British Columbia Daily Snow
By Alan Smith, Meteorologist Posted 2 years ago November 1, 2021
Mild start to the week, pattern change this weekend
Summary
A series of weaker storms will impact the Coast Range during the first half of the week with warm temps, rain, and high snow levels. Snow levels will start to dip late in the week as a series of cold fronts move across BC. Over the weekend and early next week, a colder and more active pattern is expected with frequent storms and low snow levels.
Short Term Forecast
Welcome to the 2021-2022 British Columbia Daily Snow! October was a very active month for Western Canada, and that trend looks to continue into November as well, though we will see a few days of mild temperatures and rain to start the week.
Forecast for Monday 11/1 – Wednesday 11/3
The first in a series of weak storms will bring showers to Coastal BC on Monday with snow levels rising to 1,500 meters – around mid-mountain at Whistler.
Light snow showers could reach the Okanagan ski resorts as well on Monday night, with cold air holding for long enough for lower snow levels.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, another weaker storm center farther off the coast will bring more rain to Coastal BC. A warm front will also arrive from the south with snow levels rising above ski area summits – even at Whistler.
The Interior will see little if any precipitation from this storm.
Forecast for Wednesday Night 11/3 – Friday 11/5
A stronger storm will move across Coastal BC on Wednesday Night and Thursday, and Interior BC on Thursday and Thursday night. Snow levels will start out high but will start to drop on Thursday night behind a cold front and the upper slopes of most ski areas should see a changeover to snow by Friday morning.
A stronger cold front will then arrive during the day on Friday with a further lowering of snow levels expected behind the front.
This will signal the beginning of a pattern change with colder temperatures and lower snow levels expected with storms that follow...
In addition to reading the British Columbia Daily Snow, be sure to check out our individual ski resort pages for more precise snow levels and snow forecasts, as our new forecast blend of global and high-resolution models factor in terrain and do a great job of highlighting localized differences.
Also, when viewing the list of BC snow forecasts, remember that you can scroll down to the very bottom and select whether you want to view forecasts in US units or Canada (Metric) units.
Extended Forecast
The pattern from this weekend through at least the first half of next week is looking good for snowfall.
A trough of low pressure will take hold over Western Canada, opening the door to colder storms arriving from the West – this means lower snow levels and good potential for base-building snowfall.
All three major medium-range model ensembles (the European, American, and Canadian) are favoring above-average precipitation for all of Southern BC (where most ski resorts are located) during the second week of November.
Thanks so much for reading! Next update on Wednesday (11/3).
ALAN SMITH
About Our Forecaster
Alan Smith
Meteorologist
Alan Smith received a B.S. in Meteorology from Metropolitan State University of Denver and has been working in the private sector since 2013. When he’s not watching the weather from the office, Alan loves to spend time outdoors skiing, hiking, and mountain biking, and of course keeping an eye on the sky for weather changes while recreating.
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