West Coast Trail Weather
Predicting weather on the West Coast Trail is not as easy as it sounds.
The West Coast Trail spans a whopping 75 kilometres (47 miles) of complex coastal terrain with many unique microclimates.
General wide-area forecasts, like the Weather Network don't tell the whole story. It could be raining in the north, yet sunny in the south!
West Coast Trail uses precision weather forecast predictions at exact GPS locations all along the West Coast Trail, including every campsite and other significant locations.
Daily Weather Forecasts
West Coast Trail includes a Daily weather forecast that breaks down weather into the three stages of a day that hikers care about.
- Morning - from sunrise to noon.
- Afternoon - from noon to sunset.
- Overnight - from sunset to sunrise.
West Coast Trail uses weather prediction models known to be the most accurate for the region, including those from NOAA and ECMWF.
Hourly Weather Forecasts
The hourly weather forecast allows hikers to zoom into precise hour-by-hour predictions to understand the nuanced rainfall and weather predictions.
West Coast Trail automatically switches the forecast model based on the appropriate timespan until the weather event, saving hikers from doing complex forecast comparisons.
Locations & Offline
West Coast Trail downloads updated forecasts every hour when online from all locations along the trail. Once downloaded, the forecasts are cached on your device and available when you are offline and have no coverage.
Marine Weather
Informed hikers know that tide limits can be negativley affected by marine weather. Offshore swell and wind driven waves can dramatically impact the safety of traversing beach sections that are tide-dependant. The tide limits provided by Parks Canada assume calm seas and no wind.
West Coast Trail puts the South Vancouver Island offshore marine weather forecast at your finger tips, so you can plan your day with confidence.
Planning a trip on the West Coast Trail this year?
Download West Coast Trail, which includes a full interactive map, precision weather, and much more.
Download West Coast Trail, which includes a full interactive map, precision weather, and much more.