Ski Canada - BC

Welcome to the Ski Canada page providing a regular round-up of the skiing conditions and current snow reports for the main Canadian ski resorts. Over recent years some of the best piste conditions averaged over several seasons have been reported at Big White, Sunshine Village, Kicking Horse and Sun Peaks. However, during any given week in the ski season the best slope conditions may be found at any of the great Canadian resorts. For off-piste powder, Big White, Silver Star, Sunshine Village and Kicking Horse have proven pretty consistent either because of low average temperatures, sun aspect, snowfall or because they may be slow to get tracked out.

Many of the other Canadian resorts regularly come to the fore during the season as the best off-piste destination so check out the snow reports below for current ski conditions. Notably, the west coast resorts such as Whistler and Fernie often receive the greatest snowfalls during single storm events and spread over the season. The ski resorts in British Colombia generally experience milder weather than those further east thanks to their relatively close proximity to the Pacific Ocean. Westerly winds brought in by Pacific storms can produce heavy snowfalls, although the powder can be quite heavy. Further east in the country, the temperatures are significantly colder and conditions are ideal for those chasing the famous dry 'champagne' powder snow.

Canada is one of the world’s leading ski nations with more than 300 ski areas spread across the country over four time zones with Canadian ski resorts in every province.

The ski areas range from the world’s leading heli-ski region of BC (British Columbia) in the West of the country to the four small to mid-sized areas of Nova Scotia on the Atlantic coast in the East, which is the world’s first ski region to make helmet wearing on the ski slopes a legal requirement for all skiers and boarders.

Most of Canada’s best known resorts internationally have come to global attention over just the past few decades as the world’s skiers and boarders have spotted that Canada offers some of the biggest ski areas in North America, the continent’s biggest lift-served verticals, great powder snow, friendly people and high value skiing.

Most famous of all of Canada’s ski resorts is of course is Whistler (Whistler Blackcomb), host to the 2010 Winter Olympics which is now one of the world’s most popular ski resorts with more than two million visitors annually and of course it has the biggest ski area in North America and its second biggest lift-served vertical.

But there have been ski areas in the country for at least a century and one of the world’s first dedicated ski lifts opened in Quebec in the late 1920s for the first people to Ski Canada. Quebec and neighbouring Ontario both have the most ski areas in one province in Canada with nearly 100 small to medium sized ski areas each. That puts them in the same bracket for number of ski areas as regions like Tyrol in Austria and Savoie in France.

There’s another French parallel for Quebec as it’s the only North American region where French is the first language for most of the population. What’s more you can often get higher value skiing and better homemade French food here than on the south side of the English Channel.

Indeed for families Canada is a high value proposition because resorts charge children only 20-40% of the adult price and throughout their childhood. This is another favourable comparison to France for example, where children are expected to pay 60-80% of the adult price from age 3 to 5 and the full adult price from age 12-13.

Quebec is home to several internationally well known ski areas, most noteworthy of which is Mont Tremblant – one of the world’s most popular destinations with nearly 4 million visitors., Its most recent attraction is a state-of-the-art casino.

North America’s oldest city, Quebec City, which recently celebrated its 400th birthday, is also here and a city and ski break is easy, with famous resorts like Le Massif Ski Area and Mont Sainte-Anne a short distance away by road or rail, offering great skiing above the mighty St Lawrence river.

Another interesting Quebecois ski region is known at the Eastern Townships and is located on the border with the US in the south of the country. Here small resorts like Mont Sutton offer skiing as they used to be with tradition and ambience.

But it’s Western Canada that is the main draw for international skiers with a dozen or more famous resorts. In BC, Kicking Horse only opened in 2000 but has built a reputation for its spectacular skiing and steep chutes, while Fernie is famed for its deep powder. The newest addition, Revelstoke Mountain Resort, overtook Whistler to offer the biggest lift-served vertical on the continent. Other major resorts include Big White, Panorama Mountain Village, Kimberley and Sun Peaks – all attracting a high proportion of international guests from the US, Australia and Europe.

