The Department of Environment and Natural Resources completed its yearly snow survey of the 50,000-square-kilometre Hay River basin in recent weeks and concluded there was about 32 per cent more snow in the area than normal.

Every year, the department measures the snow depth and weight to get a SA国际影视传媒榮now water equivalent,SA国际影视传媒� which helps the community understand how much water will be left after the snow melts.

Ryan Connon, hydrologist for the department, said over the next two to three weeks, residents in Hay River should take precautions for potential flooding as snow and ice melt.

SA国际影视传媒淚n the surveys that weSA国际影视传媒檝e completed on the NWT side of the border weSA国际影视传媒檙e finding about 132 percent normal, or average 32 per cent snow amount higher than usual for the Hay River basin,SA国际影视传媒� he said.

More than 90 per cent of the Hay River basin falls within the Alberta and British Columbia borders and monitoring statistics in those locations, though sparse, show that figures are even higher at 40 per cent above the average amount of yearly snowfall, he added.

Connon reported that over the last two years, Hay River has seen the most streamflow into the river from snowmelt since the 1960s.

SA国际影视传媒淲hat that tells us is in order to get that much water, there has been a lot of rain and a lot of snow,SA国际影视传媒� he said.

Whenever the ground is exceedingly wet, it is unable to hold snowmelt water and it goes directly into the river, which appears to be likely again this year, he added.

Whether the amount of snow melt will directly lead to flooding is another question that is answered based on a multitude number of factors, including where and when temperature levels rise, Connon said.

SA国际影视传媒淚f it gets really hot in or near the Town of Hay River, that would be a good thing because itSA国际影视传媒檒l give the ice a chance to melt out,SA国际影视传媒� he explained. SA国际影视传媒淲hen weSA国际影视传媒檙e looking at what happens in terms of flooding, itSA国际影视传媒檚 really going to depend on how the ice melts out.SA国际影视传媒�

Typically, ice break up happens in one of two ways: the first is with a SA国际影视传媒榯hermal breakup,SA国际影视传媒� where the ice breaks due to sunshine and warm temperatures. This is preferable because it does not cause flooding, Connon said.

SA国际影视传媒淭he other is a mechanical break up, which is when a break up happens farther south, where you get really warm temperatures and the snow melts fast and flows to the river,SA国际影视传媒� he said.

SA国际影视传媒淭he water to the river lifts up the ice, the ice breaks up and large chunks flow down the river.

SA国际影视传媒淚f that happens and if it has been cool and cold in town and the ice is still solid, all those chunks of ice will pile up and cause an ice jam. That would be bad.SA国际影视传媒�

Snow survey data has been provided to the Town of Hay River and further updates are to be provided by the municipality in the weeks to come.