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...

Snow: next 3 days

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					16 cm	Moderate rain (total 14.0mm), heaviest on Thu night giving way to a moderate fall of snow, heaviest on Fri morning
Apex Resort					0 cm	Light rain (total 8.0mm), mostly falling on Fri afternoon
Backcountry Snowcats					1 cm	Moderate rain (total 10.0mm) heaviest on Thu night, then becoming colder with a dusting of snow on Sat morning
Battle Abbey					1 cm	A dusting of snow. Milder later with heavy rain (total 36.0mm) on Fri afternoon
Bella Coola Heli Sports-Big Mountain					7 cm	A moderate fall of snow, heaviest on Thu night
Bella Coola Heli Sports-Pantheon					17 cm	A heavy fall of snow, heaviest during Sat morning
Bella Coola Heli Sports-Tweedsmuir Park Lodge					9 cm	A moderate fall of snow, heaviest on Thu night
Big Red Cats					0 cm	Moderate rain (total 10.0mm), heaviest on Fri night
Big White					0 cm	A dusting of snow giving way to moderate rain (total 13.0mm) heaviest on Sat afternoon
Blanket Glacier Chalet					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 22.0mm), heaviest during Fri afternoon
Boulder Hut					0 cm	Moderate rain (total 19.0mm), heaviest on Fri afternoon
Burnie Glacier Chalet					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 49.0mm), heaviest during Thu night
Callaghan Valley					0 cm	Moderate rain (total 15.0mm), heaviest on Sat morning
Campbell Icefield Chalet					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 50.0mm), heaviest during Fri morning
Chatter Creek					26 cm	A heavy fall of snow, heaviest during Fri morning
Chilcotin Mountain Range - TLH Heliskiing					5 cm	Moderate rain (total 18.0mm) heaviest on Fri night, then becoming colder with a dusting of snow on Sun morning
CMH Bobbie-Burns					14 cm	A light fall of snow, heaviest on Fri morning. Turning milder with light rain (total 2.0mm) on Sun afternoon
CMH Galena					8 cm	A light covering of new snow, mostly falling on Fri night. Becoming milder with light rain (total 9.0mm) on Sat afternoon
CMH McBride					1 cm	Heavy rain (total 26.0mm), heaviest during Fri afternoon. Later becoming colder with a dusting of snow on Sat night
CMH Monashees					24 cm	A heavy fall of snow, heaviest during Fri morning. Becoming milder with light rain (total 4.0mm) on Sun afternoon
CMH Valemount					15 cm	A moderate fall of snow, heaviest on Fri morning. Turning milder with moderate rain (total 10.0mm), heaviest on Sat afternoon
Crescent Spur Heliskiing					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 21.0mm), heaviest during Sun afternoon
Crystal Mountain Resort					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 21.0mm), heaviest during Fri night
Crystal Resort					0 cm	Moderate rain (total 11.0mm), heaviest on Thu night
Cypress Mountain					0 cm	Light rain (total 6.0mm), mostly falling on Thu night
Dave Henry Lodge					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 48.0mm), heaviest during Fri morning
Dezaiko Lodge					0 cm	Moderate rain (total 15.0mm), heaviest on Fri afternoon
Fairmont Hot Springs					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 31.0mm), heaviest during Thu night
Fernie					0 cm	Light rain (total 6.0mm), mostly falling on Fri afternoon
FWA Powder Catskiing					0 cm	Light rain (total 5.0mm) at first, then becoming colder with a dusting of snow on Fri night
GAH Sunrise Lodge					6 cm	A light covering of new snow, mostly falling on Fri morning will be washed away by heavy rain (total 24.0mm) on Sat morning
Great Canadian Heli-Skiing					21 cm	A heavy fall of snow, heaviest during Fri morning
Grouse Mountain					0 cm	Light rain (total 6.0mm), mostly falling on Thu night
Hemlock Resort					0 cm	Light rain (total 9.0mm), mostly falling on Thu night
Hudson Bay Mountain					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 30.0mm), heaviest during Thu night
Ice Creek					0 cm	Moderate rain (total 15.0mm), heaviest on Fri night
Island Lake Catskiing					0 cm	Light rain (total 5.0mm), mostly falling on Fri afternoon
K3 Catski					2 cm	A dusting of snow giving way to moderate rain (total 10.0mm) heaviest on Sat afternoon
Kicking Horse					9 cm	A light fall of snow, heaviest on Fri morning. Turning milder with light rain (total 9.0mm) on Sat afternoon
