Current Conditions

Let’s get right to it … this map shows the amount of natural snow on the ground as of Halloween. The northwest is clearly the winner with a few feet of base.

Let’s look at Whistler in particular. Using nearby automated backcountry weather stations that measure snow, we are estimating that the snowpack near Whistler is 300-400% above average for this time of year. This varies quite a bit by elevation, so the numbers may be a bit different at specific locations on the ski hill. But you get the point - they’ve had a LOT of snow!

The 5-Day Forecast

The weather pattern for the next week will be very similar to what we’ve seen during the previous few weeks. Storms will be focused on the northwest with less snow for the central and southern Rockies.

Here is the 10-day forecast for Whistler, (the 6-10 day forecast is normally only available to All-Access subscribers). It shows that more than 4 FEET of snow could fall through early November (though snow levels will increase to mid mountain or above).

The temperature forecast during the next 5 days is for warmer-than-normal conditions for most of the US and Canada. The storminess along the west coast will keep temperatures closer to average.

Warm temperatures don’t necessarily mean no snow, but they do mean that snow levels will be on the higher side, on average.

Thanks for reading, and look for my next update on Thursday, November 3rd!

JOEL GRATZ

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