Content
Skip to Main ContentAccessibility Help
British Columbia

Snow offers welcome escape from Vancouver's non-stop rain

Weary over Vancouver's endless grey weather? Snow offers a welcome escape.

November has offered 2 rainless days, but ski slopes overlooking the grey city offer snowy splendour

Chad Pawson, Yvette Brend · CBC News ·
Snow offers welcome escape from two months of almost solid rain in Vancouver B.C. (Paul Morrison Photography (left) and CBC (right))

Vancouver's rain-soaked skies have been a static grey backdrop this November, but get up a mountain and it's a winter wonderland many discovered this weekend.

So far this month, there have only been two days without rain in the Wet Coast city, according to data from Environment Canada — Nov. 3 and 10.

Rain on a window in Vancouver's West End as people cross the street. (David Horemans/CBC News)

That's one fewer day than October when there were three days that were essentially dry, and they were all in a row: Oct. 9, 10, and 11. That surpasses the old record of 26 days set in 1967 and again in 1985.

A total of 190 mm of rain was recorded as of noon on October 31 at the Vancouver International Airport making it the 10th wettest October on record. But with several days left to go in November, 192.4 mm of rain has already fallen.

(Environment Canada)

Let it snow and let me go

While all the precipitation in Vancouver has made for a soggy existence, skiers and snowboarders have been celebrating in the mountains, where the ski hills are having their best season opening in years.

High above the city Grouse Mountain, and Cypress Mountain are both open on the North Shore Mountains.

It is a virtual winter wonderland at the Grouse Mountain chalet on Nov. 28, near Vancouver B.C. (Grouse Mountain)

And it's heaven for skiers and snowboarders at Whistler Blackcomb which has received over three metres of snow in the past 11 days.

Snow needed shoveling by Nov. 22 at Grouse Mountain, near Vancouver B.C. (Grouse Mountain)

For those stuck in the city waiting to escape up the gondola, many resorts offer free alerts tracking every snowfall, which might help lift the spirits of those stuck in the coffee line-ups on the grey streets of Vancouver, waiting for their chance to enjoy the snow.

The gondola ride up to Grouse Mountain was sugared with snow by Nov. 22 (Grouse Mountain)
Lynsey Dyer skiing deep snow on Whistler Mountain's Roundhouse Roll early morning (Paul Morrison Photography)

With files from Stephanie Mercier.

CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices|About CBC News
Corrections and clarifications|Submit a news tip|

Related Stories