since records began 30yrs ago with an 18ft snowfall in November, blimey!

Whistler Blackcomb

I think Banff's had a bit too. Kinda glad I picked a holiday there in March 😀

Fernie/Whitefish for 3 weeks – fly out next friday

Excited – yeah you could say that

Plum

Plum

I went to Fernie pretty much every weekend in Jan – Apr 08 ( I was living in Canada.)

You luck man.

So you were one of the ones that caused all the weekend crowds. I was in Fernie early Jan 08 for three weeks. I think it snowed about 20 cm every day I was there. Couldn't see squat but the landings were soft.

Off to Whistler in 36 days… not that I'm counting.

Yeh but thats a cumulative total most of which will have melted and the snow that is still there will be warm wet Pacific white cement.

I'm not bitter about not going this year or owt 😥

Off to Fernie in February. 😀

Apparently all of Western Canada is seeing some good snow and many resorts have opened early this year:

Conditions still great in western Canada (SCUK, 2nd Dec 2009)

Great news for the Winter Olympics.

My mate is doing a season in Banff at the moment – BASTARD!!!!!! 👿

Nah can't be with global warming and all that surely 🙄 it never snows anymore..
I think Whistler has broke their record twice in the last few years one for a seasons accumulation

Nah can't be with global warming and all that surely it never snows anymore..

Oh FFS – are you really that thick? Whistler has also had really poor seasons in the last few years. Believe it or not global weather systems are complicated enough that there won't just be a uniform rise in temperature everywhere, every year in a steady linear fashion. In fact climate change is likely to cause more extreme weather so some really harsh winters/storms and some very mild ones.

Oi grumm ease up on the thick and the insults eh….im just having a bit of fun man…Jesus Christ…

Oh. 😳

Yep, 5m of snow in November and currently sitting on a snow base of 175cms… Meribel has a snow base of 60cm's on their upper slopes!

Whistler has had a few bad seasons in the last 5 years, but these are compared to good Whistler seasons which when they happen are epic.

A bad season in Whistler still sees the resort with a much bigger snowfall and snowbase that a good season does in europe.

All being well (for the ski experience) the snowfall will continue (no so far in Dec) and the Olympics will keep the resort quiet all season long.
Its likely to be a good year for deals and cheap holidays with very few crowds if you're thinking of a ski trip.
Even the big players like ski world have cut all their catered chalets in resort this year from their program.

So you were one of the ones that caused all the weekend crowds. I was in Fernie early Jan 08 for three weeks.

I considered myself to be local to Fernie, although it was a 4 hour drive away. The weekend "crowds" were hardly of the same scale as those you would find in Europe. I never cued for more than couple of minutes.

Supposedly "November was snowiest month ever for Whistler" with FOUR times as much total snowfall as this time last year.

Agree with beamers about the "weekend crowds". We were in Banff during some national holiday weekend when it was supposed to be mobbed.

It was a bit busy at the bottom and in the restaurants, but once on the hill it was as quiet as ever.

By contrast I remember forming up into a hoplite phalanx, using our boards as shields, so we could survive the crush at the Penkenbahn lift queue in Mayrhoffen. 😯

Yep, the crowds in Banff could be a bit of a pain, particularly at Sunshine Village around lunchtime. We always used to take a packed lunch and eat it at the Day Lodge but had to get their early in order to get a seat.

We ended up having a routine of early start (first few rows in the car park), early lunch and then early finish mid afternoon.

Fernie was slightly different though as we always stayed at the same B and B which provided a massive breakfast as part of the deal. This would keep us going until beyond lunchtime when the eating establishments were quiet again.

I remember the first time we encountered a lift cue at Sunshine and how surprised we were that there was a lifty arranging the cue into groups of four for the lift. very civilized indeed.

Yeah, my experience of Canadian lift queues is a very relaxed "After you", "No no, please after you" etc

Whereas my experience of European lift queues has very much been "ACHTUNG, GET YOUR F&$%ING SKIS OFF MY BOARD HANS!"

Had my honeymoon in Whistler last Feb. It snowed more in the UK than it did in Whistler that two weeks!