Weather forces popular ski hill closure in the midst of a rough start to the season

The start of the 2023 ski season in BC’s North Shore mountains has been a rough one, to say the least.

With delayed openings for many hills, not only in the local mountains but also throughout the province, many skiers and snowboarders have been anxiously hoping to get their money’s worth for their season passes. But there’s been another setback for at least one hill.

Cypress Mountain isn’t opening on Tuesday as a result of the weather. While limited snow at the end of November and early December has left many runs still closed, the issue this week is that there’s now too much precipitation, and the temperature is far from freezing.

“Please note, we will be closed mountain-wide on Tuesday, December 19th due to inclement weather. We apologize for any inconvenience. If you have purchased a ticket, Guest Services will be in contact,” the mountain’s website reads in part.

A screengrab of the snow stake camera from December 19, 2023 (Cypressmountain.com)

As of Tuesday morning, no weather warnings or alerts have been issued by Environment and Climate Change Canada. However, images from the ski hill show very soggy conditions, and the temperature is reportedly at a balmy 6°C.

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While it may feel like winter has started off on a bad foot, it’s technically still fall for a few more days.

According to meteorologists with The Weather Network, BC will see above-average temperatures and drier-than-average conditions for most of the season, and when winter is finally ushered in this Thursday, Canadians shouldn’t expect to see a drastic shift to colder weather.

“El Niño conditions are due to natural variability in the climate system and will likely contribute to the higher-than-normal temperatures in Canada this winter, intensifying the warming effects from human-induced climate change in what is shaping up to be the hottest year recorded in human history,” the seasonal outlook reads in part.