Canada Tops the Snow Charts: Mount Washington Claims Gold So Far
Mount Washington, B.C., boasts the deepest snowpack in North America, leading the charts as December 2024 wraps up with impressive snowfall.
Mount Washington, British Columbia, Snowpack, Vancouver Island, Skiing
Mount Washington: As December 2024 winds down, Mount Washington in B.C. is showing off its impressive snowpack, making it the snow king of North America.
On Monday morning, they measured a whopping 340 cm of snow. That’s way ahead of the competition, like Timberline Lodge in Oregon with 272 cm and Mount Baker in Washington at 269 cm.
What’s cool is that even though it’s a bit warmer than usual in B.C., the freezing levels have stayed low enough to keep the snow piling up nicely.
Mount Washington’s secret? Its spot on Vancouver Island lets it soak up tons of Pacific moisture, which mixes with cold Arctic air to create loads of snow. This season, the storms have been super active, helping the snowbase grow quickly.
Looking back, while this season is great, it’s not quite as wild as 2010. Back then, they got over five metres of snow by December 27, which is taller than a giraffe! That year was the snowiest ever, with more than 1,800 cm by April.
And let’s not forget Mount Baker in Washington, which holds the record for the most snow in a season, with a jaw-dropping 2,896 cm back in 1998-99.
As we head into January, it looks like the storms will take a little break. But with such a solid snowbase, skiers and snowboarders are in for a treat at the resorts across British Columbia.