A Snowy Christmas Outlook

As powder enthusiasts question our snowy Christmas and eagerly await the arrival of the next big snowfall, the present El Niño weather patterns have been casting some doubt. But fear not, fellow powder skiers! While the weather may be unpredictable, our passion for the mountains and the thrill of skiing untouched powder remains steadfast.

Mother Nature often has her own plans, and she’s been known to surprise us. While El Niño tends to bring warmer and drier conditions to the region, there will be many epic powder days. A shift in weather patterns can occur at any time, delivering those much-anticipated large dumps of snow. Keep your skis waxed and your gear ready; you never know when the mountains might bless us with fresh powder.

So here are the Top 10 Powder Resort Total Snowfalls and Snowpacks as listed on the resorts websites on Sunday, December 24th, 2023:

Total Snowfall and Snowpack

Revelstoke – 327 – 91
Fernie – 273 – 111
Lake Louise – 246 – 95
Whitewater – 219 – 106
Kicking Horse – 222 – 91
Sunshine – 212 – 80
Whistler – 197 – 88
Castle – 183 – 52
Big White – 154 – 99
Red Mountain – 114 – 61

The influence of El Niño is evident with snowfall averages around 50% of normal. Fernie and Whitewater lead with snowpacks and Revelstoke has the most snowfall.

Powder skiers remain positive and excited for the upcoming season, even in the face of this El Niño snowpack. Our love for skiing and the mountains is resilient, and it’s this passion that will carry us through any weather-related obstacles.

So, keep your chin up, keep your eyes on the forecast, and get ready for the next big snowfall in our beautiful mountains. The powder days will be out there, waiting for us to enjoy them to the fullest.