38 resorts · 40 winters · 2026–27 outlook
No. El Niño winters here have run a little leaner. El Niño winters have brought Canada's resorts 5% less snow than a typical winter, and 8% less snow in the strongest El Niño winters.
Western Canada usually runs drier in El Niño winters, most of all in the Canadian Rockies. Coastal BC, Whistler included, shows little consistent effect, and Eastern Canada is mixed.
Of 38 resorts, 22 show no clear effect and 16 get less.
+5% snow in El Niño winters, +5% in strong ones. Little effect.
+3% snow in El Niño winters, +2% in strong ones. Little effect.
+2% snow in El Niño winters, −8% in strong ones. Little effect.
Chasing El Niño snow? Head south: New Mexico & Arizona (+23% on average).
Snowfall in El Niño winters compared with each resort's 40-winter average (mid-mountain, Nov–Apr). The percentage is the average; the color says whether you can count on it.
| # | Resort | El Niñosnow vs. avg | La Niñasnow vs. avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mount WashingtonBC | +5% | +3% |
| 2 | WhistlerBC | +3% | +0% |
| 3 | Marble MountainNL | +2% | −4% |
| 4 | Powder KingBC | −0% | −1% |
| 5 | Shames MountainBC | −1% | +2% |
| 6 | Ski SmithersBC | −1% | +1% |
| 7 | Cypress MountainBC | −2% | +4% |
| 8 | Le MassifQC | −4% | +4% |
| 9 | Mont OrfordQC | −4% | +1% |
| 10 | Massif Du SudQC | −4% | +4% |
| 11 | Red MountainBC | −4% | +4% |
| 12 | Blue MountainON | −4% | +0% |
| 13 | Mont SuttonQC | −4% | +2% |
| 14 | Marmot BasinAB | −4% | −1% |
| 15 | Mount SeymourBC | −5% | +6% |
| 16 | Ski BromontQC | −5% | +1% |
| 17 | WhitewaterBC | −5% | +4% |
| 18 | Apex MountainBC | −5% | +4% |
| 19 | Big WhiteBC | −5% | +4% |
| 20 | Hemlock ResortBC | −6% | +5% |
| 21 | Mont-Sainte-AnneQC | −6% | +4% |
| 22 | Sun PeaksBC | −6% | +2% |
| 23 | Grouse MountainBC | −6% | +8% |
| 24 | Harper MountainBC | −6% | +2% |
| 25 | Troll Ski ResortBC | −7% | +1% |
| 26 | RevelstokeBC | −7% | +3% |
| 27 | StonehamQC | −7% | +4% |
| 28 | Kicking HorseBC | −7% | +2% |
| 29 | Mont TremblantQC | −8% | +2% |
| 30 | Lake LouiseAB | −8% | +3% |
| 31 | Sunshine VillageAB | −9% | +3% |
| 32 | PanoramaBC | −9% | +6% |
| 33 | Silver StarBC | −9% | +3% |
| 34 | Silver SummitAB | −10% | −0% |
| 35 | KimberleyBC | −10% | +8% |
| 36 | NakiskaAB | −10% | +3% |
| 37 | FernieBC | −11% | +7% |
| 38 | Castle MountainBC | −13% | +8% |
2026–27 is shaping up as a strong El Niño. Here's how each Canada resort did in the 4 strongest El Niño winters since 1986 (peak index +1.5°C or more), compared with its own average. A handful of winters, so read it as history, not a forecast.
| Resort | 1991–92 | 1997–98 | 2015–16 | 2023–24 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mount Washington | +10% | +12% | +15% | −16% |
| Whistler | +4% | −0% | +19% | −13% |
| Marble Mountain | +5% | −9% | −7% | −20% |
| Powder King | +19% | −24% | −10% | −30% |
| Shames Mountain | +28% | −15% | −23% | −9% |
| Ski Smithers | +27% | −18% | −24% | −10% |
| Cypress Mountain | +0% | −2% | +8% | −17% |
| Le Massif | −6% | +0% | +15% | −24% |
| Mont Orford | −9% | +15% | −18% | −1% |
| Massif Du Sud | −13% | +6% | −0% | −18% |
| Red Mountain | −18% | −8% | +24% | +0% |
| Blue Mountain | +13% | +1% | +16% | −21% |
| Mont Sutton | −11% | +17% | −18% | +1% |
| Marmot Basin | −8% | −30% | −11% | −13% |
| Mount Seymour | −5% | +1% | +7% | −24% |
| Ski Bromont | −5% | +24% | −17% | −5% |
| Whitewater | −13% | −11% | +12% | −3% |
| Apex Mountain | −20% | −18% | +17% | −0% |
| Big White | −20% | −13% | +19% | −3% |
| Hemlock Resort | −10% | −13% | +4% | −23% |
| Mont-Sainte-Anne | −9% | −6% | +17% | −26% |
| Sun Peaks | −8% | −23% | +12% | −2% |
| Grouse Mountain | −4% | +2% | +2% | −24% |
| Harper Mountain | −14% | −19% | +13% | +4% |
| Troll Ski Resort | +2% | −31% | −12% | −18% |
| Revelstoke | −13% | −18% | +3% | −10% |
| Stoneham | −11% | −10% | +16% | −21% |
| Kicking Horse | −14% | −26% | −13% | +0% |
| Mont Tremblant | −9% | −5% | +29% | −18% |
| Lake Louise | −18% | −32% | −19% | −6% |
| Sunshine Village | −22% | −28% | −16% | +3% |
| Panorama | −20% | −22% | −10% | +14% |
| Silver Star | −24% | −20% | +8% | −9% |
| Silver Summit | −19% | −47% | −19% | −34% |
| Kimberley | −24% | −20% | −3% | +4% |
| Nakiska | −33% | −19% | −21% | +16% |
| Fernie | −22% | −19% | −9% | −1% |
| Castle Mountain | −33% | −19% | −15% | +1% |
| Canada average | −9% | −12% | −0% | −10% |
Every North American resort is on the El Niño map and full ranking, with how we measured it: 40 winters of ERA5-Land weather at each resort's mid-mountain elevation, tagged by NOAA's Oceanic Niño Index and checked against 89 SNOTEL snow stations.