| Your excitement grows the moment you smell the | | | | Snow conditions are most important in determining |
| Whistler air. Rubbing your eyes, you take your first | | | | when to go to Whistler during the winter. Although |
| glimpse of your dream vacation. Then it happens. | | | | Whistler snowfall varies, the Whistler Blackcomb |
| You feel a rain drop... and then another. You get that | | | | snow base is usually around 10.22 metres, or 33.5 |
| dreaded sinking feeling you hoped to avoid. | | | | feet, at the summit. |
| "I didn't expect this," you moan, "now what will I | | | | Checking online to see which ski lifts and runs are |
| do?" | | | | open during the year is a good indicator of snow |
| Whistler's weather is responsible for the good and | | | | conditions in Whistler. Early season high alpine lift |
| the mucky of Whistler vacation enjoyment. What to | | | | openings indicate great snow conditions that are likely |
| wear, when the most snow falls, and how many | | | | to stick around. Generally, the Whistler snow base is |
| layers to bring are important questions to address | | | | largest with the freshest snow from the end of |
| before traveling to Whistler. Whether you ski, | | | | December to the beginning of April. |
| snowboard, mountain bike, or sightsee and spa-hop, | | | | Weather Trends - El Nino vs. La Nina |
| you will benefit from being prepared for the weather | | | | Weather in Whistler is determined by the cycle of La |
| in Whistler. | | | | Nina replacing El Nino, and vice versa. El Nino causes |
| When To Go To Whistler - Past Whistler Weather | | | | fairly warm and dry winters. Defined as a sea-surface |
| Conditions | | | | temperature increase greater than 0.5°C, El Nino |
| While weather conditions are constantly changing, | | | | creates relatively unfavorable ski and snowboard |
| past Whistler weather conditions give a good idea of | | | | conditions. La Nina has the opposite effect as El Nino. |
| what to expect for your future Whistler vacation. | | | | Occurring when normal trade wind circulation patterns |
| Average Whistler Temperatures | | | | in the Pacific Ocean increase, La Nina decreases |
| Well-documented average temperatures let you | | | | sea-surface temperature by more than 0.5°C. |
| ensure you bring suitable clothing on your vacation: | | | | Due to El Nino, the new millennium began with a |
| Alpine Averages: | | | | steady trend of warm and dry weather in Whistler. |
| Dec-Feb: Low of -12°C/11°F, High of | | | | However, with the return of La Nina to western |
| -5°C/23°F | | | | Canada, Whistler has seen cooler weather, with much |
| Mar-May: Low of -8°C/19°F, High of | | | | more snow from 2006 - 2008. |
| 5°C/42°F | | | | The Bottom Line - How To Avoid Unpleasant |
| Whistler Village Averages: | | | | Whistler Weather |
| Dec-Feb: Low of -5°C/21°F, High of | | | | Regardless of when you travel to Whistler, travel in |
| 0°C/32°F | | | | layers. Be prepared to add or lose a layer and adjust |
| Mar-May: Low of 3°C/36°F, High of | | | | to the conditions. |
| 12°C/53°F | | | | General trends and averages of Whistler's past |
| Jun-Sep: Low of 10°C/50°F, High of | | | | weather conditions give an impression of what to |
| 24°C/74°F | | | | expect but it's no guarantee. Nothing prevents that |
| Oct-Nov: Low of 3°C/34°F, High of | | | | dreaded sinking feeling of an unfavourable twist in |
| 11°C/51°F | | | | the weather like a suitcase full of layer-worthy, fabric |
| Whistler Snow Fall | | | | solutions. |