The Okanagan is a Rainforest

[Glacier]

... Relative to other places in BC.

For example: Average snow pack at 1200 to 1300m on April 1st in the Okanagan:

CARMI (1250m) = 115 mm of Snow-Water Equivalent
MCCULLOCH (1280m) = 132 mm
SUMMERLAND RESERVOIR (1280m) = 197 mm


Other places in BC:

PAVILION, near Lillooet (1230m) = 22 mm
SUMMIT LAKE, near Fort Nelson (1280m) = 113 mm

1200-1300m in Okanagan:
ABERDEEN LAKE (1310m) = 124 mm
OYAMA LAKE (1340m) = 154 mm
MONASHEE PASS (1370m) = 324 mm


Other places in BC:
SINCLAIR PASS in East Kootenay (1370m) = 109 mm
BRALORNE in Coast Mountains north of Pemberton (1389m) = 153 mm

1500 - 1600 in Okanagan:
GREYBACK RESERVOIR (1550m) = 223 mm

Other places in BC:
LAC LE JEUNE (UPPER) south of Kamloops (1509m) = 127 mm
MOUNT STEARNS in the Peace (1505m) = 147 mm

Ah crap, my theory is getting busted up by other elevations! Basically, it really depends on whether or not you're in the east or the west side of the valley. West of the valley is far, far drier than the east.

EG: ISINTOK LAKE, between Summerland and Hedley (1680m) = 148 mm

BIG WHITE MOUNTAIN (1680m) = 476 mm

So Big White has an average snow pack over two times larger than Isintok Lake! No wonder why all the cool kids go skiing at Big White.

[MCB]

Which in itself is fascinating when you think about the snowflakes that live there!

(I'm sorry...that was my brain's automatic thought when I read the thread title!)

[CapitalB]

There goes our borderline desert status.

[atenbacon]

Temperate Rainforest