Rocky Mountains snowpack levels still 20% below normal: Alberta Environment [Video]

Once a month in the spring and winter, water monitoring technologists with Alberta Environment and Protected Areas journey high into Alberta’s alpine to assess just how much snow will be coming downstream during spring runoff season.

“We would like to be above average, so we can fill reservoirs so there’s more water flowing downstream,” said technologist Dennis Rollag during April’s flight up into the mountains.

The technicians fly over a vast mountain range — where typically only wildlife roam — to test the 10 sites by hand.

Working in pairs with a chartered helicopter pilot, the researchers travel deep into the backcountry, measuring the snow for depth and density.

The technologists trudged through the snow, sometimes needing cross-country skis to avoid sinking into slush.

They used a tube to check the height of the snow. Each station is tested several times to ensure the reading is correct.

“We have snow courses that …