Skiers and snowboarders will be able to hit the slopes on Whistler Mountain one week early thanks to favourable early- season conditions.
Whistler Blackcomb said the mountain will be opening up on Nov. 19 with five lifts running, the Whistler Village Gondola, Creekside Gondola, Emerald Express, Big Red Express and Franz’s Chair.
Doug McFarlane, director of mountain operations, said a mix of natural snowfall and prime snowmaking conditions paved the way for Whistler to open ahead of schedule.
“What Mother Nature has brought us so far has been complemented by our snowmaking team, who have converted over 26.5 million gallons of water into snow since the start of November,” McFarlane said in a statement.
Ninety-eight centimetres of snow have fallen on the mountain since the beginning of the month, and there’s more in the forecast. Whistler Blackcomb urged skiers to be cautions, however, as conditions will still be early-season, especially in off-piste areas.
“Please obey all mountain signage, ski and ride on open runs only and stay within the operation area marked by ‘Temporary Boundary’ signage,” McFarlane said.
Blackcomb Mountain is still expected to open on Nov. 26, as previously scheduled.
There’s good news for skiers and snowboarders in the Interior, too: Big White Ski Resort is set to open on Friday, two weeks ahead of schedule.
