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Anonymous
Guest
Anybody know where to get the long-range forecast for Whistler? I'm headed there next Saturday.
ChrisC
Well-known member
My favorites:
part-free/part-pay--
http://www.snow-forecast.com
free--
http://www.weather.com.....look for 10-day forecast
for US
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/
part-free/part-pay--
http://www.snow-forecast.com
free--
http://www.weather.com.....look for 10-day forecast
for US
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/
here are some of the forecasts i use (with my own personal opinion about each):
environment canada:
http://weatheroffice.ec.gc.ca/canada_e.html
they have good satellite radar animations, but they only make 5 day forecasts. they also provide a 5 day alpine forecast that you can find on the official WB website: http://www.whistlerblackcomb.com/weathe ... /index.htm
i think these forecasts are by far the most accurate of any of the sources i use.
the weather network:
http://www.theweathernetwork.ca/weather ... BC0322.htm
these guys do a 7 day forecast, but it is so ridiculously inaccurate that i only use it for a laugh. whatever they forecast always changes and ends up being the same as environment canada.
snow-forecast.com:
http://www.snow-forecast.com/resorts/Wh ... .shtml?SID
i've just recently discovered this site, and while i wish their forecasts were true, i have found them to forecast at least double the amount of snow that actually ever falls. for example, during one recent stretch of never-ending rain, they had forecasted over 80cm of snow to fall at the peak. we got maybe 5-6cms.
weather.com provides a 10 day forecast, but they are always wrong.
truthfully, i only start to believe a forecast if it hasn't changed in a few days and it's less than 3 days away.
hope this helps!
i can also tell you that we got about 30cms of snow two nights ago and the conditions have improved significantly. the freezing level has fallen back to the valley and they were blowing snow at all the lower elevations. we're all hoping that we've turned the corner and hopefully in two weeks it will look like winter again.
environment canada:
http://weatheroffice.ec.gc.ca/canada_e.html
they have good satellite radar animations, but they only make 5 day forecasts. they also provide a 5 day alpine forecast that you can find on the official WB website: http://www.whistlerblackcomb.com/weathe ... /index.htm
i think these forecasts are by far the most accurate of any of the sources i use.
the weather network:
http://www.theweathernetwork.ca/weather ... BC0322.htm
these guys do a 7 day forecast, but it is so ridiculously inaccurate that i only use it for a laugh. whatever they forecast always changes and ends up being the same as environment canada.
snow-forecast.com:
http://www.snow-forecast.com/resorts/Wh ... .shtml?SID
i've just recently discovered this site, and while i wish their forecasts were true, i have found them to forecast at least double the amount of snow that actually ever falls. for example, during one recent stretch of never-ending rain, they had forecasted over 80cm of snow to fall at the peak. we got maybe 5-6cms.
weather.com provides a 10 day forecast, but they are always wrong.
truthfully, i only start to believe a forecast if it hasn't changed in a few days and it's less than 3 days away.
hope this helps!
i can also tell you that we got about 30cms of snow two nights ago and the conditions have improved significantly. the freezing level has fallen back to the valley and they were blowing snow at all the lower elevations. we're all hoping that we've turned the corner and hopefully in two weeks it will look like winter again.
Nobody's weather forecast beyond about 5 days is worth much. Within 3 days they usually are pretty close. But we remember the big screw-ups.
http://snow-forecast.com has these elegant color-coded maps, which are very easy to use for us non-meterologists. They cover regions all over the world and are produced somewhere in England. Therefore we cannot expect them to handle nuances of microclimate. I would agree they tend to run high for Whistler. I think they run a bit low in California, especially here in SoCal.
http://snow-forecast.com has these elegant color-coded maps, which are very easy to use for us non-meterologists. They cover regions all over the world and are produced somewhere in England. Therefore we cannot expect them to handle nuances of microclimate. I would agree they tend to run high for Whistler. I think they run a bit low in California, especially here in SoCal.
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Anonymous
Guest
Well the 30 cms is at least some good news, and there is a posting of a possible 20 cms on Friday. This looks (onpaper) to be the worst year in Whistler history. We've only been coming for about 5 years, and other than the first year, we've hit all the wrong times (no snow in 8 weeks, rain, fog, etc.). From the website statistics it looks like there would be no skiing in the trees, and that a great deal of the mountain will be scrapey.
Separately, what would you recommend for a day or two's different activity whilst not alpine skiing? Avalanche training? Backcountry intro?
Tell me there is some hope!
Separately, what would you recommend for a day or two's different activity whilst not alpine skiing? Avalanche training? Backcountry intro?
Tell me there is some hope!
Even before the storm there was some decent skiing in the alpine. So it's not a wipeout like Washington State. If I had a whole week (with a car) I'd spend half of it at Whistler and the other half in the Okanagan or Sun Peaks. This will be my plan March 21-24 if conditions don't improve. I'm considering bailing out of the front end of that trip (NASJA meeting March 16-19 at Schweitzer/Silver). Those places are really in trouble.
There has been some pretty nice alpine conditions since the 30cms. If you stick to the bowl areas you'll have some great runs, although you might need a serious base grind and edge sharpening by mid-trip.
You are right about the trees - forget about it. Only the base in the alpine survived the rain, everywhere else on the mountain is starting from ground zero.
But we are looking at a pretty significant systerm moving into the area over the weekend and freezing levels are forecast to stay low. We'll have to wait and see what we actually get out of it.
As for other activities, there are all kinds of avalanche and backcountry courses you can take out here. I don't happen to have any specific names on me, but if you go into Escape Route in the Marketplace they should be able to set you up. I'm sure you could also go to the WB website and find some info or numbers you could call.
You are right about the trees - forget about it. Only the base in the alpine survived the rain, everywhere else on the mountain is starting from ground zero.
But we are looking at a pretty significant systerm moving into the area over the weekend and freezing levels are forecast to stay low. We'll have to wait and see what we actually get out of it.
As for other activities, there are all kinds of avalanche and backcountry courses you can take out here. I don't happen to have any specific names on me, but if you go into Escape Route in the Marketplace they should be able to set you up. I'm sure you could also go to the WB website and find some info or numbers you could call.
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Anonymous
Guest
So, now that its been another week since the last posting. Does anyone have an update? I have a trip planned for feb 21-25...do you suggest i seriously reconsider or plan backup activities? I am really hoping itll be nice enough for 2 or 3 good days!!!
The percent open has crept up from 60% to 85%. I also talked this week to Extremely Canadian, which specializes in steep skiing instruction in the alpine. They are back in business after being closed the last 2 weeks in January.
But: only 4 inches new snow last week, plus some snowmaking on the lower trails. And just a few inches expected this coming week.
But: only 4 inches new snow last week, plus some snowmaking on the lower trails. And just a few inches expected this coming week.