Whistler Snowfall Totals & Accumulation Averages
This page pulls together information on when, how much and how often Whistler, British Columbia has snow.
There are data and descriptions here of how many days it snows and the total amount of snowfall that Whistler usually gets. There are also monthly and yearly counts of the days that Whistler normally has heavy snowstorms and the average amount of deep snow accumulated on the ground. Plus there's information on when the mountain resort can expect its first and last snowfalls of the season.
All the numbers are long-term historical averages based on weather data gathered from 1981 to 2010 in Whistler Village, near the bottom of the ski runs.
How Often it Snows in Whistler
This first table lists monthly and yearly totals for amount of snow and how many days it snows at least 0.2 centimetres (0.08 inches).
| Days | Inches | Centimetres | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13.7 | January | 40.6 | 103 |
| 10.1 | February | 25.3 | 64 |
| 9.2 | March | 18.7 | 47 |
| 4.4 | April | 6.2 | 16 |
| 0.5 | May | 0.4 | 1 |
| 1.4 | October | 3.0 | 8 |
| 9.7 | November | 25.9 | 66 |
| 14.6 | December | 44.9 | 114 |
| 63.5 | Year | 164.8 | 419 |
When Whistler Has Its First & Last Snowfalls
The first snowfall of winter for Whistler usually arrives in October or November.
The season's last snowfall typically happens in April although in some years a late snow lands in May.
Whistler is normally free of snow every year from June to September.
How Many Snowstorms Whistler Gets
Most days of snowfall in Whistler leave less than five centimetres (2 inches) of fresh snow on the ground. For 27 days a year on average, the amount of new snow totals at least five cm.
Big snowstorms of over ten cm a day normally occur thirteen times a year. Major blizzards that dump 25 cm or more in one day can happen two or three times a year. Storms this severe are most likely to appear in December or January.
| 5 cm 2.0 inches |
10 cm 3.9 inches |
25 cm 9.8 inches | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6.8 | 3.3 | 0.8 |
| February | 4.3 | 2.2 | 0.3 |
| March | 3.1 | 1.5 | 0.1 |
| April | 0.8 | 0.3 | 0.2 |
| May | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| October | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.0 |
| November | 4.0 | 2.0 | 0.4 |
| December | 7.3 | 3.8 | 0.8 |
| Year | 27.0 | 13.1 | 2.7 |
How Much Snow Normally Accumulates in Whistler
Whistler normally has at least a centimetre of snow on the ground from the end of October until April. In mid-winter the snowpack averages around 62 cm deep.
| 1 cm 0.4 inches |
5 cm 2.0 inches |
10 cm 3.9 inches |
20 cm 7.9 inches | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29.8 | 28.8 | January | 28.4 | 26.9 |
| 27.7 | 26.4 | February | 26.0 | 25.4 |
| 25.4 | 25.0 | March | 23.8 | 21.0 |
| 6.6 | 4.5 | April | 3.5 | 2.4 |
| 0.2 | 0.1 | May | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 0.9 | 0.4 | October | 0.3 | 0.0 |
| 16.1 | 10.8 | November | 6.8 | 3.9 |
| 29.9 | 28.4 | December | 27.2 | 24.1 |
| 136.4 | 124.4 | Year | 116.0 | 103.7 |
Reference
Environment Canada. Meteorological Service of Canada. Canadian Climate Normals. 1981-2010 Climate Normals & Averages.