Below Seasonal

It's hard to write a blog about the weather and natural history in the Bella Coola Valley when you have been away for a few days. From what I can tell the best way to summarize it is "below seasonal" in both temperature and precipitation.   Not a lot of precipitation, but not a lot of heat.  The hay fields are loving it though and the annual burst of new vegetation, flowering and fresh growth is peaking on everything (Douglas Maple seeds forming in the photo).  The Bella Coola River is the best indicator of seasonality this time of year.  It is still in a pre-freshet, slightly brown but not glacial green or grey stage -- meaning it's cold and the new snow and glaciers at higher elevations are melting very slowly.  Grizzly