Fernie snow history

10 years of snow depth, snowfall and conditions at British Columbia, Canada · 3,478ft to 7,005ft

Over the last 10 seasons Fernie, Canada has averaged 128in of snowfall, a peak snow depth of 52in, 1 powder day and 13 bluebird days a year, with skiable cover from around November 17 to May 18.

Snow history & climate

10-year averages for Fernie

128 in
Snowfall / season
Nov-May total
52 in
Peak depth
typical season high
1
Powder days
6in+ in a day
13
Bluebird days
sun after snow
21
Rain days
0.04in+ of rain
179
Skiable days
12in+ cover

Month by month

Monthly averages

Average snowfall, snow depth, rain, sunshine and day counts by month at Fernie, over the last 10 seasons.
MonthSnowfallAvg depthRainSun/dayTempPowderBluebirdRain days
Jan17 in37 in0in4.6 h22° / 10°0.11.70.2
Feb20 in43 in0.1in6.3 h21° / 7°0.32.30.2
Mar21 in46 in0.3in8.2 h33° / 17°0.02.61.3
Apr16 in41 in0.6in10.0 h40° / 23°0.01.84.6
May6 in15 in1.9in11.7 h52° / 32°0.00.410.0
Jun3 in0 in3.8in12.5 h60° / 39°0.10.316.3
Jul0 in0 in1.6in14.3 h71° / 48°0.00.07.7
Aug0 in0 in1.9in12.4 h70° / 47°0.00.08.7
Sep1 in0 in1.9in10.2 h59° / 39°0.00.19.7
Oct12 in2 in1.6in7.5 h42° / 26°0.11.37.2
Nov21 in10 in0.8in4.5 h29° / 18°0.11.33.4
Dec27 in25 in0.3in3.7 h21° / 11°0.72.41.0

Averages across the last 10 seasons. Powder, bluebird and rain columns are the average number of such days per month.

Season by season

SeasonSnowfallPeak depthPowder daysBluebird daysSkiable days
2025/26128 in69 in212171
2024/25leanest105 in45 in04172
2023/24125 in48 in25187
2022/23106 in46 in18184
2021/22154 in54 in216198
2020/21116 in48 in113194
2019/20131 in55 in211171
2018/19109 in45 in117160
2017/18best154 in59 in019182
2016/17149 in55 in120170
How these numbers are calculated
  • Powder day — at least 6in of new snow in 24 hours.
  • Bluebird day — sunshine for at least 60% of daylight, following at least 4in of snow over the previous 3 days.
  • Rain day — at least 0.04in of rain (not snow) at this elevation.
  • Skiable day — at least 12in of settled snow on the ground.
  • Snow depth is modelled from Open-Meteo / ERA5 reanalysis at 5,243ft, not measured at the resort. Use it to compare seasons and resorts; use the resort's own report for today's conditions.

How Fernie compares

Measured against 40 other resorts across 18 countries, each analysed exactly the same way. The line down the middle of each bar is the median.

Snowfall per season
about average
128 in
Ahead of 57% of resortsMedian 111 in

Total new snow between November and May.

Peak snow depth
well above average
52 in
Ahead of 85% of resortsMedian 33 in

How deep the settled base gets at its yearly high.

Powder days
below average
1
Ahead of 35% of resortsMedian 2

Days with 6in or more of new snow.

Bluebird days
above average
13
Ahead of 63% of resortsMedian 10

Sun and fresh snow on the same day.

Rain days
below average
21
Drier than 72% of resortsMedian 32

Days with 0.04in or more of rain, not snow.

Skiable days
well above average
179
Ahead of 85% of resortsMedian 115

Days holding 12in or more of settled snow.

The season at Fernie

Typical stretch holding 12in or more of settled snow, averaged over the record.

SepOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAug
Cover arrives
November 17
Season ends
May 18
Days of cover
184 days

When to go

These rarely land in the same month, so it is worth deciding which one matters most before you book.

Deepest base
March
46in average depth
Most new snow
December
27in and 0.7 powder days
Best bluebird odds
March
2.6 bluebird days, 8.2h sun a day
Wettest month
May
10.0 rain days

Is Fernie a good place to ski or board?

a deep, reliable basevery little raina long season

On 10 years of record, Fernie stands out for a deep, reliable base, very little rain and a long season.

Figures are modelled at 5,243ft from reanalysis data and describe an average year, not a forecast.

Fernie snow record in detail

How much snow does Fernie get?

Fernie averages 128in of snowfall over a full season, measured from November to May across the last 10 winters. That is about average: more snow than 57% of 40 resorts we have analysed the same way, where the median season brings 111in.