Finally, Alberta and the Canadian Rockies have been a major international attraction since the Trans-Canadian railway arrived in the late 19th century, followed by the roads. Banff’s local ski areas of Banff Mt Norquay and Sunshine Village are more than 80 years old and located in some of North America and the world’s most spectacular scenery – the Canadian Rocky Mountains.

Other major areas here include Lake Louise, home to North America’s first World Cup competition each ski season, and also the first World Cup downhill races in the Northern Hemisphere. Head further north for 100 miles through the stunning glacial scenery on one of the world’s most spectacular drives and you reach another classic resort, Marmot Basin. All four are among the world’s most snowsure, open from early November to May. read more...

Canada - BC: latest snow conditions round-up

Ski resorts of Canada - BC, alphabetically

Resort	Webcam (click to zoom)	Top and bottom snow depth	On-piste	Off-piste	Forecast snow in next 3 days (click for forecast)	Weather forecast for 3 days ahead Weather report	Last snow
Amiskwi Lodge					1 cm	A dusting of new snow
Apex Resort		183 cm 99 cm	Packed Powder		9 cm	A light covering of new snow mostly falling on Fri afternoon
Backcountry Snowcats					8 cm	A dusting of new snow
Battle Abbey					1 cm	A dusting of new snow
Bella Coola Heli Sports-Big Mountain					0 cm	A light covering of new snow mostly falling on Thu night
Bella Coola Heli Sports-Pantheon					1 cm	Mostly dry
Bella Coola Heli Sports-Tweedsmuir Park Lodge					0 cm	A dusting of new snow
Big Red Cats					0 cm	A dusting of new snow
Big White		180 cm 170 cm	Excellent	Packed	0 cm	A dusting of new snow At last - some fresh snow. It's needed!	6 cm on 9 Feb
Blanket Glacier Chalet					0 cm	Mostly dry
Boulder Hut					0 cm	A dusting of new snow
Burnie Glacier Chalet					1 cm	A light covering of new snow mostly falling on Sat night
Callaghan Valley					1 cm	Moderate rain (total 11.0mm), heaviest on Thu afternoon
Campbell Icefield Chalet					0 cm	A dusting of new snow
Chatter Creek					0 cm	Mostly dry
Chilcotin Mountain Range - TLH Heliskiing		350 cm 350 cm	Powder	Powder	7 cm	A dusting of new snow Light clouds dotting the sky	25 cm on 2 Feb
CMH Bobbie-Burns					5 cm	A dusting of new snow
CMH Galena					1 cm	A dusting of new snow
CMH McBride					2 cm	A dusting of new snow
CMH Monashees					2 cm	A dusting of new snow
CMH Valemount					3 cm	Mostly dry
Crescent Spur Heliskiing					3 cm	A dusting of new snow
Cypress Mountain		323 cm 104 cm	Packed Powder		1 cm	Moderate rain (total 17.0mm) heaviest on Thu afternoon, then becoming colder with a dusting of snow on Fri night
Dave Henry Lodge					1 cm	Mostly dry
Dezaiko Lodge					0 cm	A dusting of new snow
Fernie		255 cm 195 cm	Hard	Packed	0 cm	A dusting of new snow Cloudy today, snow possible	0 cm on 2 Feb
FWA Powder Catskiing					0 cm	Mostly dry
GAH Sunrise Lodge					0 cm	A dusting of new snow
Great Canadian Heli-Skiing					1 cm	A dusting of new snow
Grouse Mountain		284 cm 244 cm	Packed Powder		1 cm	Moderate rain (total 14.0mm), heaviest on Thu afternoon
Hemlock Resort		320 cm 206 cm	Packed Powder		6 cm	Moderate rain (total 14.0mm) heaviest on Thu afternoon, then becoming colder with a dusting of snow on Fri afternoon
Ice Creek					0 cm	Mostly dry
