Here's why the North Shore mountains could be in for a bounce-back season on the slopes

The lifts were running at Cypress Friday, marking the first of the three big North Shore mountains to open for the season.

“‘The vibe is really good,” said Matt Davies, president of Cypress Mountain Resort. “It’s good to be open in November. People are stoked to be up and riding again.”

Approximately 20 per cent of the runs were open Friday, but Davies says he anticipates around 50 to 60 per cent of the mountain will be good to go within a week.

Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) is calling for snowfall over the weekend.

“We are looking at a relatively good chance to see snow in the mountains for the Lower Mainland,” said Derek Lee, meteorologist with ECCC.

Last year, mountains struggled to find momentum due to an unusually warm season caused by the climate phenomenon El Niño.

“Last year, we were open for 125 days, so we were really open for most of the season. For a fair number of those days, the terrain was quite limited,” said Davies.

This year, the West Coast welcomes La Niña, the opposite of El Niño.

“We are looking at La Niña being the dominant weather driver this winter,” said Lee. “This year is a bit of a weaker La Niña, but the overall turnout for La Niña winters is that it can bring below-normal temperatures for B.C., which means it can bring a healthier snowpack.”

Grouse Mountain is slated to open Saturday and Mount Seymour is expected to open Dec. 13.