January 30, 2004

Largest Snowfall this Year in Whistler

Whistler, BC – 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. That's 7' 7”, which is taller than recently named NBA All-Star starting center Yao Ming.

The forecast for the next 24 hours is calling for scattered flurries, with a mix of sun and cloud expected for the weekend. The new snow should last for a few days, as ski patrol is busy doing avalanche control work. The sheer amount of snow will delay alpine lifts openings, creating exceptional conditions in the alpine this 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 671 cm 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.

For more information on mountain events and snow conditions please call 1-800-766-0449 or visit us online at www.whistlerblackcomb.com . The snowphone report is updated 4 times daily (at 6:00am, 7:30am, 11:00am and 3:00pm) and can be reached at 604.932.4211 (locally), 604.687.7507 (Vancouver), and 1.800.766.0449 (toll-free).

Site of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games

Whistler Blackcomb is owned and operated by Intrawest Corporation. Intrawest Corporation (IDR:NYSE; ITW:TSX) is the leading developer and operator of village-centered resorts across North America. The company owns nine mountain resorts, including Whistler Blackcomb, North America's most popular mountain resort. Intrawest also owns Sandestin Golf and Beach Resort in Florida and has a premier vacation ownership business, Club Intrawest. The company has a 45 per cent interest in Alpine Helicopters Ltd., owner of Canadian Mountain Holidays, the largest heli-skiing operation in the world. Intrawest is headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia and is located on the World Wide Web at www.intrawest.com.