The Water Security Agency has released their preliminary spring runoff outlook for 2017, and it's showing that most of the province is expected to see below-normal runoff levels this spring.

WSA Spokesman Patrick Boyle says most of the province received below-normal snowfall, and lost some of the snow pack during a warm stretch in January.

"This melting of snow pack, what it will do is saturate some of the soil surface and so that could reduce any filtration capacity for any melt of that late season snow that may come still."

The only portion of the province with a rating higher than "below normal" is the south-east that is rated at normal in some parts all the way up to "well above normal" in the far SE corner.

Boyle adds the snow pack could continue to develop over the next six to 10 weeks, and higher than normal precipitation or a rapid melt could increase runoff potential.

The agency's spring runoff forecast will be released in March.