Flood watch issued in northwest B.C. due to snowmelt induced by high temperatures

Water is pumped out from a flooded home near the Bonaparte River as sandbags line a sidewalk in Cache Creek, B.C., on Sunday, May 14, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

British Columbia’s River Forecast Centre has upgraded a high streamflow advisory to a flood watch in the northwest of the province due to recent heat accelerating snowmelt.

The centre says in a notice that the flood watch is active for the Bulkley River basin near Smithers and Houston, as “low-lying flooding and bank erosion are possible” at the currently forecasted levels this week.

The notice says the rise in water levels in the Bulkley and its tributaries are due to high temperatures that remain above freezing at night, and snowmelt rates “are expected to accelerate and remain elevated through mid-week.”

The centre is warning residents to stay away from rivers and banks that can become unstable during the high streamflow, and motorists are asked to never try to drive through flooded roadways.

B.C. has seen unseasonably warm temperatures in the past week, resulting in daily high records falling in communities including Vancouver, Victoria, Pemberton, Lillooet and Bella Coola.

Environment Canada says Tuesday saw another round of broken records, with Lytton hitting 33.5 degrees, while Smithers, Kitimat and Sandspit saw daily heat records fall.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 6, 2026.

The Canadian Press