Season to season the spread is wide. The best of the last 10 winters was 2017/18 with 154in, and the leanest was 2024/25 with 105in — a difference of 49in between a good year and a poor one. The most recent complete season, 2025/26, delivered 128in.

December is reliably the snowiest month, averaging 27in and 14 days with fresh snow.

How deep does the snow get at Fernie?

Snowfall totals flatter resorts that lose their snow quickly, so the more useful number is how deep the settled base actually gets. At Fernie the snowpack peaks at an average of 52in each season. That is well above average, deeper than 85% of 40 resorts we have analysed the same way, against a median peak of 33in.

The base is deepest in March, averaging 46in through the month and topping out around 51in in a typical year.

How many powder days does Fernie get?

Counting any day that delivers at least 6in of new snow, Fernie averages 1 powder day a season. That is below average, more powder days than 35% of 40 resorts we have analysed the same way, where the median is 2 a season.

December has the most, 0.7 on average.

How often does Fernie get bluebird days?

Fernie averages 13 bluebird days a season — days of sunshine for at least 60% of daylight after 4in or more of fresh snow. That is above average, more than 63% of 40 resorts we have analysed the same way, against a median of 10.

March is the best month for it, averaging 2.6 bluebird days and 8.2 hours of sunshine a day.

Does it rain at Fernie?

At mid-mountain Fernie sees an average of 21 days a season with 0.04in or more of rain rather than snow. That is below average: 28% of the 40 other resorts we have analysed the same way see fewer wet days, against a median of 32.

May is the wettest month of the season, with 10.0 rain days and 1.9in on average.

When is the best time to ski or board Fernie, and when does the season end?

Fernie typically holds at least 12in of settled snow from around November 17 through to May 18, which works out at roughly 184 days of skiable cover in an average year. 179 of those fall inside the November to May season. On season length that is well above average compared with the 40 other resorts we have analysed the same way.

For the deepest base, go in March; for the most new snow, December; for fresh snow with sunshine, March.

Comparisons use 40 resorts across 18 countries, each measured over 5 recent seasons at mid-mountain height. Glaciated locations, where the model never melts the snow out, are excluded. Figures for Fernie are taken at 5,243ft. Corpus last rebuilt September 2, 2026.

Fernie month by month

What to expect in each month of the season, from the same ten-year record. Figures are averages for mid-mountain; a good or poor winter can move them a long way.

Fernie in November

Early and thin

November is the start of the season at Fernie: the base averages 10in, which is skiable in a good year but patchy in a poor one. It is the second-snowiest month of the season, with 21in of new snow on average, 12 snow days and 0.1 powder days. Average highs are 29°F and lows 18°F, with 4.5 hours of sunshine a day and 1.3 bluebird days. Expect the odd wet day — 3.4 on average at mid-mountain.

Fernie in December

Base building

December is when the base starts to build, averaging 24in and deepening towards its March peak. It is the snowiest month of the season, with 27in of new snow on average, 14 snow days and 0.7 powder days. Average highs are 21°F and lows 11°F, with 3.7 hours of sunshine a day and 2.4 bluebird days. Rain is rare: under two days in a typical December.

Fernie in January

Base building

Through January the base keeps building, to an average of 37in. It brings 17in of new snow in an average year, with 10 snow days and 0.1 powder days. Average highs are 22°F and lows 10°F, with 4.6 hours of sunshine a day and 1.7 bluebird days.

Fernie in February

Best all round

By February the base is close to its March peak, averaging 43in. It brings 20in of new snow in an average year, with 10 snow days and 0.3 powder days. Average highs are 21°F and lows 7°F, with 6.3 hours of sunshine a day and 2.3 bluebird days. Taking cover, fresh snow, sunshine and rain together, it is the best all-round month at Fernie.

Fernie in March

Deepest base

March is when the base at Fernie is at its deepest, averaging 46in through the month and peaking around 51in in a typical year. It is the third-snowiest month of the season, with 20in of new snow on average, 13 snow days and almost no powder days. Average highs are 33°F and lows 17°F, with 8.2 hours of sunshine a day and 2.6 bluebird days, the most of any month.

Fernie in April

Still deep

April still has a deep base, averaging 41in — only a little down on the March peak. It brings 16in of new snow in an average year, with 11 snow days and almost no powder days. Average highs are 40°F and lows 23°F, with 10 hours of sunshine a day and 1.8 bluebird days. Rain is a real risk: 4.6 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average April.

Fernie in May

Late season

In May the base averages 15in, past its March peak of 46in and thinning. It brings 6in of new snow in an average year, with 4 snow days and almost no powder days. Average highs are 52°F and lows 32°F, with 11.7 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is a real risk: 10 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average May.

More on Fernie

Ski resorts near Fernie

Distances are straight-line, not by road.