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EDMONTON — Backs may be breaking, muscles sore and patience wearing thin after a winter of nearly relentless snowfall across Alberta, but provincial officials say the deep drifts piling up are translating into welcome gains for the province’s water supply.
Early 2026 water supply data show precipitation levels rebounding after several dry years marked by El Niño driven warmth and below normal moisture. Mountain snowpack surveys conducted this month indicate most sites are reporting snow levels at or above normal, with some significantly higher than last year.
It marks the most favourable early season outlook since 2022, following three consecutive years of low early season water supply forecasts.
Provincial projections released in February suggest river volumes this spring could exceed those seen in 2025. Above normal flows are forecast for the North Saskatchewan and Red Deer River basins, while the Bow and Oldman river basins are expected to range from normal to above normal. The Milk River basin is projected to see normal volumes.
Reservoir storage levels in southern Alberta are also described as stable, with total storage normal in the Oldman and South Saskatchewan basins and above normal in the Bow River basin.
Basin wide mountain snowpack averages are reported to contain between 44 and 172 millimetres more snow water equivalent than at the same time last year.
Alberta conducts monthly mountain snowpack surveys from February through June, using that data along with precipitation trends to forecast water supply conditions across 20 river locations in central and southern parts of the province.
Despite the positive indicators, drought advisories remain in place in several areas. As of mid February, 40 water management areas are under winter or frozen conditions with conditional water shortage advisories. Drought stage levels range from Stage 1 in several northern basins to Stage 3 in parts of the Buffalo River and Great Slave Lake basins.
Officials say most of Alberta’s annual moisture typically arrives in March and April snowfalls and June rains, meaning the outlook could still shift in the months ahead.
For now, after years of dry conditions and tightening water supplies, the heavy snow blanketing much of the province is offering cautious optimism for farmers, communities and industries reliant on spring runoff.
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