Kimberley					0 cm	Moderate rain (total 13.0mm), heaviest on Fri morning
Klondike Heliskiing					0 cm	Light rain (total 4.0mm), mostly falling on Sat afternoon
Last Frontier Heliskiing					0 cm	Moderate rain (total 15.0mm), heaviest on Thu night
Last Frontier Heliskiing - Ripley Creek					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 37.0mm), heaviest during Thu night
Manning Park Resort					0 cm	Moderate rain (total 12.0mm), heaviest on Thu night
Mike Wiegele Helicopter Skiing					36 cm	A heavy fall of snow, heaviest during Sat night
Mistaya Lodge					26 cm	A heavy fall of snow, heaviest during Fri morning. Becoming milder with drizzle, on Sun afternoon
Monashee Powder Snowcats					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 21.0mm), heaviest during Fri night
Mount Cain					0 cm	Moderate rain (total 14.0mm) heaviest on Thu night, then becoming colder with a dusting of snow on Thu night
Mount Seymour					0 cm	Light rain (total 6.0mm), mostly falling on Thu night
Mount Washington					0 cm	Light rain (total 6.0mm), mostly falling on Fri morning
Mt Baldy Ski Area					0 cm	Light rain (total 5.0mm), mostly falling on Fri night
Mt Carlyle Lodge					0 cm	Light rain (total 9.0mm) at first, then becoming colder with a dusting of snow on Fri night
Mt Timothy Ski Area					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 59.0mm), heaviest during Sun morning
Murray Ridge					0 cm	Light rain (total 4.0mm), mostly falling on Thu night
Mustang Powder					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 21.0mm), heaviest during Fri afternoon
Northern Escape Heli Skiing					0 cm	Moderate rain (total 16.0mm), heaviest on Fri morning
Panorama Mountain Village					5 cm	A light covering of new snow, mostly falling on Fri afternoon. Becoming milder with moderate rain (total 14.0mm) heaviest on Sat afternoon
Powder Ck Lodge					0 cm	Moderate rain (total 19.0mm) heaviest on Fri afternoon, then becoming colder with a dusting of snow on Fri night
Powder King					0 cm	Moderate rain (total 11.0mm), heaviest on Fri afternoon
Powder Mountain Catskiing					0 cm	Light rain (total 7.0mm) at first, then becoming colder with a dusting of snow on Sat morning
Purcell Mountain Lodge					10 cm	A moderate fall of snow, heaviest on Fri morning. Turning milder with moderate rain (total 13.0mm), heaviest on Sat afternoon
Red Mountain Resort					0 cm	Moderate rain (total 14.0mm), heaviest on Fri night
Revelstoke Mountain Resort					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 26.0mm), heaviest during Fri afternoon
Salmo					0 cm	Moderate rain (total 16.0mm), heaviest on Fri night
Shames Mountain					0 cm	Moderate rain (total 15.0mm), heaviest on Fri morning
Silver Star					0 cm	Moderate rain (total 14.0mm), heaviest on Fri night
Skeena Heliskiing					0 cm	Moderate rain (total 13.0mm), heaviest on Thu night
Snowwater Lodge					0 cm	Light rain (total 6.0mm) at first, then becoming colder with a dusting of snow on Sat afternoon
Sol Mountain Touring					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 20.0mm), heaviest during Fri night
Sorcerer Lodge					6 cm	A light covering of new snow, mostly falling on Fri morning will be washed away by heavy rain (total 23.0mm) on Sat morning
Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre					0 cm	Moderate rain (total 11.0mm), heaviest on Fri night
Stake Lake Nordic Centre					0 cm	Moderate rain (total 18.0mm), heaviest on Fri night
Sun Peaks					2 cm	Moderate rain (total 10.0mm) heaviest on Fri night, then becoming colder with a dusting of snow on Fri night
Talus Lodge					10 cm	A light fall of snow, heaviest on Thu night. Turning milder with light rain (total 3.0mm) on Sat afternoon
Tulsequah Heliskiing					0 cm	Mostly dry
Valhalla Lodge					0 cm	Moderate rain (total 11.0mm), heaviest on Fri afternoon
Valkyr Adventures					2 cm	A dusting of snow turning to light rain (total 9.0mm) on Sun afternoon
Whistler		119 cm 119 cm	Fresh	Spring snow	0 cm	Moderate rain (total 14.0mm), heaviest on Sat morning Snowing up high, raining below	3 cm on 22 Apr
Whitecap Alpine					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 21.0mm), heaviest during Fri afternoon
Whitewater					0 cm	Moderate rain (total 10.0mm), heaviest on Fri afternoon
Wildhorse Catskiing & Powder Mining Co					0 cm	Light rain (total 9.0mm), mostly falling on Fri afternoon