Lower Mainland Ski Hills

What are the snow conditions like on the Vancouver ski hills of Grouse Mountain, Cypress, Mt. Seymour, Sasquatch Mountain and Whistler-Blackcomb?

And how do the five ski hills compare overall? Which ski resort is the most expensive? Which mountain gets the most snow? Which Vancouver ski hill has the most runs, lifts and terrain? And which resorts are locally-owned? Continue reading and you’ll find out.

This article contains information about the following topics:

(Note: Exact details may vary. Information given is accurate to the best of our ability and understanding as of the latest updates.)

Comparing Lower Mainland Ski Hills and Ski Conditions

The Lower Mainland is home to five major ski hills. Within Metro Vancouver there is Grouse Mountain, Cypress and Mt. Seymour. All three are on Vancouver’s North Shore. Less than a 2-hour drive up the Sea to Sky Highway is Whistler-Blackcomb. A couple of hours in the other direction, in the Fraser Valley, there is Sasquatch Mountain.

All five ski hills are great for different reasons. A couple of the resorts are larger, others are more affordable, some have more challenging terrain, most but not all offer night skiing, and some are better for beginners and young families.

Most Lower Mainland ski resorts offer extra activities ranging from tubing to sledding, snowshoeing, skating and even movies. Also, depending on where you live, some are closer and more accessible than others. Between the five, there is something for everyone.

Grouse Mountain Above Vancouver — Grouse Mountain

2023 Ski Conditions

The first day of the 2022/23 season for Cypress was November 12th in 2022. Grouse Mountain opened on November 18th and Whistler-Blackcomb opened on November 24th. Seymour‘s ski season began on December 2nd and Sasquatch Mountain resort’s season started on December 14th.

Conditions as of March 20th in 2023 are listed below.

North Shore Mountains

Grouse Mountain – there was 8 cm of new snowfall over the previous 7 days and 0 cm over the previous 48 hours. 650 cm of snow had fallen to date over the course of the season. The temperature was around 2 degrees in the morning and there was unlimited visibility.
Mt. Seymour – there was 11 cm of new snowfall in the last week and 0 cm over the past 24 hours. 270 cm remained at the base and 417 cm was still at the summit. The resort reported overcast weather with a temperature of 1 degree.
Cypress Mountain – there was 0 cm of snow reported in the last 24 hours and 13 cm reported in the last week. There has been a total of 698 cm for the season. 367 cm remained at the base mid-mountain level.

Other Lower Mainland Ski Hills

Sasquatch Mountain – as of the morning of March 20th, the resort reported 0 cm of new snowfall in the previous 24 hours and 310 cm remaining at the base. The temperature was around 18.5 degrees at the base and 1.7 degrees at the top of the Sasquatch Chair.
Whistler-Blackcomb – there was 0 cm of new snowfall in the previous 2 days. 228 cm remained at the base and 725 cm of snow had fallen so far for the season.

Weather Reports

The following weather box contains the current and immediate upcoming weather forecasts for each of the mountains listed above. Click the downward arrow to switch between the different mountains.

How Vancouver’s Ski Hills Compare

Below is a snapshot of how the five Lower Mainland ski hills compare in a number of categories.

Ticket Prices in 2022/23

If you bought a one-day adult ski ticket online in mid-December, 2022, below is what you would have paid (before discounts like advanced purchases or special memberships).

As you’ll see, Mount Seymour is usually the most affordable with Sasquatch and Grouse close behind. However, most prices are based on demand so these relations may change depending on the day. This is in comparison to the previous year where Sasquatch was by far the most affordable, especially on weekdays early in the week. As would be expected, Whistler is by far the most expensive of them all.

Sasquatch Mountain – $69 to $89
Mt. Seymour – $39 to $84
Grouse Mountain – $79 to $89
Cypress Mountain – $87 to $107
Whistler-Blackcomb – $186 to $211

Skier Getting Air

Numbers of Ski runs and Lifts

Below is a snapshot of the number of runs and lifts at each of the ski hills serving Metro Vancouver.

Whistler-Blackcomb – 200 runs and 2 dozen chairs and gondolas with over 1600 metres of vertical drop and close to 8200 acres of terrain.
Cypress Mountain – 53 runs and 6 chairs with 600 acres of terrain and 610 metres in vertical drop.
Grouse Mountain – 33 runs and 4 chairs with a vertical drop of 365 metres and 212 acres of terrain.
Mt. Seymour – 40 runs and 3 chairs with 330 metres of vertical drop and 200 acres of terrain.
Sasquatch Mountain – 36 runs and 3 chairs with 335 metres in vertical drop and around 200 acres of terrain (which we think might be less than it was a few years ago).

Who Owns the Mountains?

As of a year or so ago, three out of the Lower Mainland’s five ski hills are locally-owned and managed. The two largest ones, however, are both owned by multinational corporations.

Located in a provincial park, Mount Seymour has been owned and operated by the Wood family since the mid-1980s. Sasquatch Mountain is another locally-owned ski resort. It’s run by Berezan Hospitality which is a family-owned business based in Langley.

Grouse Mountain used to be a family-owned business until a few years ago. It was purchased by GM Resorts Limited which is a partnership between a group of Canadian investors and a Chinese investment company. In 2020, however, Vancouver-based Northland Properties Corporation bought the resort, so it is once again locally owned. Controlled by the Gaglardi family, the company also owns the Sandman Hotel Group, Sutton Place Hotels, Moxie’s restaurants, Revelstoke Mountain Resort, and the Dallas Stars NHL team.

Cypress Mountain is located in a provincial park but the resort itself is owned by Boyne Resorts which is a major American ski resort company based in Michigan.

Vail Resorts is an American company based in Colorado. It owns Whistler Blackcomb.

(Note: The above information is subject to change and may be different at the current time.)

Cypress Mountain Ski Hill — Cypress Mountain

Past and Typical Ski Conditions

Ski conditions on the different mountains tend to be fairly similar. Whistler and Sasquatch tend to get slightly drier and better quality snow. Mt. Seymour and Sasquatch Mountain, meanwhile, don’t rely on artificial snow-making equipment like the others do, which can be good or bad depending on the season. In years with especially cold weather and lots of precipitation, it usually means they have nicer (i.e., more natural) snow.

Of the three North Shore mountains, in some years Cypress gets the most snow and in other years it’s Mt. Seymour. Almost every year though Grouse Mountain is the first of the three to open. It’s also usually the last to close.

Of the five ski hills, Whistler-Blackcomb has the longest season, with Blackcomb staying open most years well into May. Late-in-the-season snow conditions are rarely ideal, but the warm temperatures and spring sunshine make up for it!

Whistler-Blackcomb usually gets an extra metre or more of snow each year than Cypress, Grouse or Seymour. In 2017/18, however, Sasquatch got the most for the season at just over 13 metres total!