Climate & Geography

Climatic Zones

The South Kootenay area has relatively low humidity with hot dry summers and mild winters. In unsettled weather micro climates create weather patterns that can be unique to a small area. It can rain in one valley and there will not be a cloud in the sky in the next valley 5 kilometres distant.

The South Kootenay boasts two unique climatic zones that are less than 10 km apart. The city of Rossland lies at an elevation of 1023 meters and is known as both "Canada's Alpine City" and "Canada's Mountain Bike Capital". The city of Trail is only 8.7 kilometers West of Rossland, but lies some 610 meters lower in elevation.

Geographic Influences

As moisture laden Pacific Ocean air from the West flows inland, it first passes over the Monashee Mountain range depositing moisture on its way East. Due to its elevation the city of Rossland gets more than twice the annual snowfall that the city of Trail receives.

The city of Rossland receives 421 cm of annual snowfall, and slightly higher up the mountain at the Red Mountain Ski Resort there are 760 cm (25 feet) of annual snowfall. Rosslands alpine snow accumulations and reputation for "steep and deep" powder snow make it an incredible tourist destination for world class skiing in winter and mountain biking in the summer.