Winter isn’t just coming, it’s already here at North Shore ski hills.
Both Cypress and Grouse mountain resorts are kicking off the season this weekend with one of the earliest opening dates ever.
Today’s opening marks the third earliest date for Cypress and is tied for the earliest opening for Grouse.
The early openings have come courtesy of recent cool temperatures and snow guns that have been working overtime on both mountains.
“It’s exciting for us,” said Julia Grant, spokeswoman for Grouse Mountain, which opens at 3 p.m. Friday, a few hours after Cypress’s morning opening.
More typically, both local mountains open for skiers and snowboarders in the last 10 days of November or even early December.
Photographer Kevin Hill captured 360-degree footage from opening day at Cypress Mountain, Nov. 10.
But on Nov. 2 “there was a full-on blizzard up here” which dumped about 30 centimetres of snow at mid-mountain, said Joffrey Koeman, spokesman for Cypress Mountain Resort.
After that, temperatures plunged to well below zero, allowing both mountains to pull the triggers on their snow-making guns.
Koeman said during the recent cold snap, the equipment allowed crews to cover the equivalent of 28 football fields with a foot of snow.
Only a portion of the ski runs will be open today, as operators wait for more co-operation from Mother Nature.
But “people are very excited,” said Grant. “It’s welcome news to have the mountain opening.”
Both ski hills will open more runs as conditions allow.
“It’s all kind of bonus time,” said Koeman.
Mt. Seymour – which doesn’t have snowmaking equipment – has so far recorded 21 cm of snow. But the mountain is waiting for winter to really set in before opening. That usually happens sometime in early to mid December, said Simon Whitehead, spokesman for Mt. Seymour. “For us it’s very, very early,” he said.
Both Cypress and Grouse are looking ahead to possibly more snow arriving next week. “That’ll really change things,” said Koeman. “Next week will be a complete game changer.”
Ski hill operators are eagerly anticipating what meteorologists have deemed a La Nina weather pattern this winter. Last year’s La Nina brought record amounts of snow and cold to the Lower Mainland.
At higher elevations that translated into booming business. “Last year was a phenomenal winter season,” said Koeman.
Matt MacDonald, meteorologist with Environment Canada, said the recent cold snap of Arctic air that allowed local ski mountains to start producing snow did arrive two or three weeks earlier than normal.
Since then, temperatures have warmed and the freezing level has gone up to the mountain peaks, he said.
Rain is expected this weekend, but by Tuesday the freezing level will fall again, meaning “we’re going to see some snow” on the North Shore mountains, he said.
MacDonald said he wouldn’t be surprised to see 30 to 80 centimetres of snow fall on the mountains over a five-day period next week.
Last winter, a La Nina weather pattern was reinforced by a cold pool of ocean water off B.C.’s West Coast, bringing much more snow than usual even at lower elevations.
MacDonald said while this year is a La Nina year as well, ocean temperatures are warmer, so “the chances of that reoccurring are pretty slim.”
