Pacific NW/AK/BC Best time to do Powder Highway

[VinceF]

Trying to come up with a Powder Highway trip. Considering early March. I tried doing a search for the best time but couldn't seem to find the answer. Is March a good bet or would another time be better
Thanks in advance!

 

[Jim Kenney]

I'm not a Western Canada local so take this with a grain of salt. Early March is probably good. Many of those ski areas are relatively low elevation compared to places like CO and UT, so I wouldn't go later than early March to get best snow. I was in the vicinity in early March 2018 and, for example, the lower 2/3rd of Revelstoke was poor snow due to rain and refreezes. Higher elevation/snow terrain was good, but it made the mtn ski smaller. I also skied on that trip at Sunshine and Louise, they are higher elevation and had good snow. I would study your likely itinerary and while it doesn't have to be your only selection criteria, I would include some ski areas that are known to feature lift pods with good skiing at higher elevations.

 

[graham418]

I would go with early March as well. As a gross generalization, my experience is that they get early November snow, and then only little skiffles December to February, and lots of snow in March.
Although it doesn't always happen like that.

 

[noncrazycanuck]

being doing the loops for a lot of years. 10 years ago i would have said March up to about the 10th was prime
good snow cover and long enough days for any long daytime drives to chase snow.
lately we've shifted to Feb and returning ending no later than first few days of March
lower slopes on Fernie, Red, Revy and some of the Okanogan hills seem to be getting effected by spring conditions a bit earlier now,
original timing is still good for higher hills KH, LL, SS Pano

 

[David Chaus]

Best time to do the Powder Highway?

When there’s powder.

 

[Sibhusky]

We're close to the Powder Highway resorts over here in Whitefish.

I post a Facebook picture every day I ski, so a year later it's showing up in the On This Day feed. And I've noticed that the last week of February is pretty consistently fantastic here, with lots of raves. When you go down the page and one post after another talks about best day of the season, best day of my life, etc. you know it's good skiing. Naturally that can vary in any given year, but the other bonus is it's AFTER Presidents Week and Family Day.

 

[Poolskier Vinny]

While it's always up to "Mother Nature/ The Snow Gods" to provide in the end...there's no harm in trying to stack the odds in your favor.

A lot of the Powder highway resorts are low elevation as previous posters mention..March can be good but can also bring warmer temps/rain or freeze/thaw cycles to mid-lower slopes - that sucks..generally in later march..but not always...like last year...Revy and Fernie were a bit ugly at times due to freeze/thaw cycles. (I remember Jim and Vince K hitting one of those cycles in Fernie/Revy/etc. on their March visit last year....good thing they were able to come up and hit the slopes of SS and LL with us for some pow days!) Jim's advice about having some flexibility in your plans to be able to change to some higher elevation hills (KH/SS/LL/Castle) etc. is a good way to hedge your bets.

No guarantees but I'd suggest February or very early March for best chance at pow. Avoid the Alberta/BC (BC is now same as AB) provincial Family Day holiday weekend on Feb. 18, 2019 this year as the hills will be busy. (especially Revy). Weekdays you wont have much trouble at any of the Powder Highway resorts....

Very end of January/early Feb can also be VERY good - the risk is if it's a slow start to the powder season....but not likely to be worried about rain as temps tend to be colder then.

 

[kayco53]

My thinking would be mid Feb. Good snow. By March the weather can warm up. Most likely get snow but it will not be great powder. Anything can happen so great powder closing day happens. Most Mountains are not that high. Have fun.

 

[sbooker]

Calling Tony Crocker.
Oh wait. His years of research and unmatched data aren’t wanted here anymore.

 

[Sibhusky]

 

[Bad Bob]

Wouldn't feel bad about early March that is often in the storm cycle. If spring weather is starting earlier head for the northern areas where it will normally be colder. I was skiing a lot of fresh snow well into late March last year around Spokane; it all comes down to the year.

If you miss, the worst that will happen is you will ski some great ski areas in spring conditions. Life could be worse.

 

[Mike Rogers]

Unfortunately different resorts peak at different times.

I think Red skis better earlier in the year. If red is a focus, I would go mid-January to mid-February.

Kicking Horse is often best in late February or early march. It is much higher and colder, plus the snow fall pattern is more like the Rockies than places further west.

As mentioned by other posters, if you want to tag on Lake Louise and Sunshine (not powder highway, but close), these resorts ski best in March. If you are looking to ski the dive at Sunshine, and you are planning ahead, a later trip is especially important. The Dive is always open in March, but some years it doesn't open UNTIL March. (November openings aren't uncommon either...it's hard to predict).

I will have the RCR Rockies pass next year, and I anticipate spending most of my days in December, January, and February at Kicking Horse and Fernie. Mid-February to Mid-march will be split between Kicking Horse and Louise, and Louise gets November and mid-march to mid-may.

There is a good chance that I will ski red. It will likely be in January.

Generally speaking, Western side of the pow highway (Monashees and Western slope of the Selkirks) skis better in earlier in the season while the eastern side (Purcells and Rockies) skies better in the later half.