Island Lake Catskiing					0 cm	Mostly dry
K3 Catski					0 cm	Mostly dry
Kicking Horse		185 cm 185 cm	Excellent	Varied	5 cm	A dusting of new snow Another glorious day	2 cm on 1 Feb
Kimberley		193 cm 193 cm	Excellent	Varied	0 cm	A dusting of new snow Light clouds dotting the sky	2 cm on 31 Jan
Klondike Heliskiing					11 cm	A moderate fall of snow, heaviest on Sun morning
Last Frontier Heliskiing		900 cm 600 cm	Powder	Powder	5 cm	A light covering of new snow mostly falling on Sat night Snowing lightly, refreshing pistes	15 cm on 7 Feb
Manning Park Resort		236 cm 160 cm	Packed Powder		2 cm	Drizzle at first, then turning colder with dusting of snow on Fri morning
Mistaya Lodge					0 cm	Mostly dry
Monashee Powder Snowcats					0 cm	Mostly dry
Mount Cain					18 cm	A moderate fall of snow, heaviest on Sat night
Mount Seymour		236 cm 203 cm	Variable Conditions		0 cm	Moderate rain (total 15.0mm), heaviest on Thu afternoon
Mount Washington		358 cm 338 cm	Hard Pack		6 cm	A light covering of new snow mostly falling on Thu afternoon
Mt Baldy Ski Area					2 cm	A dusting of new snow	0 cm on 1 Jan
Mt Carlyle Lodge					0 cm	Mostly dry
Mustang Powder					0 cm	Mostly dry
Northern Escape Heli Skiing					7 cm	A moderate fall of snow, heaviest on Sat night
Panorama Mountain Village		132 cm 69 cm	Excellent	Varied	0 cm	Mostly dry Perfect ski weather, sunny but cold	2 cm on 1 Feb
Powder Ck Lodge					0 cm	Mostly dry
Powder King		399 cm 239 cm	Powder		0 cm	A dusting of new snow
Powder Mountain Catskiing					12 cm	A moderate fall of snow, heaviest on Fri night
Purcell Mountain Lodge					2 cm	A dusting of new snow
Red Mountain Resort		160 cm 75 cm	Excellent	Fresh	0 cm	A dusting of new snow Overcast skies, mild temperatures	4 cm on 8 Feb
Revelstoke Mountain Resort		210 cm 210 cm	Icy	Packed	0 cm	Mostly dry Clear blue skies, all lifts open	0 cm on 9 Feb
Salmo					0 cm	A dusting of snow on Fri morning. Freezing level rising with drizzle on Fri morning
Shames Mountain					5 cm	A light covering of new snow mostly falling on Sat night
Silver Star		150 cm 115 cm	Good	Powder	0 cm	A dusting of new snow Snowing lightly, refreshing pistes	0 cm on 1 Feb
Skeena Heliskiing					2 cm	A dusting of new snow
Ski Smithers		175 cm 120 cm	Packed		0 cm	A dusting of new snow	on 4 Feb
Snowwater Lodge					0 cm	A dusting of new snow
Sol Mountain Touring					0 cm	Mostly dry
Sorcerer Lodge					1 cm	A dusting of new snow
Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre		75 cm 60 cm	Good	Powder	0 cm	A dusting of new snow Cloudy this morning, clearing later	4 cm on 21 Jan
Sun Peaks		151 cm 123 cm	Fresh	Fresh	0 cm	A dusting of new snow Snowing lightly, refreshing pistes	4 cm on 8 Feb
Talus Lodge					0 cm	Mostly dry
Tulsequah Heliskiing					23 cm	A moderate fall of snow, heaviest on Sun morning
Valhalla Lodge					0 cm	A dusting of new snow
Valkyr Adventures					0 cm	Mostly dry
Whistler		239 cm 239 cm	Good	Packed	9 cm	A light covering of new snow mostly falling on Fri morning Snowing up high, raining below	3 cm on 8 Feb
Whitecap Alpine					5 cm	Drizzle at first, then turning colder with dusting of snow on Fri afternoon
Whitewater		213 cm 213 cm	Packed Powder		1 cm	A dusting of new snow	5 cm on 9 Feb
Wiegele					2 cm	A dusting of new snow
Wildhorse Catskiing & Powder Mining Co					2 cm	A dusting of new snow