British Columbia snow report

Kootenays and Selkirks snow first, a cold quiet spell, then the Coast

Snow this weekWeek of 25 Oct 2026Forecast data as of 27 Oct 01:33 UTC

Next snow

Today

First day with measurable snow

Best snow day

Wed 28 Oct

Up to 23 cm at Kicking Horse

Most snow, 14 days

Whistler Blackcomb

35 cm forecast in total

Coldest feels like

-23°C

Kicking Horse, Mon 2 Nov

Photo: Whistler Blackcomb

By SnowStash· Updated 27 Oct 2026

Snow favours the Kootenays and Selkirks first, with Kicking Horse set for 23 cm on Wednesday 28 Oct. After a cold, quiet spell, the focus of the snow shifts to the Coast Mountains on Saturday 7 Nov, where Whistler Blackcomb could see 20 cm. The sharpest cold feels like -23°C at Kicking Horse on Monday 2 Nov. Confidence is high early in the fortnight and low for the later snow.

Plan around it

When

Wednesday 28 Oct looks best, with Kicking Horse forecast to get 23 cm. Confidence is high.

Where

Kootenays and Selkirks early, led by Kicking Horse; Coast Mountains later, led by Whistler Blackcomb.

Watch for

Gusts of 62 km/h on Sunday 8 Nov could put lifts on hold.

The next 14 days

Average day by day

Pick snow, temperature, freezing level or wind. The bar above the days jumps to each part of the story below.

Swipe sideways for all 14 days. Tap a day for the detail.

Low confidence: forecasts this far out often change

Tue 27 Oct - Wed 28 Oct

Kootenays and Selkirks take early snow

Snow favours the Kootenays and Selkirks to start the fortnight. Kicking Horse collects 25 cm across Tuesday 27 Oct and Wednesday 28 Oct, with the peak on Wednesday 28 Oct. The zone averages 17 cm against 11 cm for the region as a whole, and resorts range from 0.1 cm to 25 cm, so location matters.

The Okanagan and Thompson zone is close behind, with Apex Mountain also on 25 cm and Big White on 21 cm. Vancouver Island misses out almost entirely. Precipitation runs for 23 hours under a south-westerly flow, and visibility is likely to be poor.

The freezing level sits between 790 m and 1,740 m, so rain could mix in at resorts whose listed elevation is below it, such as Mt Seymour, Grouse Mountain and Sasquatch Mountain. Higher up it is very cold, feeling like -17°C at Kicking Horse on Wednesday 28 Oct.

Best-placed resort

25cmat Kicking Horse

Across all resorts0.1 to 25 cm

White marker: regional average, 11 cm

Tue

5.9

Wed

Regional average by day (cm). The gold bar is the peak day.

Biggest totals

Typical high / low

-1° / -6°C

Feels like -17° at Kicking Horse

Strongest gusts

50 km/h

Poor visibility likely

Where it favours

Average forecast snow by area. Favoured: Kootenays and Selkirks.

Kootenays and Selkirks
17 cm
Okanagan and Thompson
15 cm
Canadian Rockies
9.4 cm
Coast Mountains
7 cm
Vancouver Island
0.8 cm

Snow or rain? Where the freezing level sits

Every resort at its listed elevation. Pick a storm day to see which stay above the freezing level.

Wed 28 Oct: the freezing level sits between 790 and 1,390 m (about 1,050 m on average). 15 of 19 resorts sit above it, 4 inside it.

Above the freezing level: snow is the likely outcomeInside the band: rain or a mix is possible at timesBelow the band: warmer airAverage freezing level

Bars rise to each resort's listed elevation. The band is the lowest to highest freezing level across resorts that day, so a resort inside it can see snow at some hours and rain at others. A guide, not a per-resort forecast.

Thu 29 Oct - Sat 31 Oct

Lighter snow, bitter cold nights

Lighter snow follows from Thursday 29 Oct to Saturday 31 Oct, favouring the Kootenays and Selkirks and the Canadian Rockies. RED Mountain tops the spell with 8.3 cm and Fernie Alpine Resort gets 5.2 cm. On Vancouver Island, Mount Washington collects 6.2 cm, while the Coast Mountains miss out. With a regional average of 3.3 cm, expect modest top-ups rather than a big reset.

The freezing level falls to between 370 m and 1,380 m. That is close to the valley floor, so snow could fall at low elevations, though rain could still mix in at Grouse Mountain and Mt Seymour. A north-easterly flow makes it feel extreme, down to -20°C at Kicking Horse on Saturday 31 Oct. The cold favours snowmaking.

