Whistler climate
Whistler weather and your roof: snow, cold and fire season
Snow is the main load on a Whistler roof. The Whistler station, at 657.8 m, averaged 418.7 cm of snowfall a year in the 1981–2010 Environment and Climate Change Canada normals, with snow on 63.5 days. Summers are drier, and the Resort Municipality of Whistler says Whistler is at high risk of wildfires.
Reviewed by Scott Plumptree, Director of Marketing, The Interlock Group · Updated October 24, 2026
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Annual snowfall, Whistler station (657.8 m)
418.7 cm, 1981–2010 normals
Wikipedia, citing ECCC
Snowiest months
December 114.0 cm, January 103.0 cm
Wikipedia, citing ECCC
Annual precipitation
1,227.7 mm (855.9 mm as rain)
Wikipedia, citing ECCC
Record temperatures
42.9 °C (June) and −29.2 °C (December)
Wikipedia, citing ECCC
Wildfire risk
"Whistler is at high risk of wildfires"
whistler.ca
Whistler snowfall, month by month
Most of the snow falls from November to March. The Whistler station averages 65.7 cm in November, 114.0 cm in December, 103.0 cm in January, 64.2 cm in February and 47.4 cm in March. Daily highs in December and January average 0.6 °C or below, so snow stays on roofs for weeks.
- Snowfall: 418.7 cm a year, 63.5 snowy days
- Rain: 855.9 mm a year, 142.2 rainy days
- Coldest month: December, mean −2.8 °C
What Whistler snow does to a metal roof
A metal roof sheds snow; it does not hold it like shake. That keeps load off the frame, but it means a slide can land on a hot tub, a deck or a car. We plan snow guards at the estimate for every Whistler roof.
Ice damming is a warranty exclusion. Whistler's freeze and thaw make attic ventilation and insulation worth a close look before the roof goes on.
Fire season in the Resort Municipality of Whistler
Summers are warm and fairly dry: July and August average 44.7 mm and 47.5 mm of precipitation, and the record high is 42.9 °C. The municipality offers free FireSmart assessments by a certified Wildfire Mitigation Specialist, and a free chipper service from May to October.
Our roofs are Class A Fire Rated Available, as a complete assembly, and aluminum does not ignite. No roof is fireproof: embers still reach gutters and vents, so keep needles out of them.
Whistler's fall rain before the snow
Before winter sets in, Whistler gets its heaviest rain. October averages 154.6 mm of precipitation and November 192.1 mm, and October snowfall averages only 7.6 cm, so most of that month's water lands as rain. A worn shake or asphalt roof that leaks in November then sits under snow until spring.
Interlock® aluminum takes in no water, and its fasteners sit hidden under the interlocking panels. We aim to finish Whistler tear-offs in the drier summer window so the roof is closed in before the fall storms.
Whistler cold snaps and wind
The station's record low is −29.2 °C, set in December, and about 24 days a year fall below −10 °C. Houses on open lots and ridges catch the most wind, and the roof is warranted to 193 km/h (120 mph) installed to manufacturer specification.
Whistler questions, answered
Where should snow guards go on a Whistler chalet?
Over anything a sliding sheet of snow could hit: entries, stairs, decks, hot tubs, driveways and parked cars. With December averaging 114.0 cm of snowfall at the Whistler station, we mark the guard rows on the plan at the estimate, not after the first slide.
Is a lighter roof better under Whistler snow?
It leaves more of the frame's capacity for snow. A square metre of Interlock® aluminum comes in at about 2 to 3.5 kg, a small share of what cedar shake or concrete tile puts on the rafters. Any change to rafters or roof shape still has to meet Whistler's snow load rules.
Does the free FireSmart assessment look at the roof?
The municipality says a certified Wildfire Mitigation Specialist evaluates the property and gives a report and recommendations, including home hardening. It is worth booking before a re-roof, so the new roof and the clean-up of gutters and vents follow the same advice.
Sources for this Whistler guide
- Wikipedia — Whistler, British Columbia (Whistler station climate normals, 1981–2010, ECCC)
- Resort Municipality of Whistler — Community wildfire protection and prevention
- Resort Municipality of Whistler — FireSmart
- Resort Municipality of Whistler — Construction regulations (Wildfire Exemption Permits)
Product specifications are the manufacturer's (Interlock Roofing). Install counts are from our own job book. Reviewed by Scott Plumptree, October 24, 2026.
More Whistler roofing pages
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