Top 5 places to photograph Vancouver's snow-covered mountains on a crisp winter day

Every once in a while, Vancouver's gloomy cloud cover dissipates and the rains holds up long enough to reveal stunning views of the snow-capped North Shore mountains.

"Between November and February, on average, we only get about 50 hours of sunshine a month," said CBC meteorologist Johanna Wagstaffe.

"To find that perfect balance between clear skies and snow on the mountains — they're gem days, for sure."

Where to get the best money shot of the mountains is debatable, of course, but one North Vancouver-based photographer and videographer has a few suggestions.

Here are Dave Karnezos' top five spots to soak in the scenery.

1. Cleveland Dam

"The watershed provides this really, really beautiful view looking out over the dam and straight up at the mountains, which is absolutely breathtaking if fresh snow has fallen. It's an unobstructed view of the full mountain, with the peak and the Lions at the top."

2. Queen Elizabeth Park

"It has a fantastic view of the mountains and pretty much the whole of downtown Vancouver. It's quite far away from the mountains, so if you're a photographer and you're looking to shoot it, you'd want to have the right equipment. It's an absolutely stunning, wide-open panoramic."

3. Outside City Hall, Cambie Street

"This is a really unique viewpoint of the mountains.

It's one of those street views lined with beautiful trees and the street in front of you, a little bit of downtown Vancouver with B.C. Place and the Top of Vancouver Revolving Restaurant — which is quite an iconic silhouette — and then right behind it are the mountains."

4. Vancouver General Hospital

"The most classic viewpoint to shoot the city with the mountains in the background. Get on top of the hospital, or any of the surrounding buildings in the area, and it provides an up-close, personal view straight over downtown Vancouver, False Creek and then behind are the mountains."

5. Jericho Beach

"There's a range of different viewpoints that you can find along the beach. It provides quite a unique perspective of beach and the ocean running up to Stanley Park and a bit of downtown with the mountains in the background. It captures that "special something" that Vancouver provides: the beaches and mountains."