Flood watch up due to possible ice jam on B.C. Interior waterways

Vehicles travel on a section of Highway 8 along the Nicola River that had to be rebuilt after it was washed away during November flooding, on the Shackan Indian Band, northwest of Merritt, B.C., on March 24, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

British Columbia’s River Forecast Centre has posted a flood watch on three Interior waterways because of the chance of a midseason ice jam.

The centre says temperatures in the first two weeks of February have been between 10 C and 17 C below normal in the Merritt area.

Warming is expected, and the centre says rain of five to 15 millimetres is forecast for valley bottoms, with rain or snow at higher elevations.

The flood watch has been posted for the Nicola and Coldwater rivers and Spius Creek because extreme low and high temperatures followed by rain has historically led to midseason ice jams in those waterways.

The centre says that weather pattern is setting up for the weekend with periods of increased hazard for ice-jam flooding into early next week.

It says ice-jamming conditions can change rapidly and are difficult to predict, warning that fast-flowing rivers can pose a risk to life and safety.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 20, 2025.

The Canadian Press