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Canada in December - best resort weather wise

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Hi, this is my first post... just looking for some advice on skiing in Canada early December - only our second time skiing, we like to see a bit of the world so we thought Canada would be good - but I don't want to freeze!! Can anyone recommend best resorts weather wise, or those we should avoid?
Thanks is advance....
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
I've been to Whistler for the last two seasons before Christmas, and will be there by mid-November this season (finally taken the leap to do a season). Being coastal it gets plenty of precipitation, which is almost inevitably snow by November, which means that a fairly decent base builds up very early.
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Also just checked the historical snow records of the club that can't be named. This shows that of the major resorts Whistler is the best, but they all have reasonable chances of being very, very skiable.
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haggins, welcome to Snowheads. Skiable, but probably colder than Europe, I guess - though most of Europe is not a good bet in early December. . The prospect of extreme cold has put me off going to Canada in the past, and the probability of heavy rain at resort level has always put me off Whistler a bit, too. Obviously they do have some fantastic snow higher up, though now we have an apartment in France, it's unlikely we'll get there.

Have a search through Snowheads on "Whistler". There's a lot of good information. If it's only your second time skiing you might not be able to take full advantage of the powder and "off piste" potential of Whistler though I gather that tuition is good there. Have a good time, whatever you choose. snowHead
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Yep, tuition is excellent there. There is a lot more to Whistler than powder and parks though. I've never experienced any amount of rain in December, and whilst it's been cold in Whistler, it hasn't been any colder than when I've been in Europe in February.

If people get so concerned about rain in Whistler, then how can they possibly worry about the extreme cold... Puzzled
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Most of the BC resorts are not extremely cold at any time of the season. I think this misconception comes from resorts over in Alberta i.e. Banff which can get pretty chilly at times.
Early December, I agree Whistler might be a good bet with the high vertical and good chance of early snow. The Okanagan resorts further inland tend to build up their bases mid-late Dec, so can be a bit risky early December. Still less of a risk than Europe at that time of year though!
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Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
uktrailmonster wrote:
Most of the BC resorts are not extremely cold at any time of the season. I think this misconception comes from resorts over in Alberta i.e. Banff which can get pretty chilly at times.
Early December, I agree Whistler might be a good bet with the high vertical and good chance of early snow. The Okanagan resorts further inland tend to build up their bases mid-late Dec, so can be a bit risky early December. Still less of a risk than Europe at that time of year though!


Whistler by far most reliable early conditions. Sun Peaks tends to open early too, but not sure how good conditions are?

Had epic conditions at Whistler from mid to late November many times, as can be seen at:

http://gortonator.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!AF2DD3CC35CC7ADF!1315.entry

http://gortonator.spaces.live.com/photos/cns!AF2DD3CC35CC7ADF!1303/ (pics)

http://gortonator.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!AF2DD3CC35CC7ADF!477.entry

http://gortonator.spaces.live.com/photos/cns!AF2DD3CC35CC7ADF!464/ (pics)

You won't see much (likely none) rain in December (it must never rain in European resorts, I guess, otherwise everybody wouldn't be so scared of it raining at Whistler!).

And uktrailmonster is spot on. Around Banff is cold in January, but only English people go there anyway at that time wink. It's not low season for no reason - it can be bitterly cold and hardly snows.

It can get cold in BC resorts, but it gets cold in Europe too. It was below -20C with a nasty windchill in Ischgl just before Easter (late-ish March). And the skiing was epic Madeye-Smiley
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
gortonator wrote:
(it must never rain in European resorts, I guess, otherwise everybody wouldn't be so scared of it raining at Whistler!).
I've never understood the Euro attitude to rain in Whistler either. For crying out loud, the owners of every resort in Europe would lop off their right arm for Whistler's snow record.

I've got some cracking photos of very snowy Whistler in early December this season (last season I was having way too much fun to take any photos, here.

