Whistler Press Rleases

LARGEST SNOWFALL THIS YEAR IN WHISTLER

Whistler, B.C. - January 30, 2004 - Residents and guests in Whistler woke up to an unexpected surprise this morning. Whistler Blackcomb received 45cm of new snow, the largest recorded overnight snowfall this season. Yesterday afternoon, the Environment Canada forecast called for 10-15cm, but the storm intensified, producing an unexpected bonus and boosting Whistler Blackcomb's base to 230cm or 91 inches.

The forecast for the next 24 hours is calling for scattered flurries, with a mix of sun and cloud expected for the weekend.

Whistler Mountain manager Paul Skelton is busy opening up terrain but he took time out to say, "There is a lot of snow on the mountains. The temperature is dropping, which will dry things out and should make for excellent powder skiing over the coming days."

The year-to-date snowfall total at Whistler Blackcomb is now 671cm or 264 inches. That makes this the eighth best season to date. In all other winters with this much snow at the end of January, Whistler Blackcomb has smashed past its yearly average of 360 inches. Suffice to say conditions are excellent.

Whistler is a year-round leisure and meeting destination located 120 kilometres (75 miles) north of Vancouver, B.C., Canada and site for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. Whistler Blackcomb Mountains have the most terrain (7,071 acres) and greatest vertical (5,280 feet or one mile) in North America with an average annual snowfall of nine metres (30 feet). Whistler has a range of accommodations with 5,400 rooms, and a wide selection of restaurants, bars, spas, boutiques and galleries. Winter activities range from cross-country skiing and snowmobiling, to snowshoeing and heli-skiing. The Resort Municipality of Whistler is home to a diverse community of more than 10,000 permanent residents.

For more information, please contact Kristin Dattani, media relations, at 604-696-0176 or by email at kris@vividconsulting.net.