Kootenay Weather

Updated March 17th, 2026 @ 8:00 AM

Ullr’s Synopsis

WARNING! With the rise in temperatures forecast, the avalanche hazard in the back country will be very high!

Tuesday sees mostly cloudy skies with some possible sunny breaks. Freezing level will rise to above local mountaintops. Possible rain showers overnight.

Wednesday sees mostly cloudy skies with some possible sunny breaks. Freezing level will stay above local mountaintops.

Thursday sees overcast skies with an increasing chance of rain later in the day.

Temperatures will trend much warmer through the week.

Environment Canada Forecast

Today .. Cloudy with 60 percent chance of rain showers or wet flurries this morning and early this afternoon. Rain beginning this afternoon. Gusty winds.

Tonight .. Rain. Amount 15 mm over eastern sections. Gusty winds.

Wednesday .. Periods of rain ending late in the morning then mainly cloudy with 60 percent chance of showers. Gusty winds.

European Spring Forecast

A collapsing La Niña and a disrupted polar vortex are set to trigger a volatile, snow-heavy start to Spring 2026 across the northern United States and Canada.

As the cool La Niña pattern rapidly weakens, the tropical Pacific is warming at a pace that suggests a major shift toward El Niño by summer. This transition is expected to create an atmospheric tug-of-war starting this March. Seasonal models from the ECMWF and UK Met Office indicate that a persistent low-pressure zone over Canada will act as a gateway for chilly air, keeping the northern tier of the U.S. from the Pacific Northwest to the Northeast within striking distance of winter-like conditions.

The volatility is further intensified by a massive stratospheric warming event nearly 18 miles above Earth, which has sent temperatures soaring 70°F above normal in the upper atmosphere. This phenomenon often disrupts the polar vortex, significantly increasing the odds of late-season cold outbreaks. While the southern and western regions are likely to enjoy a warmer-than-average spring, residents in the Upper Midwest and Southern Canada should prepare for above-normal snowfall and lingering frost through April as the global climate system pivots.

Storm Tracker

For higher resolution forcast, see Windy.com – Precipitation/Wind/Pressure Overlay 10 day Forecast

Red Mountain Resort

Elevations – 2064 to 1164 meters

Alpine Total

167.8 cm

Alpine Temp.

-0.4 C.

24 Hour New

0 Cm

SpotWX – Red Mountain Resort Base – 3 Day

Whitewater Mountain Resort

Elevations – 2063 to 1390 meters

Alpine Total

266 cm

Alpine Temp.

-1.6 C.

24 Hour New

11 cm

SpotWX – Whitewater Base Area – 3 Day – NEW!

Avalanche Forecasts

Avalanche Canada’s – Mountain Weather Forecast

North West Avalanche Center’s – Mountain Weather Forecast

Association of Canadian Mountain Guides – Mountain Conditions Reports

Environment Canada – BC Traveller’s Forecast

Graphical Forecasts

Windy.com – Precipitation/Wind/Pressure Overlay 10 day Forecast

Zoom Earth – Precipitation – 2.5 Day – NEW!

Zoom Earth – Current Radar – 1.5 Hour – NEW!

Current Conditions

Commercial Forecasts

High Elevation Text Forecast – Environment Canada

Valley Text Forecast – Environment Canada

14 Day Trend – Weather Network

Drive BC Highway Information

Drive BC Highway Web Cams

Advanced Forecasts

U of WA – Precipitation Forecast, 180 hour – Eastern Pacific Ocean

U of WA – Precipitation Forecast, 100 hour – Pacific North-West

U of WA – Surface Temperature and Surface Wind, 72 hour – Pacific North-West

U of WA – Temp/Wind @ 5000′, 72 Hour – Pacific North-West

U of WA – Temp/Wind @ 4000′, 72 Hour – Pacific North-West

Weather Manual / Glossary / Discussions

This page serves to aggregate many sources of relevant weather data and information found on line and is in constant development. We hope that the information here serves the outdoor sports community in helping make better decisions about their outdoor activities.

Although this page is geo-specific to Red and Granite Mountains near Rossland, BC, many of the tools apply to much of the Pacific North West.

For more information about weather in general, see weather and meteorology. And, for discussions about the bigger issue for our planet, see climate.

For a guide to weather map symbols, see here.

Pro Tip – Click on images to see larger view … Then, open image in new tab or window for even larger view. Refresh browser for latest image.

Please be aware that weather forecasts are very fluid and dynamic, they are in constant change. To this I present the “Five Day Rule of Weather Prediction” from Cliff Mass from his weather blog at https://cliffmass.blogspot.com .

“Predictions of severe or exciting weather for more than five days out should be considered with caution. Be VERY careful of hyping forecasts for longer periods. Be aware of the uncertainty of big events predicted at longer lead times.”

MJO – Maden-Jullian Oscillation (Wikipedia)

El Niño (Wikipedia)

La Niña (Wikipedia)

Cliff Mass Weather Blog

Acknowledgements

Paulson Summit to Kootenay Pass – High Elevation Text Forecast courtesy of Environment Canada.

Precipitation Forecast Video courtesy of The Weather Network

Weather imagery and data courtesy of AccuWeather, UNISYS, University of Washington – Atmospheric Sciences, The Weather Network, Canadian Avalanche Association and Intellicast.com

Special thanks to the Canadian Avalanche Association for their Kootenay Boundary Weather Forecast

Special thanks to Red Mountain Resort for their Web Cam feeds.

Special thanks to Whitewater Ski Resort for their Web Cam feeds.

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