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...

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					9 cm	Mild with moderate rain (total 11.0mm) on Wed night, Becoming colder with a light covering of snow, mostly falling on Wed night.
Apex Resort					0 cm	Light rain (total 5.0mm), mostly falling on Thu afternoon
Backcountry Snowcats					2 cm	Light rain (total 5.0mm) at first, then becoming colder with a dusting of snow on Thu afternoon
Battle Abbey					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 33.0mm), heaviest during Thu night
Bella Coola Heli Sports-Big Mountain					0 cm	Mostly dry
Bella Coola Heli Sports-Pantheon					0 cm	A dusting of new snow
Bella Coola Heli Sports-Tweedsmuir Park Lodge					0 cm	Mostly dry
Big Red Cats					0 cm	A dusting of new snow
Big White					0 cm	Mostly dry
Blanket Glacier Chalet					0 cm	Light rain (total 7.0mm), mostly falling on Wed afternoon
Boulder Hut					0 cm	Light rain (total 9.0mm), mostly falling on Fri morning
Burnie Glacier Chalet					2 cm	A dusting of new snow
Callaghan Valley					0 cm	Mostly dry
Campbell Icefield Chalet					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 20.0mm), heaviest during Wed night
Chatter Creek					8 cm	A light covering of new snow, mostly falling on Thu morning
Chilcotin Mountain Range - TLH Heliskiing					7 cm	Mild with light rain (total 4.0mm) on Wed morning Becoming colder with a light covering of snow, mostly falling on Thu afternoon
CMH Bobbie-Burns					18 cm	Mild at first with light rain (total 4.0mm) on Wed night followed by colder weather and light fall of snow, heaviest on Thu night.
CMH Galena					9 cm	Mild at first with light rain (total 7.0mm) on Wed night followed by colder weather and light fall of snow, heaviest on Thu night.
CMH McBride					0 cm	A dusting of new snow
CMH Monashees					0 cm	Light rain (total 4.0mm) at first, then becoming colder with a dusting of snow on Wed afternoon
CMH Valemount					0 cm	Mostly dry
Crescent Spur Heliskiing					0 cm	A dusting of new snow
Crystal Mountain Resort					0 cm	Light rain (total 2.0mm) at first, then becoming colder with a dusting of snow on Thu night
Cypress Mountain					0 cm	Mostly dry
Dave Henry Lodge					0 cm	Light rain (total 4.0mm), mostly falling on Wed morning
Dezaiko Lodge					0 cm	Mostly dry
Fairmont Hot Springs					1 cm	Moderate rain (total 13.0mm) heaviest on Thu afternoon, then becoming colder with a dusting of snow on Thu night
Fernie					0 cm	Heavy rain (total 22.0mm), heaviest during Fri afternoon
FWA Powder Catskiing					5 cm	Mild with light rain (total 7.0mm) on Fri morning Becoming colder with a light covering of snow, mostly falling on Fri afternoon
GAH Sunrise Lodge					1 cm	Moderate rain (total 13.0mm) heaviest on Wed morning, then becoming colder with a dusting of snow on Thu night
Great Canadian Heli-Skiing					17 cm	A moderate fall of snow, heaviest on Thu night
Grouse Mountain					0 cm	Mostly dry
Hemlock Resort					0 cm	Light rain (total 8.0mm), mostly falling on Wed afternoon
Ice Creek					0 cm	Light rain (total 4.0mm), mostly falling on Thu night
Island Lake Catskiing					1 cm	Moderate rain (total 17.0mm) heaviest on Fri afternoon, then becoming colder with a dusting of snow on Fri night
K3 Catski					0 cm	Light rain (total 5.0mm), mostly falling on Wed night
Kicking Horse					8 cm	Heavy rain (total 22.0mm), mainly falling Wed night. Becoming colder with a light covering of snow, mostly falling on Thu night
Kimberley					0 cm	Moderate rain (total 12.0mm), heaviest on Fri morning
Klondike Heliskiing					14 cm	A moderate fall of snow, heaviest on Wed morning
Last Frontier Heliskiing					2 cm	A dusting of new snow
Last Frontier Heliskiing - Ripley Creek					0 cm	Moderate rain (total 14.0mm), heaviest on Wed afternoon
Manning Park Resort					0 cm	Some drizzle, heaviest during Thu morning
Mistaya Lodge					17 cm	Mild at first with light rain (total 2.0mm) on Wed afternoon followed by colder weather and light fall of snow, heaviest on Wed night.
