"Bring swim shorts": Whistler's wet ski conditions draws ire online
It’s been a rough start to the ski season in parts of BC due to Mother Nature, and as a result, some adrenaline seekers hoping to get their money’s worth for their season passes or expensive lift tickets are not happy with the local hills.
Social media users are expressing their frustrations with Whistler Blackcomb after Rise & Alpine shared a video of rainy and brown conditions on the famous mountain.
“Whistler Conditions Update: Bring swim shorts,” the video is captioned.
“Time for a Piña colada.”
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Others were quick to say that it was not worth it to go up right now.
“I’d rather drive 12hrs than ski there ever again!” one person commented.
“Imagine no season pass, taking Monday off and paying $269 for 1 day ticket 🤦♂️,” another wrote.
This reaction comes just before the peak season ticket prices kick in, with riders set to be paying $300 during the Christmas break.
Whistler Blackcomb’s weather report states no snow has fallen in the past 48 hours. In seven days, just eight centimetres has dropped.
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.
“This is the new norm for skiing in Canada, RIP winter,” one social media user commented on Rise & Alpine’s Instagram video.
In a statement to Daily Hive, a spokesperson for Whistler Blackcomb admitted Mother Nature has presented the ski hill with challenges in the early season. However, they said staff are taking advantage of optimal weather conditions to make snow and expand terrain offerings as conditions permit.
They added that early-season conditions are not necessarily indicative of season-long snow conditions.
“We’ve had years with bountiful early snow and others where winter weather is a little slow to arrive, but it ends up being a banner year,” it said.
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According to Whistler Blackcomb, temperatures are expected to be cooler this weekend, with substantial snowfall occurring predominantly on Monday, which is Christmas Day.
“We are expecting cooler temperatures and inbound snow heading into the holiday weekend, which bodes well for our snowmaking and terrain expansion efforts – and fun for guests who are arriving to celebrate the holiday here in Whistler,” the spokesperson added.
“While this is encouraging, it may present some challenges to our Patrol and Mountain Ops teams as they work hard to open up terrain, especially given the recent milder temperatures and rain we have received,” they said.
Currently, Whistler Blackcomb has 19 lifts open based on current conditions.
Because the weather can be unpredictable, Whistler Blackcomb is encouraging guests encourage incoming guests to plan ahead. People can visit the Lift and Terrain Status page, download the My Epic app, pay attention to updates on Instagram, Facebook pages, and tune in to Mountain FM locally for real-time lift, terrain and trail status updates.
People are also encouraged to visit Drive BC for information on road conditions, as well as the Resort Municipality Of Whistler (RMOW) website.
“Use them and always bear in mind that conditions on-mountain and in-resort can change,” it added.
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