It could be a dry winter for B.C. resulting in a shortened ski season, according to a new report from AccuWeather.
El Niño – a climate cycle that occurs when Pacific Ocean waters are warmer than normal – tends to influence the global weather pattern, particularly during the winter months.
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“The winter weather pattern is expected to be dominated by a developing El Niño in the equatorial Pacific,” explained AccuWeather senior meteorologist Brett Anderson.
Above-normal snowfall is expected for northwestern B.C. and the Yukon as a result of the storm track coming off the Pacific, but that will leave the rest of the province with milder and drier conditions, particularly in the Lower Mainland.
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While this translates to a healthy start to the winter ski season, the lack of storms later on in the season may cause ski resorts to close earlier than in recent years.
“A majority of the snowfall in the western mountains and ski areas will come early in the season before drier weather takes hold,” Anderson said.
