I am going to Vancouver and Pemberton and will need to rent a car. I have been following the weather and it looks like it will rain/ snow while i'm there. Does this mean I have to rent a suv? How does locals deal with the snow? Does everyone have 4x4 cars?

Also, any idea on what to do while we are in pemberton? we've done the skiing in whistler and looking to do something different. Any suggestions would be helpful.

There was a story inthe paper the other day making the point that while it is raining in Vancovuer, it is perhaps snowing in Whistler.

Unless there's an extraordinary storm, any rental car provided by a reputable car rental company in Vancouver will be fine for the trip.

It's on ploughed roads, there are lots of police patrols, etc., etc.

Popular as SUV's are, there are lots and lots of people in BC driving regular cars with winter tires on them.

BAK

Thank you!! It helps to know that the roads are ploughed! I've always wondered what people in snowing cities drive, and now i know!

While it is true that almost any decent vehicle can drive the highway in snow, it helps to have some winter driving experience as well. If you do not, I would suggest the Perimeter bus which goes to Whistler from the airport and you can take a transit bus to Pemberton from there.

As far as things to do in Pemberton you might check out this website: www.pemberton.net There is little in the way of nightlife, but Whistler is just a 20 minute drive south.

Hi everyone, I thought I'd give you an update to my experience with driving up to whistler in snow/rain.
We decided not to rent a suv and instead rent a standard car.
We arrived into Vancouver at 10pm and therefore had a very late start. Vancouver was experiencing heavy rain and sleet. The drive up was moderately scary with so much rain and slippery roads. When we finally got near Whistler, it started to pour heavy snow. We reduced our speeds and immediately and got stuck in traffic due to car accident ahead. It was quite scary sliding around the roads up past whistler and onto pemberton. Our speed was about 7 mph. When we were about 5 miles away from pemberton, we came across a rather steep hill. We held our breath and made the climb. Unfortunately, it didn't help, because we started sliding down the road and to the left and toward the trees. We totally thought we'd be sleeping there that night. As we kept trying to get unstuck, as suv by suv kept passing us and laughed. After about 20 minutes of sliding, we finally made it up the hill.
In the end, we should have rented an suv in that much snow or stayed in vancouver in that much rain/snow.

I've driven that hill too many times to count, and even in the daytime with dry roads it can be a bit much...wouldn't want to try it at night in the snow (it's called "Suicide Corner", at least in my family). Glad you made it up and back down okay.