A flood watch advisory remains in effect on Monday (Jan. 29) for the Fraser Valley and the Sumas River.
The B.C. River Forecast Centre upgraded the advisory for the Sumas River to a flood warning on Sunday (Jan. 28) but downgraded it later in the night.
The Centre says a flood watch means that river levels are rising and will approach or may exceed bankfull, while adjacent areas are prone to flooding.
BC Minister of Emergency Management Bowinn Ma said on X (formerly Twitter) that the ministry is monitoring conditions closely.
“Though the Sumas River is high, forecasters do not currently anticipate flooding impacts to the Sumas Prairie. We’re working directly with communities and ready to deploy flood assets if needed,” Ma said.
According to the advisory, a series of storms have delivered 50 to 200 mm of rain through most of coastal B.C. since Friday (Jan. 26) with more expected in the coming days.
“Temperatures are expected to warm during this period, and snowmelt at lower and mid-elevations will provide additional runoff to rivers,” the advisory reads.
High flows on the Nooksack River in Washington have reached local flood stage with the Nooksack River near Cedarville gauge reaching 147.2 ft at 12:30 p.m. Sunday.
“Additional hazards for overflow from the Nooksack may be present from the incoming storm systems on Monday through Thursday, however hydrologic modelling from the Northwest River Forecast Center with the US National Weather Service is not forecasting this scenario,” the advisory says.
Rivers are expected to experience periods of high flows into next week with peak levels in most areas from Monday to Tuesday (Jan. 30).
READ MORE: Flood watch expanded as more atmospheric rivers head for B.C.’s south coast