Monashee Powder Snowcats					0 cm	Light rain (total 5.0mm), mostly falling on Wed afternoon
Mount Cain					0 cm	Mostly dry
Mount Seymour					0 cm	Mostly dry
Mount Washington		555 cm 520 cm	Excellent	Spring	0 cm	Mostly dry The mild temperatures have brought rain	0 cm on 19 Apr
Mt Baldy Ski Area					0 cm	Mostly dry	0 cm on 1 Jan
Mt Carlyle Lodge					1 cm	A dusting of new snow
Mt Timothy Ski Area					0 cm	Mostly dry
Murray Ridge					0 cm	Light rain (total 4.0mm), mostly falling on Thu morning
Mustang Powder					0 cm	Light rain (total 5.0mm), mostly falling on Wed afternoon
Northern Escape Heli Skiing					5 cm	A light covering of new snow, mostly falling on Wed night
Panorama Mountain Village					3 cm	Light rain (total 4.0mm) at first, then becoming colder with a dusting of snow on Thu night
Powder Ck Lodge					1 cm	Light rain (total 2.0mm) at first, then becoming colder with a dusting of snow on Fri morning
Powder King					0 cm	Drizzle at first, then turning colder with dusting of snow on Thu night
Powder Mountain Catskiing					0 cm	Mostly dry
Purcell Mountain Lodge					9 cm	Mild with moderate rain (total 14.0mm) on Wed night, Becoming colder with a light covering of snow, mostly falling on Thu night.
Red Mountain Resort					0 cm	Some drizzle, heaviest during Thu night
Revelstoke Mountain Resort					0 cm	Light rain (total 8.0mm), mostly falling on Wed afternoon
Salmo					0 cm	Light rain (total 8.0mm), mostly falling on Thu night
Shames Mountain					1 cm	Drizzle at first, then turning colder with dusting of snow on Wed night
Silver Star					0 cm	Light rain (total 2.0mm), mostly falling on Wed afternoon
Skeena Heliskiing					10 cm	A moderate fall of snow, heaviest on Wed night
Ski Smithers					0 cm	A dusting of new snow
Snowwater Lodge					2 cm	A dusting of new snow
Sol Mountain Touring					0 cm	Light rain (total 7.0mm), mostly falling on Thu night
Sorcerer Lodge					0 cm	Moderate rain (total 14.0mm) heaviest on Wed morning, then becoming colder with a dusting of snow on Thu night
Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre		95 cm 80 cm	Good	Crust	0 cm	Light rain (total 2.0mm), mostly falling on Wed afternoon Glorious sunny weather, suntan lotion a must
Sun Peaks					0 cm	Light rain (total 2.0mm), mostly falling on Wed morning
Talus Lodge					7 cm	Mild with light rain (total 7.0mm) on Thu morning Becoming colder with a light covering of snow, mostly falling on Thu night
Tulsequah Heliskiing					9 cm	A moderate fall of snow, heaviest on Wed morning
Valhalla Lodge					1 cm	Light rain (total 2.0mm) at first, then becoming colder with a dusting of snow on Thu night
Valkyr Adventures					2 cm	Drizzle at first, then turning colder with dusting of snow on Thu night
Whistler		262 cm 262 cm	Good	Varied	0 cm	Light rain (total 2.0mm), mostly falling on Wed afternoon Partly cloudy, some sunny spells	3 cm on 1 May
Whitecap Alpine					0 cm	Moderate rain (total 13.0mm), heaviest on Wed night
Whitewater					2 cm	Light rain (total 2.0mm) at first, then becoming colder with a dusting of snow on Fri morning
Wiegele					2 cm	A dusting of new snow
Wildhorse Catskiing & Powder Mining Co					2 cm	Drizzle at first, then turning colder with dusting of snow on Thu night