Okanagan Now posted May 29, 2026 @ 12:30pm by Josh Duncan
Okanagan maxed out at Level 5 drought — drier than anywhere else in BC
Summer hasn’t even begun yet and the Okanagan’s drought situation is already critical.
While the region has been mired in drought since the fall of 2022, a warm winter with limited precipitation has exacerbated the issue.
The latest snowpack numbers have the Okanagan at just 16% of its normal levels for mid-May and the Province’s first regional drought report of the season reflects that.
The Okanagan is the only water basin in BC listed at Level 5, which is the highest possible rating.
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“With snowpack gone earlier than usual, streams across the valley have already seen their spring freshets finish,” explains a drought bulletin from the Okanagan Basin Water Board (OBWB).
The OBWB added that, in most cases, these peak flows occurred “earlier than normal and at lower-than-average levels.”
According to the bulletin, most sites of the Okanagan have received, at best, only half of their typical rainfall through the end of May.
As of May 25, 2026, Vernon and Kelowna are only at 56% and 47% of expected precipitation respectively, while Penticton is at a catastrophic 21%.
While there is a bit of rain in the short-term forecast, only a “significant and sustained period of wet weather” would improve conditions this season. Even more would be needed to make up for several years of accumulated drought.
“Given the projected warm summer ahead, it is essential that communities manage water carefully to balance the needs of ecosystems, farms, fish, firefighting and drinking water supplies,” the OBWB says.
The OBWB notes that drought conditions “vary widely” across the Okanagan Valley, and residents should keep a close eye on local water restrictions, not provincial drought levels.
Some form of water restrictions are in place for all of the region’s municipalities and the OBWB says it’s “critical” that people follow them given the ongoing multi-year drought and projected warm summer conditions.
Click here to read the OBWB’s May 28 drought bulletin. BC’s drought portal can be viewed here and your source for all local water restrictions is here.warm summer conditions.