This one sums it all up for me:

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Thanks to everyone for your replies - Whistler it is Smile 7 months and counting........
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I was also thinking about a mid-December trip for a couple of weeks and was drawn to North America because of more reliable snow. Will most of Whistler be open at that time? Alpine areas, Spanky's Ladder? I spent most of Dec-Feb this winter looking at the webcams but can't remember now! The Discover Whistler days were in January, not December this year which I guess is standard? Are all the lesson programmes such as Ski Esprit, Dave Murray Camp & Extremely Canadian up and running by December?
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Quote:

If people get so concerned about rain in Whistler, then how can they possibly worry about the extreme cold...

Because we want it all!! My initial worry about Whistler resort level rain was prompted by a family we shared a chalet with in La Rosiere. The charming non-skiing Mum, who enjoyed just pottering around, having a coffee and cake, helping the chalet girl (who had broken her wrist) and enjoying the snowy ambiance had hated Whistler because it rained on her for a week (January). I know you can have rainy weeks anywhere, not that I have had one in many European holidays, including 6 seasons in France, where our apartment is at 1550m. We have had a few weeks at minus 15 plus wind chill and I don't like that either. Sorry to be so fussy! wink But I do agree that in mid December European choices are likely to be limited. Saying that, I had a brilliant pre Christmas week in Tignes with expert tuition. And the Three Valleys can be good too - and very cheap pre-Christmas - but needs last minute booking.
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 And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
Laughing To be fair, the non-skiing mum probably wouldn't have found it her first choice anyway, great resort though it is, Whistler hardly oozes ambiance and charm...

jcbaragorn, I've got Discover Whistler dates when ever I've been in Whistler in early December. You have to be careful though as to when the stop them for the Christmas/New Year period.

Huge tracts of Whistler will indeed be open. The only bits that weren't during the first few days I was there this season were a couple of runs right at the bottom that had creeks crossing them (plenty of snow on them, just hadn't quite filled up the creeks). They were open too by the time I left. Spanky's Ladder and the alpine areas will definitely be open by December.
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So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
[quote= ]I've never understood the Euro attitude to rain in Whistler either. For crying out loud, the owners of every resort in Europe would lop off their right arm for Whistler's snow record.
[/quote]

It rains all the time in England and when I go away on holiday I want to enjoy and experience weather I don't or seldom get at home so that's no rain please when i'm on holiday. So long as there is enough snow coverage I'm happy, any powder is a bonus.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
PisteHead, spot on. I don't mind -20 to -30 temperatures, wind, poor vis etc etc, but I do mind rain. Depressing, penetrates gear on chairlifts ect etc The resort was built too far down the hill!
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
stoatsbrother, I love cold temperatures just for the experience and to see if my layering can stand up to it. Last year in France when on a chairlift the weather was windy and freezing, I splayed the fingers of my gloved hand and shoved it out into the wind, instantly the tips of my fingers felt the biting cold through the glove lining, WOW Shocked
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
PisteHead wrote:

It rains all the time in England and when I go away on holiday I want to enjoy and experience weather I don't or seldom get at home


aye - true - this is the reason I don't live in England any more.

But ya know, even though I know it never rains in European ski areas (as no one here ever complains about rain anywhere else but Whister), I could've sworn that mid March this year they was some non solid, rather heavy precip falling at about 2300m (and below) at Hintertux. And similar non-solid precip at valley level (1200m) for much of the week. Of course this wasn't rain ... I guess the rivers of water flowing down the streets in Mayrhofen must've been oozing from the ground. It certainly wasn't very white in town, In fact, green.

Anyway, I'm off to Whistler later today for 4 days. Snow is forecast above 1300m for next few days. Not bad for May Madeye-Smiley
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
skisimon, thanks for the info. All sounds good - the only down side being I can't take any holiday between now and then as I've used the rest up skiing this winter Toofy Grin
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
gortonator, I'm taking Mayrhofen off my wish list.
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Definitely avoid Sunshine at Christmas time, it will be so cold you won't be able to open your car door in the car park, ice will form in your nostrils causing almost certain suffocation and when you take your wallet out to pay for the tickets, all your fingers will immediately freeze and drop off.









