Winter sports enthusiasts awoke to a good news-bad news situation on B.C.’s South Coast on Saturday.
The good news? Plenty of snow, finally. The bad news? Major lift lineups as snow hungry skiers and snowboarders flocked to the hills.
In a social media post, Whistler Blackcomb said it recorded 42 centimetres of snow overnight into Saturday.
“Given the snowfall we received overnight, and a higher volume of guests on the weekend, expect long wait times today,” the resort wrote. “Our teams are doing their very best to open things safely and on time and keep the lines moving as fast as possible.”
Get daily BC news
Closer to Vancouver, all three North Shore ski hills also got a healthy dusting of snow.
Grouse Mountain reported 41 centimetres of new snow in the last 48 hours, and said it was opening its Peak Chair on Saturday, though four other lifts remain closed.
Cypress Mountain reported 40 centimetres of snow in the last 48 hours, with its Eagle Express and Easy Rider chairs open and Lions Express on standby. Three other lifts remained closed.
Mount Seymour reported 54 centimetres of snow in the past 48 hours and opened its ‘Goldie Magic Carpet,’ however all traditional chair lifts remained closed.
The fresh snow comes as South Coast ski resorts grapple with an unseasonably late start to the season, after November and December failed to deliver the typical early-season snowpack.