Recent Snow Totals:

Widespread snow fell across Southern BC on Friday-Friday night, followed by moderate snow showers on Saturday and lighter and more variable snow showers on Sunday and Monday. Snow shower activity on Monday favored the eastern side of the Purcell Range, including Kimberley, Panorama, and Kicking Horse.

Here are the latest 4-day snow totals as of Tuesday AM:

Coastal BC:

• 48 cm (19") - Mt. Seymour
• 44 cm (18") - Grouse Mountain
• 40 cm (16") - Cypress Mountain
• 40 cm (16") - Sasquatch Mountain
• 30 cm (12") - Whistler
• 11 cm (4") - Mt. Washington 
• 4 cm (1.5") - Manning Park (closed since Apr 2)

Interior BC:

• 30 cm (12") - Whitewater
• 27 cm (11") - Kimberley
• 25 cm (10") - Red Mountain (closed since Apr 2)
• 21 cm (8") - Panorama
• 20 cm (8") - Revelstoke
• 19 cm (8") - Sun Peaks
• 18 cm (7") - Silver Star
• 17 cm (7") - Fernie
• 15 cm (6") - Kicking Horse
• 12 cm (5") - Big White
• 5 cm (2") - Apex (closed since Apr 2)

Northern BC:

• 33 cm (13") - Powder King
• 5 cm (2") - Hudson Bay Mountain
• 3 cm (1") - Shames Mountain

Forecast for Tuesday to Wednesday:

This period will be mostly quiet, though lingering moisture along with increasing daytime instability will result in isolated snow showers and flurries on Tuesday afternoon across Southern BC. Snowfall will be light and spotty, perhaps up to a few centimeters in some areas, but snow levels will remain near base areas.

On Wednesday, dry conditions are expected across the board but temperatures will remain very chilly for early April with highs near/just above freezing across the Coast Range and near/just below freezing across the Interior.

Forecast for Thursday to Friday:

The first storm will arrive from the southwest during this period, and a warm front will also arrive, resulting in higher snow levels and wetter snow quality. 

Coastal BC (including Whistler):

Light snow will arrive from the south/southwest on Thursday morning, then will give way to heavier and more widespread snow and rain from Thursday afternoon through Friday morning as the strongest part of the storm moves through. Backside rain/snow showers can then be expected on Friday afternoon with a relative lull in between storms on Friday night.

Snow levels will range from 1,050-1,350 meters (3,500-4,500 ft) for most of this event from Thursday afternoon through Friday afternoon, resulting in a rain/snow mix for most ski terrain at the North Shore resorts, while predominantly rain can be expected across the lower portion of Whistler.

Snow levels will be a bit lower on Central/Northern Vancouver Island around Mt. Washington, ranging from 900-1,200 meters (3,000-4,000 ft).

Moderate winds can be expected on both Thursday and Friday with the highest gusts during the afternoon hours.

Snow totals on Thursday-Friday will range from 10-20 cm (4-8") at Whistler's mid to upper mountain and 15-30 cm (6-12") at Mt. Washington. Snowfall at the North Shore resorts will be lighter and more variable given the borderline snow levels.

Interior BC/Powder Highway:

Temperatures will largely stay dry through the daytime hours on Thursday with light snow showers developing during the late afternoon and overnight hours. Snow and rain showers will then become heavier and more widespread from Friday morning through Friday afternoon with lighter showers continuing on Friday night.

Snow levels will range from 1,200-1,650 meters (4,000-5,500 ft) for most of this event, resulting in low to mid-mountain rain for some ski areas. The highest snow levels are expected on Friday afternoon.

Moderate southwest winds can be expected on both Thursday and Friday with the highest gusts during the afternoon hours.

The most favored areas (based on winds and elevation) include Whitewater, Big White, Revelstoke, and Kicking Horse where snow totals will range from 5-15 cm (2-6") on Thursday-Friday. All other areas will see anywhere from a trace to 10 cm (trace-4").

Northern BC:

This storm has trended further south, and only light precipitation will reach northern areas as a result. Warmer air will result in snow levels of 750-1,050 meters (2,500-3,500 ft) across the Coast Range and 1,050-1,350 meters (3,500-4,500 ft) across the Interior ranges. 

Snow totals will generally range from a trace to 10 cm (trace-4") on Thursday-Friday with higher amounts possible in the core of the Skeena Range.

Back-to-back storms are expected to move into BC on Saturday (April 8) and Sunday (April 9) with more rain and snow expected. Snow levels are projected to be similar if not slightly higher compared to Thursday-Friday, so make sure to target higher elevation ski terrain for the best conditions. 

Overall, this storm cycle looks a bit stronger and will also extend a bit further north into BC. But again, warm air will cut into snow totals in some areas. Winds could also be more of a factor in this storm cycle compared to the last one.

Looking further out, an active pattern is now expected to continue during the week of April 10th-16th with cooler temperatures also expected as a trough of low pressure becomes established as the dominant feature across Western North America.

This pattern will likely feature more "showery" precipitation now that we're getting late in the season and the jet stream is weakening. 

Thanks so much for reading! Next update on Thursday (April 6).

ALAN SMITH

I have transitioned over to "spring hours" now that the season is starting to wind down. I will be posting forecasts on Tuesdays-Thursdays-Saturdays moving forward with my final post of the season on Saturday, April 15th. 

Projected Ski Resort Closing Dates:

April 2nd:

Manning Park

Sasquatch Mountain

Apex

Red Mountain

April 9th:

Whitewater

Silver Star

Mt. Seymour

Kimberley

Cypress Mountain

Shames Mountain

Powder King

April 10th:

Mt. Washington

Sun Peaks

Big White

April 16th:

Revelstoke

Panorama

Kicking Horse

Fernie

April 23rd:

Hudson Bay Mountain

May 14th:

Grouse Mountain

May 22nd:

Whistler