Weather / Climate
Glacier National Park is situated in the Columbia Mountain Range, and is part of the Interior Wetbelt region of British Columbia. It is characterized by heavy annual precipitation, abundant snowfall and relatively moderate winter temperatures.
The weather of the Glacier National Park region develops as a result of warm moisture-laden air from the Pacific being deflected upwards by the Columbia Mountains. Decreasing pressures, expansion and cooling of the air masses result in high precipitation over the Columbia Mountains.
Most moisture falls as snow in Glacier National Park. The usual snow season is from mid-October to mid-June, but snow can fall at any time of year at higher elevations. The mean annual precipitation is 1278mm (50in) at Revelstoke, 1995mm (79in) in the subalpine zone.
In Glacier National Park, the summers (July - September) and winters (December – February) are the most suitable for recreation (hiking, walking, picnicking, camping, cross-country skiing, ski touring, and snowshoeing).
The transition months of April to May and October November are less suitable for recreation due to factors such as excessive or insufficient snow, although April can sometimes provide excellent weather and snow conditions for ski touring. Only a few of the lowest-elevation trails in the park will be snow-free in most Junes.
Heavy winter snowfalls (up to 17 meters at Rogers Pass, resulting in a two-meter-deep snowpack) result in extreme avalanche activity at times, which presents a significant public safety hazard. Daily highs and lows tend to be 5 to 10 degrees Celsius lower in Glacier National Park than in Mount Revelstoke National Park. Glacier also receives substantially more rain in summer and snow in winter than does Mount Revelstoke.
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