Banff Sunshine snow history

10 years of snow depth, snowfall and conditions at Alberta, Canada · 2,230m to 2,730m

Over the last 10 seasons Banff Sunshine, Canada has averaged 235cm of snowfall, a peak snow depth of 127cm, 0 powder days and 7 bluebird days a year, with skiable cover from around 5 November to 30 May.

Snow history & climate

10-year averages for Banff Sunshine

235 cm
Snowfall / season
Nov-May total
127 cm
Peak depth
typical season high
0
Powder days
15cm+ in a day
7
Bluebird days
sun after snow
5
Rain days
1mm+ of rain
197
Skiable days
30cm+ cover

Month by month

Monthly averages

Average snowfall, snow depth, rain, sunshine and day counts by month at Banff Sunshine, over the last 10 seasons.
MonthSnowfallAvg depthRainSun/dayTempPowderBluebirdRain days
Jan21 cm90 cm0mm5.3 h-12° / -18°0.00.30.0
Feb30 cm101 cm0mm7.1 h-12° / -21°0.01.30.0
Mar40 cm108 cm1mm8.7 h-6° / -15°0.01.80.2
Apr35 cm107 cm1mm10.5 h-2° / -11°0.01.10.1
May30 cm63 cm18mm12.0 h5° / -4°0.01.24.6
Jun24 cm8 cm62mm12.8 h9° / 0°0.11.613.7
Jul2 cm0 cm51mm14.0 h15° / 4°0.00.012.5
Aug3 cm0 cm50mm12.2 h14° / 4°0.00.211.6
Sept12 cm1 cm33mm10.0 h9° / -1°0.00.28.3
Oct35 cm13 cm9mm7.7 h-1° / -9°0.01.22.8
Nov39 cm40 cm2mm5.0 h-8° / -15°0.20.50.4
Dec40 cm74 cm0mm4.2 h-13° / -19°0.21.10.1

Averages across the last 10 seasons. Powder, bluebird and rain columns are the average number of such days per month.

Season by season

SeasonSnowfallPeak depthPowder daysBluebird daysSkiable days
2025/26best302 cm103 cm015166
2024/25leanest166 cm98 cm04192
2023/24237 cm125 cm06181
2022/23192 cm112 cm05192
2021/22260 cm158 cm26199
2020/21234 cm133 cm011212
2019/20266 cm140 cm25210
2018/19187 cm111 cm02206
2017/18255 cm156 cm08201
2016/17253 cm129 cm011212
How these numbers are calculated
  • Powder day — at least 15cm of new snow in 24 hours.
  • Bluebird day — sunshine for at least 60% of daylight, following at least 10cm of snow over the previous 3 days.
  • Rain day — at least 1mm of rain (not snow) at this elevation.
  • Skiable day — at least 30cm of settled snow on the ground.
  • Snow depth is modelled from Open-Meteo / ERA5 reanalysis at 2480m, not measured at the resort. Use it to compare seasons and resorts; use the resort's own report for today's conditions.

How Banff Sunshine compares

Measured against 40 other resorts across 18 countries, each analysed exactly the same way. The line down the middle of each bar is the median.

Snowfall per season
below average
235 cm
Ahead of 38% of resortsMedian 283 cm

Total new snow between November and May.

Peak snow depth
well above average
127 cm
Ahead of 85% of resortsMedian 84 cm

How deep the settled base gets at its yearly high.

Powder days
well below average
0
Lowest of every resort we compareMedian 2

Days with 15cm or more of new snow.

Bluebird days
about average
7
Ahead of 40% of resortsMedian 10

Sun and fresh snow on the same day.

Rain days
well below average
5
Drier than 97% of resortsMedian 32

Days with 1mm or more of rain, not snow.

Skiable days
among the very best we track
197
Ahead of 93% of resortsMedian 115

Days holding 30cm or more of settled snow.

The season at Banff Sunshine

Typical stretch holding 30cm or more of settled snow, averaged over the record.

SeptOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAug
Cover arrives
5 November
Season ends
30 May
Days of cover
208 days

When to go

These rarely land in the same month, so it is worth deciding which one matters most before you book.

Deepest base
March
108cm average depth
Most new snow
December
40cm and 0.2 powder days
Best bluebird odds
March
1.8 bluebird days, 8.7h sun a day
Wettest month
May
4.6 rain days

Is Banff Sunshine a good place to ski or board?

a deep, reliable basevery little raina long season

On 10 years of record, Banff Sunshine stands out for a deep, reliable base, very little rain and a long season.

Figures are modelled at 2480m from reanalysis data and describe an average year, not a forecast.

Banff Sunshine snow record in detail

How much snow does Banff Sunshine get?

