Equipment on the banks of the rising Chilliwack River near Sheldon Road in Chilliwack, B.C. is shown in this Friday, March 20, 2026, handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout - Patti MacAhonic (Mandatory Credit)

By The Canadian Press

B.C. River Forecast Centre downgrades flood watch for south coast

Mar 21, 2026 | 12:09 PM

British Columbia’s river forecaster has downgraded the flood watch advisory that had spanned the province’s south coast as rain deluged the region last week.

A bulletin from the B.C. River Forecast Centre says the multi-day atmospheric river system brought a range of 40 to 300 millimetres of precipitation to the region.

It says the heaviest rainfall was recorded around Howe Sound, the North Shore and Coast mountains and the Fraser Valley.

While snow initially fell in mid- and high-elevation areas, the centre says warming temperatures led to snowmelt and runoff later in the week.

But it says rain eased Friday and the return of cooler temperatures has reduced snowmelt.

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A lower-level high streamflow advisory now spans B.C.’s south coast along with the Lillooet River near Pemberton, the Fraser Valley and the Skagit and Similkameen regions.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 21, 2026.

The Canadian Press