I am planning to meet my friends for skiing out west during the week before Christmas to avoid the crowds. We have always wanted to go to Whistler to ski but we are worried that it wont have good snow. I’m not sure if we should risk the possibility of rain all week. Would it be wiser to forget BC and go with Breck? I have heard the snow there is great.
In a good snow year in the PNW Whistler may still be iffy before Christmas. There is snow making on many slopes but unless it is cold that is chancy. For the best party, Whistler, for the best snow, if I could predict the future I’d know what 6 numbers to play for tonight’s Lotto drawing. Try to delay making a commitment until much later in the year. By Thanksgiving you may know about Whistler. Have fun. The best snow for Whistler is usually in late January to late March. If it rains in the Village, then it is snowing on top. 5000 foot of elevation means rain at the bottom, corn in the mid station and powder in the back bowls.
Breck and Whistler are my favorite ski areas
Breck will have snow, and odds are it will be 80-100% open. It usually starts to snow a lot December 1st, most years mid December is one of my favorite times to ski Breck. It’s the safe choice, but I do warn you to go during the week because the weekends are CROWDED
Whistler, on the other hand, could rain all week in January. I’ve been twice and it rained the first time, and was in the 50s the second time. Both mid January. However, the week before I was there both times, it snowed 4-5 feet. This season, Whistler had a record breaking unbelievably snowy November. It didn’t snow for 5 weeks after that.
So if you want an absolutely massive mountain and are willing to gamble for either amazing, deep snow or terrible snow: Whistler
If you want a very large, but certainly no Whistler, mountain with guaranteed (if MAYBE thin) snow: Breckenridge
To be honest, I’d choose Whistler. Maybe because I grew up skiing Breck, but because even on crap snow I still had an awesome time at Whistler. I can only speak for expert skiers, though.
References :
Colorado native
In a good snow year in the PNW Whistler may still be iffy before Christmas. There is snow making on many slopes but unless it is cold that is chancy. For the best party, Whistler, for the best snow, if I could predict the future I’d know what 6 numbers to play for tonight’s Lotto drawing. Try to delay making a commitment until much later in the year. By Thanksgiving you may know about Whistler. Have fun. The best snow for Whistler is usually in late January to late March. If it rains in the Village, then it is snowing on top. 5000 foot of elevation means rain at the bottom, corn in the mid station and powder in the back bowls.
References :
50+ years of skiing.
Both are great ski areas, however, almost anywhere is iffy in mid-December. More iffy at Whistler than Breck due to lower altitude and proximity to the Pacific coast.
I’d go with Breck for all the same reasons Jim W. & Crikey wrote.
References :
This website has that info organized in a chart
http://hubpages.com/hub/Shovel-your-drive-way-in-180-seconds?done
References :
http://hubpages.com/hub/Shovel-your-drive-way-in-180-seconds?done