Coastal BC:

Dry and sunny conditions will prevail during the day on Tuesday, then back-to-back late-season storms are on the way with two April powder days possible during the final week of the season for Cypress Mtn and Mt. Seymour (Grouse Mtn is also open indefinitely as long as conditions allow).

The first storm will arrive early on Wednesday with heavy snow falling during the day, before giving way to lighter snow on Wednesday night. Temperatures will be cold during this storm with snow levels near or below base areas.

Cypress, Grouse, and Seymour will pick up 15-30 cm (6-12") of new snow from this storm with Wednesday afternoon (and evening for night skiing) and first chair Thursday morning offering the best windows to ski powder. 

The mountains around Whistler, Manning Park, and Mt. Washington should see slightly lower totals compared to the North Shore. These areas are now closed for the season, but there is still backcountry skiing which is why I mention them.

Conditions will dry out again on Thursday, then another cold storm will arrive on Friday-Friday night with moderate to heavy snow expected along with low snow levels.

This will be similar to Wednesday's storm including similar if not slightly higher snow amounts, favoring the North Shore a little more than the other areas. The main difference is that snow could linger later into Friday evening. Still, I would target Friday afternoon/evening and first chair on Saturday morning for the deepest conditions. 

Conditions will dry out again by Saturday afternoon and into Sunday, which will be the final days of the season for areas that are still open. Temperatures will quickly warm up with a return to spring conditions for closing day on Sunday.

Interior BC:

Tuesday will be sunny and dry with spring conditions continuing, then two storms are on the way for late in the week. Big White, Fernie, Kicking Horse, and Panorama are the four Interior resorts that are still open through April 11th, and all of these areas will have chances to enjoy some fresh snow before the season ends.

The first storm will arrive on Wednesday morning with snow filling in from northwest to southeast across the Interior during the day and continuing through Wednesday night. Snow will also linger through midday Thursday at Fernie.

Snow levels will peak around 1,200-1,500 meters on Wednesday (highest south, lowest north) before falling to near base areas on Wednesday night and Thursday morning.

Snow totals at Big White, Fernie, Kicking Horse, and Panorama will range from 5-15 cm (2-6") storm total. Refer to the map below for projected snow amounts in other areas for backcountry skiing purposes. I would target first chair on Thursday morning for the best chance to ski fresh powder.

Another storm will arrive on Friday and Saturday with low snow levels expected. Snow will gradually fill in from northwest to southeast during the day on Friday but likely won't reach Fernie until Friday evening.

The most widespread snow will then fall on Friday night, with light snow lingering on Saturday morning for most areas, and until later Saturday afternoon at Fernie. As a result, I would target Saturday morning for the best time to enjoy some fresh snow.

This storm looks similar if not slightly stronger than the previous storm – for now, I'm expecting anywhere from 5-20 cm (2-8") for the mentioned areas that are still open with Fernie being favored for the highest totals.

Closing day on Sunday is looking dry and sunny with warmer temperatures.

Northern BC:

Snow will pick up during the day on Tuesday and into Tuesday across all of the northern ranges with generally light to moderate snow totals expected along with snow levels near/below base areas at Hudson Bay Mountain and Powder King (Shames Mountain is now closed for the season).

Wednesday morning will offer the best chance to enjoy some fresh turns with lighter snow showers lingering during the day on Wednesday.

Another storm will arrive on Thursday night and Friday with moderate to heavy snow for the Northern Coast Range and light to moderate snow for the interior ranges (including Hudson Bay and Powder King).

Friday morning and possibly into early Friday afternoon will offer the best windows for skiing fresh powder at Powder King. Snow levels will be low during this storm as well. Hudson Bay Mtn is only open weekends, so there may be some leftover freshies on Saturday morning depending on whether or not the sun comes out on Friday afternoon.

Conditions will dry out on Saturday and Sunday with decreasing clouds and temperatures remaining relatively cool by April standards. 

Beyond April 11th (once most areas are closed for the season), high pressure will build across Western North America, leading to warm and dry weather for most of the week of April 12th-18th. The Northern Coast Range could see some shower activity from time to time, but it's looking quiet elsewhere with above-average temperatures.

Thanks for reading and check back for my next post on Friday, April 9th.

ALAN SMITH

Late Season Forecasting Updates:

My forecasting frequency is beginning to wind down as ski areas start to close for the season. Next week, I'll be writing forecasts on Tuesday, April 6th and Friday, April 9th. Beyond that, I will continue with weekly updates through mid/late April.

Closing Dates:

Big White – April 11

Cypress Mountain – April 11

Fernie – April 11

Kicking Horse – April 11

Kimberley – April 11

Mt. Seymour – April 11

Panorama – April 11

Powder King – April 11

Hudson Bay Mountain – April 25 (weekends only)

Grouse Mountain – TBD as conditions allow

Whistler-Blackcomb – CLOSED (early closure due to COVID)

Sasquatch Mountain – CLOSED

Shames Mountain – CLOSED 

Whitewater – CLOSED

Apex – CLOSED

Manning Park – CLOSED

Mt. Washington – CLOSED

Silverstar – CLOSED

Sun Peaks – CLOSED

Red Mountain – CLOSED

Revelstoke – CLOSED

Mt. Baldy – CLOSED

Freezing Level Guide:

1,000 meters = 3,280 feet
1,200 meters = 3,937 feet
1,500 meters = 4,921 feet
2,000 meters = 6,561 feet
2,500 meters = 8,202 feet

*Snow Levels* – As a general rule of thumb, subtract 300 meters (or 1,000 feet) from the freezing level to get the approximate snow level. This isn't always exact and varies depending on the storm/setup, but is a good rule of thumb.

Geography Key

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

Interior BC - North/Central Columbia
Revelstoke, Kicking Horse, Panorama, 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 Bobbie Burns, CMH Bugaboos, CMH Cariboos, CMH Valemount, Mike Wiegele Heli, Retallack Heli, Stellar Heli, Selkirk Range, Monashee Range, Purcell Range, Fairmont Hot Springs

Interior BC - Kootenay Boundary 
Whitewater, Red Mountain, Fernie, Kimberley, Kootenay Pass, Kokanee Glacier Park, Southern Selkirk/Purcell Mountains, Island Lake Cat Skiing, Snow Water Heli, Valhalla Powdercats, CMH Kootenay, CMH Nomads

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

Northern BC
Shames Mountain, Hudson Bay Mountain, Powder King, Murray Ridge, Northern Coast Range, Skeena Range, Cariboo Range, Northern Rockies, CMH Cariboos, CMH Valemount, Skeena Cat and Heli Skiing, Bella Coola Eagle Lodge