Which resorts are you hitting? Are you doing any heli or cat skiing? Backcountry?

 

[Pat AKA mustski]

If this is not allowed, please accept my apologies and delete this post. Here is a link to Tony Crocker’s Website:
http://bestsnow.net

 

[wutangclan]

Feb is the sweet spot for most BC skiing, give or take a week in Jan/Mar. The week of President's Day is to be avoided at Whistler and Sun Peaks, but most of the Powder Highway resorts should not be affected much.

 

[VinceF]

Wow. Lots of great responses. THANK YOU!
Seems like moving it up a week or so is probably worth it.
Looking at the what I assume would be the typical loop resort but am surely open to suggestions that are off of the beaten and crowded track.
If we fly into Calgary, then we are thinking:
Calgary to Sunshine Village
Sunshine to Lake Louise
Lake Louise to Kicking Horse
Kicking Horse to Revelstoke
Revelstoke to Red Mountain
Red Mountain to Whitewater
Whitewater to Fernie
Fernie to Kimberly
Kimberly to Panorama
Panorama back to Calgary

If we fly into Spokane then much the same buy maybe not hit Lake Louise or Sunshine Village.
This would be two weeks in duration, at least for me. The others would be coming from Europe and, as you may know, they seem to have unlimited vacation time ;-)
They are thinking 4 weeks. But as an American, I don't know how to do that!

 

[VinceF]

Unfortunately different resorts peak at different times.

I think Red skis better earlier in the year. If red is a focus, I would go mid-January to mid-February.

Kicking Horse is often best in late February or early march. It is much higher and colder, plus the snow fall pattern is more like the Rockies than places further west.

As mentioned by other posters, if you want to tag on Lake Louise and Sunshine (not powder highway, but close), these resorts ski best in March. If you are looking to ski the dive at Sunshine, and you are planning ahead, a later trip is especially important. The Dive is always open in March, but some years it doesn't open UNTIL March. (November openings aren't uncommon either...it's hard to predict).

I will have the RCR Rockies pass next year, and I anticipate spending most of my days in December, January, and February at Kicking Horse and Fernie. Mid-February to Mid-march will be split between Kicking Horse and Louise, and Louise gets November and mid-march to mid-may.

There is a good chance that I will ski red. It will likely be in January.

Generally speaking, Western side of the pow highway (Monashees and Western slope of the Selkirks) skis better in earlier in the season while the eastern side (Purcells and Rockies) skies better in the later half.

Which resorts are you hitting? Are you doing any heli or cat skiing? Backcountry?

We are all backcountry skiers but hadn't discussed it for this trip at this stage in the planning. Did not plan on heli.

 

[VinceF]

While it's always up to "Mother Nature/ The Snow Gods" to provide in the end...there's no harm in trying to stack the odds in your favor.

A lot of the Powder highway resorts are low elevation as previous posters mention..March can be good but can also bring warmer temps/rain or freeze/thaw cycles to mid-lower slopes - that sucks..generally in later march..but not always...like last year...Revy and Fernie were a bit ugly at times due to freeze/thaw cycles. (I remember Jim and Vince K hitting one of those cycles in Fernie/Revy/etc. on their March visit last year....good thing they were able to come up and hit the slopes of SS and LL with us for some pow days!) Jim's advice about having some flexibility in your plans to be able to change to some higher elevation hills (KH/SS/LL/Castle) etc. is a good way to hedge your bets.

No guarantees but I'd suggest February or very early March for best chance at pow. Avoid the Alberta/BC (BC is now same as AB) provincial Family Day holiday weekend on Feb. 18, 2019 this year as the hills will be busy. (especially Revy). Weekdays you wont have much trouble at any of the Powder Highway resorts....

Very end of January/early Feb can also be VERY good - the risk is if it's a slow start to the powder season....but not likely to be worried about rain as temps tend to be colder then.

Thanks for the heads-up on the holiday. I forgot to consider that.

 

[Castle Dave]

Think about hitting Castle as well. No Starbucks but IMHO the best skiers hill of the bunch but I'm biased. Check out my unofficial guide.

https://www.pugski.com/threads/unofficial-guide-castle-mountain-resort-ab.4764/

 

[VinceF]

We're close to the Powder Highway resorts over here in Whitefish.

I post a Facebook picture every day I ski, so a year later it's showing up in the On This Day feed. And I've noticed that the last week of February is pretty consistently fantastic here, with lots of raves. When you go down the page and one post after another talks about best day of the season, best day of my life, etc. you know it's good skiing. Naturally that can vary in any given year, but the other bonus is it's AFTER Presidents Week and Family Day.

We have all wanted to get up there. I am even on the Whitefish email list. Maybe we should start there.

 

[VinceF]

Another question crossed my feeble mind, my home mountain is Snowbird since I live so close to it. I am thinking that the powder highway resorts are considerably colder. Any required gear suggestions that may not be obvious to a Utah skier?