Who gets the most

Total snow for this spell. The regional average is 3.3 cm, so where you ski matters.

Typical high / low

-2° / -9°C

Feels like -20° at Kicking HorseGood snowmaking temps

Strongest gusts

37 km/h

Where it favours

Average forecast snow by area. Favoured: Kootenays and Selkirks and Canadian Rockies.

Kootenays and Selkirks
5 cm
Canadian Rockies
4.7 cm
Vancouver Island
3.7 cm
Okanagan and Thompson
3.2 cm
Coast Mountains
0.9 cm

Sun 1 Nov - Fri 6 NovModerate confidence

Dry, cold and mostly quiet

The fortnight turns dry from Sunday 1 Nov to Friday 6 Nov, with an easterly flow and a regional average of just 0.5 cm. The driest stretch should run from Monday 2 Nov to Thursday 5 Nov. What little snow there is favours the west, with Mount Cain on Vancouver Island at 4.6 cm at most.

Highs average 0°C and lows -7°C, and it should feel like -23°C at Kicking Horse on Monday 2 Nov. The freezing level swings widely, from 190 m up to 3,540 m, so conditions should turn milder later in the spell. The cold should favour snowmaking early on.

Snow

Dry

0.5 cm average across the region

Typical high / low

0° / -7°C

Feels like -23° at Kicking HorseGood snowmaking temps

Freezing level

190-3,540 m

Height where the air hits 0°C

Strongest gusts

43 km/h

Sat 7 NovLow confidence

Focus shifts to the Coast Mountains

The focus of the snow shifts west on Saturday 7 Nov, and the Coast Mountains could take most of it. Whistler Blackcomb may see 20 cm, against a regional average of only 1.2 cm. Manning Park in the Okanagan and Thompson zone could pick up 2.7 cm. The Kootenays and Selkirks, Vancouver Island and the Canadian Rockies may stay dry. Confidence is low, so watch this spell.

The freezing level is high, between 1,840 m and 2,480 m, so only the higher resorts may see decent snowfall. Rain could mix in at Grouse Mountain, Silverstar and Mt Seymour. A southerly flow comes with a chance of poor visibility.

Who gets the most

Total snow for this spell. The regional average is 1.2 cm, so where you ski matters.

Typical high / low

1° / -1°C

Strongest gusts

55 km/h

Poor visibility likely

Where it favours

Average forecast snow by area. Favoured: Coast Mountains.

Coast Mountains
4.1 cm
Okanagan and Thompson
0.5 cm
Kootenays and Selkirks
0 cm
Vancouver Island
0 cm
Canadian Rockies
0 cm

Sun 8 Nov - Mon 9 NovLow confidence

Gusty finish with a high freezing level

The final days, Sunday 8 Nov and Monday 9 Nov, look largely dry, though confidence is low. Light amounts may linger in the west, with Whistler Blackcomb around 3.8 cm. Highs average 1°C and lows -2°C. It could feel like -11°C at Kicking Horse on Sunday 8 Nov.

A southerly flow could bring gusts up to 62 km/h, and lifts could be put on hold. The freezing level stays high, between 1,640 m and 1,920 m, so rain could mix in at Grouse Mountain, Mt Seymour and Sasquatch Mountain.

Snow

Dry

0.4 cm average across the region

Typical high / low

1° / -2°C

Feels like -11° at Kicking Horse

Freezing level

1,640-1,920 m

Height where the air hits 0°C

Strongest gusts

62 km/h

Lift holds possible

The 14-day picture

Most snow, next 14 days

Total forecast snow across the whole fortnight. Later days are less certain, so treat the order as a guide.

Biggest totals

Forecast snow, all 14 days added together.

Before you go

Resort status

No resorts are in season on their scheduled dates right now, and none are scheduled to open in the next 14 days. The next opening after that is Whistler Blackcomb, scheduled to open on 20 Nov. "In season" reflects each resort's scheduled calendar, not a live lift report.

Scheduled openings

No resorts are in season yet. Dates are from each resort's season calendar, not a live lift report.

Next after thatWhistler Blackcomb20 Nov

Reading the forecast

Snowfall and freezing levels are forecast at upper-mountain points for each resort, so real totals can differ where terrain lifts or shelters the weather. Treat figures as a guide to timing and scale, and check each resort's own page before you travel.

How this report is made

SnowStash calculates every figure from its own forecast data. The wording is drafted with AI from those figures and checked before publishing.

All British Columbia ski resorts