Right that should keep the crowds down a bit next year snowHead
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
PisteHead wrote:
gortonator, I'm taking Mayrhofen off my wish list.


PisteHead, don't do that. If we'd been there a week later, we'd have had epic snow (some even in Mayrhofen town). Fortunately we were in Ischgl, where it was equally epic. I loved the whole Zillertal in fact - some great terrain there, lots of choice and easy to get around. Mayrhofen would be a good base. There might be no snow in town tho.

I'm just pointing out the vagaries of weather. And the fact that Mayrhofen is about the same altitude as Whistler Village. As are many of the most popular Austrian resorts. But strangely folks rarely seem to mention the fact that it rains at these low altitude rather regularly in Austria. As regularly as Whistler, I suspect. Maybe more - I dunno? I'll defer to the Austrian experts on that.

I'll restate my experience. I've skied over 60 days at Whistler in last decade, from mid-November to early May, and had rain in the village on 2 days. It happens. You might be unlucky, but that can happen anywhere. But you're much more likely to get very fine conditions, especially from 1000m upwards. With weather, that's really all you can do unless you decide where to go the day before.
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whistler can be random

we had -20 at the top a couple of weeks ago, then super warm again.

yesterday snow to village and 30cms+ powder in the alpine. go figure
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Around Christmas time, Fernie is always a great resort. They had over 100cm a week for 4 weeks over Christmas and New Year... 11m in total this season... Need I say more?!
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
NONSTOP wrote:
Around Christmas time, Fernie is always a great resort. They had over 100cm a week for 4 weeks over Christmas and New Year... 11m in total this season... Need I say more?!


Wasn't great at Xmas 2002 and i believe 2005. Just open on former, and pretty average indeed. Few places are always great, especially with the variabilities of current climate.

11m is pretty normal this year BTW in the Pacific Northwest - it's been a great year. Mount Hood in Oregon has had 775 inches so far. That's a few metres ...
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Quote:

Few places are always great

Absolutely. Any post claiming that Resort X is "always a great resort" should be taken with a pinch of salt.
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You're forgetting La Rosiere, that's always perfect! wink
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NONSTOP, welcome to snowHead .
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 And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
NONSTOP wrote:
Around Christmas time, Fernie is always a great resort. They had over 100cm a week for 4 weeks over Christmas and New Year... 11m in total this season... Need I say more?!


They have also been skiing on the WROD at Xmas time - possibly the first winter you were in business so perhaps you should say more in the interests of full disclosure.
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
fatbob wrote:
in the interests of full disclosure.
Fair enough, but I doubt a second weeker is after a course that Nonstop offer. I also don't think (thinking about it) that Fernie is a good resort for a second weeker (first weeker or gnarly dude, but not really anything in between).
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
The point I was making was not specifically directed at Non stop , who I understand are generally an outfit held in high regard for the sort of thing they do but rather a note of caution that nowhere is perfect or guaranteed particularly at a apecific time of year.

If you listen to those with a vested interest you'll generally only hear the upside not the downside (La Rosiere anyone?). My personal experience in Fernie a week before Xmas included downloading on the Timber chair because White pass was the only skiable area on the mountain and locals driving to Lake Louise to ski.

On average would I bet on Fernie being better than say Andorra or Bulgaria at Xmas - yes
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
fatbob wrote:


On average would I bet on Fernie being better than say Andorra or Bulgaria at Xmas - yes


I suspect a lot better than most of Europe. 8-ish out of last 10 (I think - some rumor involved here) have been good. 2002 was definitely iffy. 2003 was knee deep pow every day. Quite epic.

You pays your money ....
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