Winter has been kind so far to the West Kootenay's snowpack.
The B.C. River Forecast Centre's Jan. 1 update shows the regional snowpack is 94 per cent of normal, just above the provincial average of 87 per cent.
That's far better than the snowpack was one year ago, when the West Kootenay had only 57 per cent of what the normal pack should be as all of B.C. struggled with a warm winter.
Conditions are also improved in the East Kootenay (92 per cent) and Boundary (115 per cent) regions.
The improved amount of snow comes despite what the centre said was one of the warmest Decembers since temperature recording began at various locations in B.C. in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
The extra snow is attributed to La Niña conditions, which can extend into spring and lead to increased risk of freshet flooding.
Last year's lack of snow impacted local water supplies, ski hills, wildlife and agriculture in the Creston Valley.