North Shore Mountains Could Bounce Back This Year

Lifts were operating at Cypress Friday, the first of three big North Coast mountains to open this season.

“The atmosphere is really good,” said Matt Davis, president of Cypress Mountain Resort. “It’s good that we opened in November. People are excited to get up and ride again.”

About 20 percent of the trails were open Friday, but Davis said he expects about 50 to 60 percent of the mountain trails to be ready for use during the week.

Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) is expecting snow this weekend.

“We’re looking at a relatively good chance of seeing snow in the Lower Mainland mountains,” said Derek Lee, ECCC meteorologist.

The mountains struggled to gain traction last year due to an unusually warm season caused by the El Niño climate phenomenon.

“Last year we were open 125 days, so we were really open for most of the season. The terrain was quite limited most of those days,” Davis said.

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

“We expect La Niña to be the dominant weather pattern this winter,” Lee said. “La Niña is a little weaker this year, but in general La Niña winters could bring below-normal temperatures for B.C., meaning it could bring healthier snowpack.”

Grose Mountain is scheduled to open Saturday and Mount Seymour on Dec. 13.