Welcome to XC Ottawa Ski Trail Reports!

This site exists to answer one simple question:   "What is the skiing like today?"

There are now lots of source for information on the state of the local ski trails, but nothing beats a first hand report from a fellow skier!

About (TL;DR)

This site started as spin-off of www.xcottawa.ca. (Which was the webpage for a local xc ski racing team between 2001-2017.  These days the site is an archive of all the razzle-dazzle that was.)  But, back in the early days XC Ottawa when team members regularly skied in Gatineau Park every morning other local skiers often sent emails to ask

  • if the first snow had fallen in the park?
  • if there had been any recent grooming?
  • if it was safe to ski after the rain?
  • can you ski Ridge Road of Burma yet?
  • what grip wax worked at 9am and which one might still worked at 5pm?

The team realised that local skiers wanted more information!  More than even the team could provide, since the team members often skied at the same time in the same area. The Gatineau Park is vast, and conditions change throughout the day.   So we began posting trail reports on the website.  It was quite a popular feature!  So much so that skiers were disappointed when there was no new update everyday.

To remedy the problem we recruited other frequent skiers to voluntarily post reports.  Many of those same initial volunteers are still active trail reporters today.  (THANK YOU!)

Over the years the site has expanded beyond Gatineau Park, and we now rely on many volunteer trail reports to cover all areas.  

If you feel that you can regularly contribute reports, are capable of filling out an online form with ease and would like to help send us an email. We're especially looking for adventurous skiers who frequent the less popular areas.

Feel free to send us your feedback, suggestions, etc.. info@xcottawa.ca.

 

 

Legend

Skier Expert/Int/Novice
Time of Day Skied (MouseOver!)
Fresh Grooming!
Rating (5=Perfect)
Photos Included

Current Weather

Observed at: Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier Int'l Airport
Date: 9:00 PM EST Wednesday 1 February 2017
Mostly Cloudy
Mostly Cloudy
Temperature: -7.5°C
Wind Chill: -9
Wind: S 3 km/h
Humidity: 81%
Dew point: -10.2°C
Pressure: 101.4 kPa
Tendency: Rising
Visibility: 24 km
Sunrise: 7:23 EST
Sunset: 17:09 EST
Normals:
Max -6°C. Min -15°C.

Temperature Trends

temperature_humidity_24hrs

Forecast

Ottawa (Kanata - Orléans), ON (Issued: 5:14 PM EST Wednesday 1 February 2017)

Wednesday night
Mainly cloudy with 60 percent chance of flurries this evening and after midnight. Clearing before morning. Low minus 16.
Thursday
A mix of sun and cloud. 30 percent chance of flurries in the afternoon. Wind becoming west 20 km/h early in the afternoon. High minus 5.
Thursday night
Partly cloudy. 30 percent chance of flurries early in the evening. Wind west 20 km/h becoming light late in the evening. Low minus 14.
Friday
Sunny. High minus 6.
Friday night
Clear. Low minus 15.
Saturday
Sunny. High minus 6.
Saturday night
Cloudy. Low minus 12.
Sunday
Flurries. High minus 2.
Sunday night
Cloudy with 60 percent chance of flurries. Low minus 12.
Monday
A mix of sun and cloud. High minus 9.
Monday night
Cloudy periods with 30 percent chance of flurries. Low minus 17.
Tuesday
Cloudy with 60 percent chance of snow. High minus 7.