Here's When Ski Resorts Open In BC & What This Season Will Look Like On The Slopes
It's officially December and avid skiers and snowboarders may be planning their first trip to the slopes this season.
Unfortunately, due to a lack of snow in the mountains, some ski resorts in B.C. have delayed their opening, while others are limiting which trails are open.
Whistler Blackcomb, recently named the top ski resort in Canada, opened for the season on November 23.
Anyone interested in visiting the resort can go online to plan their visit.
Sun Peaks Resort near Kamloops is partially open. As listed on its website, the resort has some trails open but notes that it is waiting for more snow before it opens up the rest like the Nordic trail network.
Big White Ski Resort near Kelowna has pushed back its opening date two times already.
The resort was initially set to open on November 23 and then on November 30. The new opening date is now set to December 5.
In an interview with Global News, Big White's senior vice president said it's possible the resort could open sooner if there's enough snow.
"If we get more snow before that (40 centimetres required) we will do our best to open earlier as soon as snow permits," Michael Ballingall told the news outlet.
Revelstoke Mountain Resort on Mount Mackenzie is another resort that had to delay its opening day due to a low snowfall in November. It's now "projected" that the resort will open for the season on December 9.
Smithers, B.C. typically has snow on the ground by now, but that's not the case this year.
The Weather Network says a "historic drought" has affected the region in the province and it's impacting the town's ski resort.
The outlet notes that the Hudson Bay Mountain ski resort has accumulated some snow on the mountain, but another 30 centimetres is needed for the resort to open.
Over on Vancouver Island, Mount Washington Resort's winter season kickoff is scheduled for December 8.
So with all these delays and the lack of snow, what can we expect with ski season in British Columbia?
According to the Weather Network, we'll be getting an El Niño winter pattern, which typically means warmer-than-average "sea surface temperatures."
That could mean bad news for skiers and snowboarders because we already had a lack of rainfall in November and we're seeing a low snowfall in the mountains.
However, the weather outlet does highlight that it's still "very early" in the season and not all "El Niño years have brought a dismal ski season."
So let's hope we see more snow soon, at least in the mountains where we want it!
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.
