All ski areas are closed in British Columbia due to COVID-19. Avalanche Canada has also suspended avalanche forecasts for the remainder of the season due to Covid-19. 

Backcountry skiing is generally advised against by local authorities in BC right now, both to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and also to prevent any added strain on the healthcare system in the event of a backcountry emergency.

I will continue to write the British Columbia forecasts on an every-other-day basis through Friday, April 17 for informational purposes and to provide positive news during this otherwise mostly negative news cycle. 

Weather Forecast

High pressure strengthening over BC is resulting in dry conditions and warmer temperatures across all areas. Here is a look at the upper air analysis on Monday morning, showing a strong ridge of high pressure pushing into Western BC, while the cold trough of low pressure shifts farther east onto the Canadian Prairie.

Overall, Monday is turning out to be a pleasant day with freezing levels rising to 1,000-1,300 meters across Interior BC and to 1,700-2,000 meters across Coastal BC.

On Tuesday, a weak disturbance will work its way around the high pressure ridge and drop into Interior BC from the north/northwest. 

Rain/snow showers will spread into Northern BC late Monday night (freezing levels 1,500-1,800 meters) before shifting south into the Southern Interior on Tuesday morning and persisting into Tuesday night.

Freezing levels across the Southern Interior (i.e. Revelstoke south to the US border) will range from 1,700-2,000 meters, so lower elevations will see primarily rain during the day. However, a cold front will arrive Tuesday evening, with freezing levels falling to base areas on Tuesday night.

Higher elevations areas will pick up anywhere from 1-10 cm of snow from Tuesday morning through Tuesday night, while the Coast Range will generally stay dry (and warmer) aside from some isolated sprinkles or flurries along the eastern slopes. Prevailing mountain-top winds on Tuesday will be out of the northwest.

A few lingering snow showers will persist on Wednesday morning, mainly across the East Purcells and BC/Alberta border as winds shift to northeast. Otherwise, conditions will start to dry out during the day with cooler temperatures as afternoon freezing levels range from 700-1,100 meters across the Interior, while the Coast Range will remain a good bit warmer.

Dry conditions and warmer temperatures can be expected on Thursday as high pressure strengthens with afternoon freezing levels ranging from 1,500-2,000 meters.

The extended outlook through day 10 looks warm and dry for the most part, although another weak disturbance will work its way around the high pressure ridge and bring a chance of rain/snow showers on Friday night and Saturday (4/17-4/18).

This system looks even weaker than Tuesday’s system, so any precipitation will be on the light side. Freezing levels could be higher than Tuesday as well.

Warm and mostly dry conditions will then return from about April 19-22nd. High pressure should eventually start to break down sometime around April 23-25th, which could open the door to more active weather heading into the final week of the month.

Thanks for reading! My next forecast will be posted on Wednesday (4/15).

ALAN SMITH  

Geography Key

Coastal BC
Whistler, Cypress Mountain, Grouse Mountain, Mt. Seymour, Sasquatch Mountain, Mt. Washington, Mt. Cain, Coast Range, Coquihalla Summit, Vancouver Island, Coast Range Inland Region

Interior BC - North/Central Columbia
Revelstoke, Rogers Pass, Mustang Powder Cats, Monashee Snowcats, Kingfisher Heli, White Grizzly Cat Skiing, Great Northern Snowcat Skiing, Eagle Pass Heli, Keefer Lake Lodge, CMH Adamants, CMH Gothics, CMH Monashees, CMH Revelstoke, CMH Galena, CMH Cariboos, CMH Valemount, Mike Wiegele Heli, Retallack Heli, Stellar Heli, Selkirk Range, Monashee Range, Central/Western Purcell Range, Western Cariboo Range 

Interior BC - Western Columbia/Okanagan
Big White, Silver Star, Sun Peaks, Apex Mountain, Baldy Mountain

Interior BC - Kootenay Region
Whitewater, Red Mountain, Kootenay Pass, Kokanee Glacier Park, Southern Selkirk/Purcell Mountains, Snow Water Heli, Valhalla Powdercats, CMH Kootenay, CMH Nomads

Interior BC - Lizard Range
Fernie, Island Lake Cat Skiing

Interior BC - East Purcells
Kicking Horse, Panorama, Kimberley, Fairmont Hot Springs, Eastern Cariboo Range, CMH Bobbie Burns, CMH Bugaboos

Northern BC
Shames Mountain, Hudson Bay Mountain, Powder King, Murray Ridge, Northern Coast Range, Skeena Range, Northern Rockies