As 85% of the skiable terrain are provided with artificial snowmaking, good snow cover is ensured here, which definitely helps to lengthen the skiing season at Mt. Norquay, lasting from mid-November to the beginning of April. As most of the ski resort's terrain is covered with artificial snow, Mt. Norquay is a skier's paradise no matter how good or bad the weather – the only exception here is the area served by the North American Express, whose black diamonds are still dependent on Mother Nature.
During our visit to Mt. Norquay at the beginning of December, this terrain was only partially opened, which is a bummer for seasoned skiers and snowboarders who love to speed down black or double diamond runs, as they have to fall back on other slopes and thus are not to experience expert skiing at 100%.
From mid-December onwards, however, the majority of runs was groomed and open to ski thanks to snowmaking facilities. What's more is that Mt. Norquay's terrain park is usually also ready to open by then, with numerous features and obstacles to explore. All in all, Mt. Norquay's altitude is quite good when compared to other Canadian ski resorts, as it is located between 1,630m (base area) and 2,133m (top station of North American Express). But still, the resort is not one of your go-to's for powder skiing and it is not considered a winter wonderland either.