7. Winter Snow Goes Missing in British Columbia

The winter forecast for the West Coast was warmer and drier than normal. No one, however, foresaw the scanty snowfall and thin snowpack that accumulated over British Columbia's winter resorts. Never in recent years had snow conditions been so pathetic, leading to huge economic write-offs and major disappointment among snow enthusiasts. For such fans, worse weather could not have occurred: record January rainfall, record February sunshine and record warm March temperatures. And adding to the frustration, near-record snow fell in April just when most resorts had given up and closed for the season.

A strong and persistent ridge of high pressure over British Columbia effectively blocked winter storms from entering the southern two-thirds of the province. When moist air did roll in, it often occurred with bouts of warmth or torrential and unrelenting rains. Whistler-Blackcomb had its lowest snowfall accumulation since the resort opened in 1966, between a third and a half of its average seasonal accumulation. Worse, soaking rains, abundant sunshine and balmy temperatures eroded what snow did fall. At Mount Washington, on Vancouver Island, the mountain resort typically receives an annual average of 9 m of snow. This winter, the slopes were uncommonly grassy and bare. At the peak of the ski season, the snowpack measured a paltry 12% of normal. Ironically, in April, the resort received a whopping 360 cm of snow - the biggest April snow dump in 25 years, making for the best end-of-season skiing in memory. In the BC Interior, conditions were also snow poor. In February, Kelowna was drier than Los Angeles and warm too, with every day above freezing and no snow - weather conditions never seen before. In Kamloops, cross-country skiers said snow conditions were the worst in 44 years. The major resort corporation, Intrawest, said this snow season had the most challenging weather for skiing in 40 years. At its main property at Whistler, visits were off by 14%, costing the company millions in lost revenue. With more mud than powder, skiers and snowboarders abandoned BC slopes for the higher altitudes of Alberta.

Despite the absence of winter across British Columbia, conditions were ripe for avalanches. In late March, the BC Avalanche Centre warned backcountry skiers, snowboarders, snowshoers and snowmobiliers to use particular caution after a fresh dump of snow (40 cm) and mild spring temperatures. Further, several rapid freeze/thaw cycles and high winds combined to create an unstable snow pack. On average, 15 people die as a result of being caught in an avalanche every year in Canada. In 2004-5, there were six deaths.

British Columbia

Winter Was One Week Long in Victoria and Vancouver

The first week of January brought the only winter weather of the season to the south coast of British Columbia. Victoria got more than 46 cm of snow -- about a year's worth (48 cm) --including 23.4 cm on January 7. At times, motorists crept along slippery roads at half-speed. Many residents stayed home. Salt, sand and sleds flew off the shelves, and video stores were emptied. The provincial insurance corporation reported a 30% increase in the accident rate. On the mainland, police were busy with ditched vehicles, fender-benders and car thefts. For local taxis and tow trucking firms, it was a windfall, doubling their weekly business. By late January 7, Vancouver had recorded 12.2 cm of snow over a two-day period.

Sunniest February on Record in Vancouver! Or Was It?

Victoria had their sunniest February on record in 2005 (193.6 hours), breaking the previous record of 151.5 hours set in 1996. The normal sunshine total is 88.9 hours. While less cloud means cooler nights, days were near perfect for tennis, golfers and hikers in the city. Tourism Victoria's annual flower count was underway much to the annoyance of the rest of Canada. For those who care, final counts were more than 3.7 billion blooms, well over the 1.8 billion tallied up in 2004.

Vancouver boasted a record high bright sunshine total for February - more than 151 hours - but the exact figure will never be known because someone made off with Environment Canada's sunshine recorder. The 12-cm-diameter glass globe is valued at more than $2,000 and resembles a crystal ball. Psychics and fortune tellers are among the prime suspects!

Sea-To-Sky Mudslide

On March 20, a mudslide tore up sections of the Sea-to-Sky Highway north from Vancouver to Whistler, forcing resort-bound, springbreak travellers to turn around. Many of the stalled and now frustrated travellers were bound for the Whistler ski resort to take advantage of a fresh dump of snow (55 cm) on the first weekend of the spring break. Equipment used in the highway's $600-million upgrade project for the 2010 Olympics was used to help clear mud and debris almost a metre deep from the road. The south coast was also hit by high winds, causing blackouts in some Vancouver neighbourhoods.

A Gloomy June