With Revelstoke Mountain Resort’s slopes now open, its management is looking forward to a standout season for snow-savvy athletes amid the uncertainty of La Niña’s impact these next months.
In October, the resort brought attention to positive outcomes that the coming cooling of the Pacific Ocean’s surface, a weather event recurring once every few years, could produce for ski season on Mount Mackenzie.
“La Niña typically brings colder and wetter conditions to our region, which translates to above-average snowfall across all elevations at the resort,” said Mike Verwey, the resort’s mountain operations director. “Fresh snow provides an ideal base for creating softer, perfectly groomed corduroy, which makes for easier carving and smoother riding.”
Compared with Mount Mackenzie’s average annual snowfall, La Niña’s presence during the 2010-11, 2012-13, 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2021-22 seasons often meant between 100 and 200 extra centimetres of snow from November to April, according to the resort’s data.
READ MORE: ‘Snow’Vember has hit hard’ in B.C.
Anticipating colder temperatures and more precipitation, Verwey envisions more consistent skiing and snowboarding conditions for the season that give visitors a “long window of opportunity” to traverse the mountain’s 1,713-metre vertical drop.
“In preparation for this, we’ve expanded our snow removal team and fleet to efficiently manage increased snow accumulation at the base areas,” he said.
The resort’s arsenal for smoothing out extra heavy snowfall has added staff and grown to 10 Prinoth snow groomers, which all use GPS visualization. Four are specialized for steep terrain. Verwey said the fleet has been re-stationed higher up the mountain to ensure vehicles can reach all areas quickly.
The resort has also invested more in parking infrastructure, by paving the main lot, adding parking spaces and improving shuttle drop-off areas, to help reduce backlog when visitors arrive.
The resort’s snow canons can artificially pad the stretch of the first gondola from top to bottom as necessary, “allowing us to maintain our full vertical drop and provide reliable snow coverage throughout the season.”
READ MORE: SilverStar opens all ski trails early in Vernon
When visitors hit the slopes, they may notice improved glade skiing trails in the Ripper zone along Salley Alley, the Simmer Down extension, Chopper and Big Woody thanks to recent blasting and grading work, Verwey said.
“Our renowned glade skiing areas will also benefit from consistent snow top-ups.”
Last winter, the resort postponed its opening by a full week into December 2023 due to “unseasonably low snowfall” that November, calling it a “dynamic situation” that “continues to evolve as weather patterns change.”
Across B.C., provincial government data cited “very low” and often “extremely low” snowpack levels this year between Jan. 1 and May 1, averaging 62 per cent of normal levels. During November and December 2023, temperatures hung “well above normal” while precipitation fell “well below normal,” with four snow stations in the Upper Columbia snow basins recording all-time lows.
But Verwey noted that despite drier-than-average conditions that season, “fantastic” storm cycles still ensured a steady stream of quality skiing and snowboarding.
“Thanks to our varied terrain, elevation, and different slope aspects, we were able to adapt to changing conditions better than many other resorts in the region,” he said, adding he expects “favourable snow coverage” and higher attendance this season “given the excitement around the forecasted La Niña conditions.”
Visitors can follow the resort’s website, revelstokemountainresort.com, and social media for frequent real-time updates on weather patterns and snowfall.
“As a business that relies heavily on weather patterns, we must embrace what comes our way and make plans to ensure we continue to offer the best possible product,” Verwey concluded.
“We remain cautiously optimistic, as the La Niña snow will help us to deliver exceptional skiing from top to bottom.”
Plan your adventures throughout the West Coast at westcoasttraveller.com and follow us on Facebook and Instagram @thewestcoasttraveller. And for the top West Coast Travel stories of the week delivered right to your inbox, sign up for our weekly Armchair Traveller newsletter!
Explore Victoria by foot: Running club welcomes locals and visitors of all abilities