going for a winter trip in canada, need help!?

Question

So i live in california and would like to see real winter beauty via whistler and vancouver area. When would be the best time during winter, when it is not crazy cold (I visited toronto before during the 2nd week of december'05 and it was around -35F and at one time even hit -40F), to go and visit whistler? originally planned to go around january. Thanks!

Answer 1

yes the good news is that it does not get all that cold, if you are really scared head up in November or March; those are the best two months generally; then head up to the mountain, usually it will be around freezing that time of year;

Things to bring:

Ski's or snowboards
Gloves
Touque (beenie)
A sense of adventure

becuase whistler has the nicest snow in all of North America; well ok, maby not the best snow but the biggest resort anyways

-Kango Traveler
http://www.kango.com

Answer 2

don't count on a "real winter" in Vancouver. We rarely get snow here (unless we have an odd-ball winter like last year) and the temperature rarely gets below freezing. It's just very wet. We're actually more likely to get snow in January than in December. Vancouver and Seattle get roughly the same weather patterns.

However, it is a short drive/tram ride to the ski hills. You can get in some winter-ish scenery and activities and then go down the hill and back to the (relatively) warm city below.

Whistler isn't all that cold, but being that it's in the mountains, they get more snow. Whistler is very beautiful, but very expensive, so prepare yourself.

One warning - if you do happen to be in Vancouver and we happen to get a snowfall - be warned. As we get snow so infrequently, all it takes is one or two snowflakes and traffic becomes a nightmare. People panic and suddenly realize that their bald summer tires don't work, and that driving 20 k over the speed limit just doesn't work well. It's quite humourous if you come from the prairie provinces, but it can be dangerous and frustrating for those who genuinely aren't experienced in snow conditions.

Answer 3

Whistler isn't all that cold-it gets the Pacific breezes.