Wettest month coming up short for B.C. means impacts for ski season
It’s the most wonderful time of year as a skier in Western Canada...until you are told this is going to be an El Niño winter.
An El Niño pattern is when warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures off the coast of South America can impact weather around the world.
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Usually it means a less than snowy winter for B.C. In contrast, the last three winters in British Columbia were firmly locked in a La Niña pattern (cooler waters off the west coast of South America). That brought a generally healthy snowpack the last three years to B.C. ski resorts.
So the question becomes, what will be in store for winter lovers in British Columbia this season? If we were to use the lack of rainfall for the month of November as a guide, we could already be experiencing a hint of what’s to come.
Vancouver International Airport would usually sees an average of 185.8 mm for rainfall for the month of November. This November, it has recorded a mere 106.6 mm. Despite the fact the city could use more rain for an array of reasons, it is also an indication of the lack of moisture, overall, and the lack of accumulated snowfall in the mountains.
It wasn’t that long ago in 2021 that we saw an extremely wet November. An atmospheric river event brought over 300 mm to parts of the province, triggering major flooding and mudslides that damaged highway infrastructure. In November 2021, Vancouver International Airport recorded 312.4 mm.
Additionally, in the year 2006, 308 mm of rain fell in Vancouver for the month of November. Last year was a very close resemblance to 2023 with the month only getting 101.6 mm, despite it being a La Niña year. The pattern, though, quickly changed and delivered an abundant snowpack to many ski resorts across the province. However, it goes to demonstrate that no two years will be the same and no two El Niños will be, either.
Many ski resorts are expected to open this week, and many are likely to have modified plans, potentially only opening certain areas of terrain to the public. Whistler Resort has reported a 50-cm base the day before the anticipated opening. Big White Resort is not far behind, with only a 38-cm base, so it was forced to delay its opening by a week (Nov. 30). Finally, Sunpeaks Resort only has a minute measurement of 23 cm.
It is important to remember, however, that we are still very early in the season and not all El Niño years have brought a dismal ski season.
See below when Whistler actually came out with above average snowpack in three different El Niño years. What El Niño could mean across the province is that while snow may be lacking, there could be more sunshine to enjoy on the slopes as a whole.
Those bluebird days that everyone looks forward to may have to compensate for the fresh snow that might not be readily as available. Happy skiing and boarding, and stay tuned The Weather Network for B.C. updates all season!
