near steep slopes; the snowpack has some unstable layers which could trigger small avalanches here and there. Always be aware of your surroundings and check the avalanche danger ratings before heading up the mountains. Most of all, have fun while it lasts; it seems as the sledding season might be a bit shorter than usual this year.

*** NEW *** Shuswap Mountains Sledding Trails, Cabins, Parking, etc. (First Draft: Eagle Valley)

BC is still recording high numbers of new COVID cases and steadily holds its 3rd place in Canada. While Alberta, Quebec, and Ontario show clear signs of improvement, BC cases over the past 2 weeks have been slowly increasing again. With 3 more days to go this week, we might just see another small weekly increase once the weekend numbers coming in. Always wear your facemask and avoid larger gatherings.

Here you will find the latest information what's happening on this web site.

Update 2021-02-23: Winter pictures from Sicamous Lookout uploaded to Facebook:
* Shuswap Lake, Mara Lake, and distant view into Owlhead sledding area

Update 2021-02-14:
* Added historic winter snowpack depth peaks to Park Mtn
* Added historic winter snowpack depth peaks to Hunters Range
* Added historic winter snowpack depth peaks to Celista Mtn
* Added historic winter snowpack depth peaks to Silver Star Mtn

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