'It could be the strongest': El Niño cycle continues to hit B.C. snow resorts

The warm and wet conditions in British Columbia continue to wreak havoc for skiers and snowboarders.

The warm and wet conditions in British Columbia continue to wreak havoc for skiers and snowboarders.

Whether on the North Shore mountains, Whistler, or in the Okanagan, much of the southern portion of the province has been hit with mild weather.

Apex Mountain Resort in Penticton is just one example. The resort reports that this season has been slow compared to last year, when the region was covered in snow in December.

"The snow has come in a couple of centimetres here, a couple of centimetres there, and nothing for about three weeks," said Jame Shalman, the resort's General Manager.

Shalman said the mountain currently has a 50-centimetre base, a drop from the typical 150-centimetre base for this time of the year. Despite this, the mountain's lifts are all open, but several black diamond slopes still need significant snow and remain closed.

"Numbers are down, and we had discounted lift tickets for a chunk of December and the Christmas holidays," said Shalman. "Financially, it hasn't been the best, and the forecast doesn't look that good coming up either."

He estimates that business is down 50 per cent from last year and believes the losses during the holiday rush can't be recovered during the remainder of the season, regardless of the weather.