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Two major snowmakers could bring another 100+ cm to B.C.


Tyler Hamilton
Meteorologist

Monday, January 22, 2018, 11:50 AM - After five days of heavy mountain snowfall, some of the totals are jaw-dropping, especially for people who live outside of British Columbia. Two more major snowmakers are on the way for the alpine this week, bringing strong winds and heavy rain to lower elevations of coastal B.C. Another 100-200 cm of snow possible. More on that below. 

It’s been an excellent week in the alpine, but has it substantially improved the snowpack?

Heavy snow temporarily closed a ski resort on Vancouver Island as transportation and mountain operations can be greatly impacted when metres of snow fall in a short amount of time.

Let’s refer to a snow-pillow or snow gauge—an automated snow weather station that’s sole purpose is to measure the influx of snow to the alpine.

The device operates by measuring the hydrostatic pressure (pressure exerted by a fluid at equilibrium) created by the overlying snow on top of the sensor. The graph below (courtesy B.C. Government), highlights the tremendous growth we’ve seen in the snowpack:

The blue line shooting nearly vertical is what turned a mediocre snowpack into a spectacular one.

This trend will continue.

Snowfall totals were generally tracking along the historical average in a boom and bust pattern; consequently, we observed arctic outflow mixed in with bursts of ample high elevation snows with streams of Pacific moisture streaking across the Pacific Ocean.

Is what we’ve seen record-breaking? Not. Even. Close.

The B.C. Mountains are some of the most capable mountains in the world to create some of the deepest snowpack on the planet. In fact, this is fairly typical.

Photo source: Golden Gate Weather Service

A strong La Nina back in 1998-1999 produced some of the deepest snow depths on the planet, right in British Columbia.

Let this sink in.

Approximately 700 cm of snow fell in the month of February 1999 alone on Mount Washington, Vancouver Island. Seven metres of snowfall!

That's the size of some of the largest monster waves observed last week of the Pacific Northwest. Too much of a good thing, as chair lifts ran into a significant problem—a problem likely no one anticipated.

Normally, the towering lifts carry skiers well above the snow base, but ski resort officials had to frantically dig tunnels (yes tunnels) and excavate the area under the ski lifts to safely bring skiers to the top of the mountain.

What’s to come? Will the good fortune continue?

Two more major snowmakers are on the way for the alpine; consequently, this will also bring strong winds and heavy rain to lower elevations of coastal B.C. this week.

System 1:

  • An intense low pressure system approaches northern Vancouver Island early Tuesday, peak winds for the South Coast occur on Tuesday AM, then gradually eases through the evening.

Here is a special wind product done by the University of Washington. For those of you who lost power don’t fret, as the strongest winds will blow well offshore and away from major populations.

The brown colours off the tip of northern Vancouver Island illustrate gusts in excess of hurricane force.

Georgia Strait, expect gusts to remain below 90 km/h with this one, much less damaging and threatening compared to our vigorous Sunday frontal system, where gusts topped 120 km/h at Saturna Island.

System 2:

  • The trough stalls offshore and showers and high elevation snows continue through the week. The next system, depending on exact track may post a wind issue for the South Coast.

There are signs the low pressure system will be weakening as it approaches the South Coast, so that should mitigate impacts for some. Nevertheless, the system will continue to add to our healthy snowpack and totals this week will once again be in the order of 100-200 cm of snow in the coastal alpine mountains through next weekend.

A stunning turn of events that will create amazing ski conditions well into February.

A carbon copy of the snow totals the B.C. mountains have received the past five days is likely to occur over the following five days.

Those purple shades?

Yes, you’re reading the legend right. Forty inches of snow is over 100 cm of snow for those particular regions above 1000 metres.

Let's refer to this as Champagne powder: high end powder usually found in the B.C. Rockies that makes for excellent skiing conditions.

Happy skiing—there’s no business like the snow business.


Check back for updates as we continue to monitor the forecast.

WATCH BELOW: 'We are stuck, fully' Victoria family trapped on Mount Washington, B.C.





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