The latest Pacific storm to hit the south coast has made for miserable commutes and flooding in the Lower Mainland, but up on the ski hills it’s nothing but smiles.
All three North Shore mountains have seen a significant dump of snow since the system blew in.
Cypress Mountain has seen 48 centimetres over 48 hours, while Grouse Mountain saw 40 centimetres in the same period.
Both mountains partially opened in early December and have been adding accessible terrain as the conditions have improved, however both still have areas that remain closed.
The latest dump of snow is also good news for Mount Seymour, traditionally the last of the three locals to open to the public.
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Mount Seymour spokesperson Simon Whitehead said the mountain will likely make an announcement about opening Thursday or Friday.
“We’re very excited to see all this snow on the ground. Historically, our opening date is mid-December so we’re actually right on track for an average opening,” he said.
“We got 42 centimetres in the last 24 hours, 55 centimetres in the last two days.”
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The big dump of snow will no doubt come as a relief to local mountains that have been partially relying on snow-making equipment to maximize ski-able terrain,
It also comes amid an El Niño year, which meteorologists say could result in a milder and drier season.