Talk of El Nino affecting the B.C. coast this winter has staff at Mount Washington Alpine Resort hopeful for a rebound from last year’s dry ski season.
El Nino weather in the past has resulted in hefty snowfalls for the mid-island resort, and director Don Sharpe says that could be good news for skiers and snowboarders eager to hit the slopes this year.
“We’re always watching for the snow, that’s our lifeblood. We need to see a significant amount of snow up here, and we think that’s coming this year,” said Sharpe. “The temperatures are right, and the feeling in the air is the way it should be.”
While they wait for the weather to roll in, the resort is also preparing for the season by holding a job fair in Courtenay to find new employees.
But when, or even if those employees will start depends on how El Nino affects the mountain.
Resort staff say 30 years of data show that the 2015/2016 ski season should be okay for snow.
“Years there were El Ninos were the years that we seem to get the most amount of snow,” Sharpe said. “Sometimes an El Nino year would bring a little bit less, but for the most part, it seems to be bringing the snowfall that we want.”
Not all weather agencies agree on exactly what will happen on B.C.’s coast this winter, though, so the outlook remains unclear for local ski hills.
“Three out of four suggest that yes, we are going to have a milder winter. One suggests colder,” said CTV Vancouver Island meteorologist Astrid Braunschmidt. “Whether or not we’re going to see dry, wet or normal conditions – that’s the variable and that’s what none of the agencies seem to agree on right now.”
Environment Canada is calling for warm weather and normal precipitation for the region, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is calling for warm and dry conditions, AccuWeather predicts warm and wet weather while the Farmer’s Almanac has forecast a cold and dry winter.
Mount Washington was forced to cut its ski season short last year and the year before due to rising temperatures and a lack of snow.
With a report from CTV Vancouver Island’s Gord Kurbis
