With so much snow on the ground, the potential for flooding in the Yukon is high, says Environment Yukon hydrologist Holly Goulding.

Goulding said the snowpack, however, is just one of the factors that affect flood potential, the other major factor being the spring weather.

Currently, the forecast is for a cooler than normal spring. Ideally, Goulding told the Star Thursday, there would be a gradual but steady melt.

Rain events or higher-than-normal temperatures can cause a rapid melt and increase the chance of flooding, she said.

While the three-month forecast predicts below-average temperatures, Goulding said, it’s only once the melt begins that there is a more accurate picture of the flood potential.

Having a cool spring that still sees snow on the ground in June is also not good, she said.

“It’s really the slow and steady melt that we want to reduce the conditions of really high flows in the rivers.”

Of the 57 monitoring sites, Goulding said, 26 met or exceeded the snowpack record for March 1.

The March 1 snow survey bulletin says the snowpack levels are above or well above average in most major watersheds across the territory.

Record snowpack levels were recorded in the Carmacks and Dawson City regions and in the Pelly River basin.

“Above-average spring breakup and snowmelt flood potential is anticipated in most of the territory,” the bulletin says.

It says the highest snowpack for this time of year was observed in the White, Teslin, Peel and Stewart River basins.

The Liard River basin was near the historical maximum for this time of year.

The snowpack in the Upper Yukon River basin – the Southern Lakes – was above average, as it was in the Porcupine River and Alsek River basins.

The bulletin says precipitation in the Whitehorse area was 54 per cent above normal.

But precipitation south of Whitehorse along the Alaska Highway near the B.C. border was eight per cent below average, the lowest amount recorded in the territory.

Precipitation in the Watson Lake area was well over double the normal amount.

Teslin saw 42 per cent more precipitation than normal, and Carmacks was 65 per cent above average.

Precipitation in the Dawson area was 68 per cent above average while up on the Dempster Highway near Eagle Plains, it was 67 per cent above normal.

Precipitation in the Mayo area saw 41 per cent more precipitation than average.

Haines Junction saw 32 per cent more precipitation than normal.

Precipitation in the Old Crow area, on the other hand, was one per cent below average.