The flood threat is quite low right now in the Ausable Bayfield watershed.
Water Resources Coordinator Davin Heinbuck said there's only about half as much snow as other years, and the water equivalent in the snowpack is low.
"Snow depths are about half of the normal that we'd expect right now as well. So if you look at in that sense, we're in a pretty good situation right now. But we still have a lot of winter remaining that could change the story a few weeks down the road," he said.
But Heinbuck said the recent cold snap resulted in a lot of ice build-up in the rivers and streams, which means an elevated risk of ice jamming later in the winter.
Davin Heinbuck - Water Resources Coordinator, Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority (photo by Bob Montgomery)
"We're hopeful that it can be a long, slow melt and get not only the snow off the land over a long period of time, but also help reduce any risk of really rapidly rising water levels that might increase the risk of ice jamming," said Heinbuck.
Heinbuck spoke at the Ausable Bayfield Conservation Authority's annual Flood Forecasting / Emergency Response meeting this week in Exeter.