Real Ski Report: Slim pickings at Fernie but the snow is flying in Revelstoke

Each week, CBC Calgary's Paul Karchut speaks with dozens of dedicated skiers and boarders across eastern B.C. and southern Alberta to get the real scoop on conditions at resorts, on cross-country trails and in the backcountry.

A series of systems brewingoff the Pacific coast are going todeliver an El Nino left hook to several western Canadianski hills.

Forecasters say Whistler Blackcomb could see100 to 300 cmof snowfall over the next week.Those systems are already hitting Revelstoke, with 17 cm of fresh powder rolling in on Thursday night. The resort, which is now open daily,could see another 15 cm by Sunday and the forecast is calling for snow every day next week.

A similar story atKicking Horse, with 16 cm overnight and another 15 cm expected on Saturday night.

The snow gods granted Fernie4 cm of fresh snow Thursday night to give skiers a bit more coverage for opening day on Friday.

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"It's not going to be spectacular. We didn't get the big dumps that Kicking Horse and Revelstoke got so it's pretty bare," said RossJanzen, one of our Fernie reporters.

"Just going to be some groomed runs and it's just going to be the two chair lifts on Lizard Bowl. So it's going to be the Elk and the Bear Chair."

Lake LouiseandSunshine

After a week of sunny and dry conditions, winter has returnedto the two bigmountains.Thursday night brought 5cm toLake Louise and 10 cm to Sunshine Village. Both mountains could see alight dusting Friday night and a mix of sun and clouds over the weekend. Thetemperature is expected to hoveraround -2C atLake Louise on Saturday and Sunday, and themercurycouldclimbas high as3 C on Sunday at Sunshine Village.

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With the exception of Goat's Eye, all lifts are spinning at both resorts.The forecast is calling for more in the Bow Valleyearly next week, accumulating 10-15 cm by Thursday morning.

Also, expect some crowds this weekend at Lake Louise for the Women's World Cup.

• Nakiska: Regular, sevenday a week operations beginsDec. 4.
• Norquay:Open daily.
• Kicking Horse: Bonus weekend Dec5-6. Regular season startsDec. 11.
• Fernie: Dec. 4. is opening day.
• Panorama: Bonus weekendDec. 5-6. Regular season starts Dec. 11.
• Kimberly:Bonus weekend Dec. 5-6. Regular season startson Dec. 12.
• Castle Mountain: Dec. 11 is opening day.

Cross-country skiing

The snow is still good, but you may bescraping the needles off your waxed skis this weekend.

"The winds have come up a bit and we're dealing with a little bit of tree debris on the trails," saidBobTruman, the man behindskierbob.ca.

Trumansays the trails atLake Louise, such as Pipestone and Great Divide, areclear and ingreat condition. Track setting is ongoing in Kananaskis and snowmaking is in full swing attheCanmore Nordic Centre.

Backcountry skiing

A lot of people have been getting into some pretty big terrain for this time of year andstability has been pretty exceptional in many areas.

However, high winds and fresh snow can be a bad combination for backcountry conditions. Especially when you havehoar crystals some of the size of potato chips and sun crusts that have formed on the snow surfacesince that last storm.

Thebackcountryavalanche danger will be on the rise at all elevations and zones. Use caution if you choose to leave the ski area boundary andkeep checking the updates ontheAvalanche Canadawebsite.

Have photos of yourself shredding it? Tweet them to @CBCoutside or send an email to calgaryphotos@cbc.ca

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