Highway 99 (Sea to Sky Highway)
Road
Highway 99 is the drive from Vancouver to Squamish and Whistler, and from 1 October to 31 March the province signs it from Horseshoe Bay to Pemberton as a winter tire route. A passenger vehicle without legal winter tires faces a $121 fine and can be turned back.
Photo by Tom Winckels on Unsplash and others, credited in the gallery
Services
| Service | Time | How often | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Signed winter tire and chain route | – | – | 1 October to 31 March The Ministry of Transportation's South Coast map, dated 17 March 2021, colours Highway 99 orange from Horseshoe Bay through Squamish and Whistler to Pemberton. On that map, orange marks highways designated from 1 October to 31 March. The passenger vehicle sign reads "Must use winter tires" beside the M+S and mountain snowflake marks. Vehicles over 11,794 kg licensed gross vehicle weight must carry chains, and lighter trucks and buses need winter tires or chains on board. |
Weather and cancellations
From 1 October to 31 March, Highway 99 from Horseshoe Bay to Pemberton is a signed winter tire route, and police can turn back any vehicle without legal tires or when they judge conditions unsafe. The province reserves the right to restrict travel at any time of year depending on road conditions. In summer, BC Wildfire Service warns that wildfires can affect road access and points drivers to DriveBC.
By Wikipedia's count, the Sea to Sky stretch of Highway 99 runs about 134 km from Horseshoe Bay in West Van to Pemberton and passes Lions Bay, Britannia Beach, Squamish and Whistler on the way. Before 2010 the province spent $600 million widening it and adding a concrete divider and rockfall mesh. Wikipedia credits the work with a 66 percent drop in crashes. North of Pemberton the road carries on as the Duffey Lake Road toward Lillooet.
From 1 October to 31 March, the Ministry of Transportation's South Coast map marks the whole road from Horseshoe Bay to Pemberton as a winter tire and chain route. A legal winter tire carries the M+S letters or the three-peaked mountain and snowflake symbol and has at least 3.5 mm of tread. The province recommends mountain and snowflake tires for snow and ice, and all-weather tires can carry that symbol too. Chains on summer tires don't count on a signed highway, and summer tires aren't permitted there in the winter months.
Police can fine a passenger vehicle $121 under section 125 of the Motor Vehicle Act for missing winter tires, and a commercial vehicle without chains $196. Most rental cars come on M+S tires, and those meet the legal minimum. The province still suggests asking the rental company for winter tires before driving beyond Greater Vancouver. Studded tires are legal on BC highways from 1 October to 30 April, and ski hills and municipalities can set rules of their own on their roads.
The ministry's map notes that it puts up no winter tire signs on provincial highways inside municipal boundaries unless the municipality asks for them. Check DriveBC before you set off for closures and live conditions on the corridor. In summer, BC Wildfire Service warns that wildfires can affect highways and sends drivers to DriveBC, and smoke and fire closures shape Sea to Sky plans from July to September.
Worth knowing
- Ask the rental desk for tires with the mountain and snowflake symbol if you are driving to Whistler between October and March; M+S tires meet the legal minimum, and the province rates the snowflake tires better on snow and ice.
- Carry chains in winter on top of winter tires, since the province recommends them for extreme conditions.
Quick answers about Highway 99 (Sea to Sky Highway)
Do you need winter tires on the Sea to Sky Highway?
Yes. From 1 October to 31 March, Highway 99 from Horseshoe Bay to Pemberton is a designated winter tire route on the Ministry of Transportation's South Coast map. Passenger vehicles need tires marked M+S or with the mountain and snowflake symbol, and those tires need at least 3.5 mm of tread.
What is the fine for driving to Whistler without winter tires?
The fine is $121 for a passenger vehicle without winter tires where they are required, under section 125 of the Motor Vehicle Act. A commercial vehicle that isn't carrying chains where required faces $196, and police can turn vehicles back when conditions are unsafe.
Can you use chains instead of winter tires on Highway 99?
No. The province says chains on summer tires are not an acceptable substitute for legal winter tires on signed BC highways, and it recommends carrying chains as well for extreme conditions.
Do rental cars in Vancouver have winter tires?
The province says most rental vehicles come with M+S tires, and those meet the legal minimum on Highway 99. For a trip beyond Greater Vancouver it suggests asking the rental company for winter tires.
How long is the Sea to Sky Highway?
Wikipedia gives about 134 km for the Sea to Sky section of Highway 99 between Horseshoe Bay and Pemberton. Squamish and Whistler sit on the way.
Does weather cancel Highway 99 (Sea to Sky Highway)?
From 1 October to 31 March, Highway 99 from Horseshoe Bay to Pemberton is a signed winter tire route, and police can turn back any vehicle without legal tires or when they judge conditions unsafe. The province reserves the right to restrict travel at any time of year depending on road conditions. In summer, BC Wildfire Service warns that wildfires can affect road access and points drivers to DriveBC.
In the journal and guides
Read more about Highway 99 (Sea to Sky Highway)
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Should you ski Whistler Blackcomb from North Vancouver as a day trip or stay the night?
A weekday day trip from Lonsdale Quay gives you about 11 hours in Whistler, starting with the 5:47 am SeaBus. One night in the Village turns that into two mountains, an evening and a second morning.
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Where should you sleep for a Sea to Sky day so you don't have to drive back to Vancouver?
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Do you need winter tires to drive to Whistler?
Yes, from 1 October to 31 March on Highway 99 between Horseshoe Bay and Pemberton. Cypress Bowl Road in West Vancouver keeps the rule a month longer, to 30 April.