Banff Sunshine averages 235cm of snowfall over a full season, measured from November to May across the last 10 winters. That is below average: more snow than 38% of 40 resorts we have analysed the same way, where the median season brings 283cm.

Season to season the spread is wide. The best of the last 10 winters was 2025/26 with 302cm, and the leanest was 2024/25 with 166cm — a difference of 135cm between a good year and a poor one. The most recent complete season, 2025/26, delivered 302cm.

December is reliably the snowiest month, averaging 40cm and 10 days with fresh snow.

How deep does the snow get at Banff Sunshine?

Snowfall totals flatter resorts that lose their snow quickly, so the more useful number is how deep the settled base actually gets. At Banff Sunshine the snowpack peaks at an average of 127cm each season. That is well above average, deeper than 85% of 40 resorts we have analysed the same way, against a median peak of 84cm.

The base is deepest in March, averaging 108cm through the month and topping out around 121cm in a typical year.

How many powder days does Banff Sunshine get?

Counting any day that delivers at least 15cm of new snow, Banff Sunshine averages 0 powder days a season. That is well below average, more powder days than fewer than every other resort in the set, where the median is 2 a season.

December has the most, 0.2 on average.

How often does Banff Sunshine get bluebird days?

Banff Sunshine averages 7 bluebird days a season — days of sunshine for at least 60% of daylight after 10cm or more of fresh snow. That is about average, more than 40% of 40 resorts we have analysed the same way, against a median of 10.

March is the best month for it, averaging 1.8 bluebird days and 8.7 hours of sunshine a day.

Does it rain at Banff Sunshine?

At mid-mountain Banff Sunshine sees an average of 5 days a season with 1mm or more of rain rather than snow. That is well below average: 3% of the 40 other resorts we have analysed the same way see fewer wet days, against a median of 32.

May is the wettest month of the season, with 4.6 rain days and 18mm on average.

When is the best time to ski or board Banff Sunshine, and when does the season end?

Banff Sunshine typically holds at least 30cm of settled snow from around 5 November through to 30 May, which works out at roughly 208 days of skiable cover in an average year. 197 of those fall inside the November to May season. On season length that is among the very best we track compared with the 40 other resorts we have analysed the same way.

For the deepest base, go in March; for the most new snow, December; for fresh snow with sunshine, March.

Comparisons use 40 resorts across 18 countries, each measured over 5 recent seasons at mid-mountain height. Glaciated locations, where the model never melts the snow out, are excluded. Figures for Banff Sunshine are taken at 2480m. Corpus last rebuilt 2 September 2026.

Banff Sunshine month by month

What to expect in each month of the season, from the same ten-year record. Figures are averages for mid-mountain; a good or poor winter can move them a long way.

Banff Sunshine in November

Base building

November is when the base starts to build, averaging 40cm and deepening towards its March peak. It is the third-snowiest month of the season, with 39cm of new snow on average, 11 snow days and 0.2 powder days. Average highs are -8°C and lows -15°C, with 5 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is rare: under two days in a typical November.

Banff Sunshine in December

Base building

Through December the base keeps building, to an average of 74cm. It is the snowiest month of the season, with 40cm of new snow on average, 10 snow days and 0.2 powder days. Average highs are -13°C and lows -19°C, with 4.2 hours of sunshine a day and 1.1 bluebird days.

Banff Sunshine in January

Base building

Through January the base keeps building, to an average of 90cm. It brings 21cm of new snow in an average year, with 6 snow days and almost no powder days. Average highs are -12°C and lows -18°C, with 5.3 hours of sunshine a day.

Banff Sunshine in February

Base building

By February the base is close to its March peak, averaging 101cm. It brings 30cm of new snow in an average year, with 8 snow days and almost no powder days. Average highs are -12°C and lows -21°C, with 7.1 hours of sunshine a day and 1.3 bluebird days.

Banff Sunshine in March

Best all round

March is when the base at Banff Sunshine is at its deepest, averaging 108cm through the month and peaking around 121cm in a typical year. It is the second-snowiest month of the season, with 40cm of new snow on average, 10 snow days and almost no powder days. Average highs are -6°C and lows -15°C, with 8.7 hours of sunshine a day and 1.8 bluebird days, the most of any month. Taking cover, fresh snow, sunshine and rain together, it is the best all-round month at Banff Sunshine.

Banff Sunshine in April

Still deep

April still has a deep base, averaging 107cm — only a little down on the March peak. It brings 35cm of new snow in an average year, with 11 snow days and almost no powder days. Average highs are -2°C and lows -11°C, with 10.5 hours of sunshine a day and 1.1 bluebird days.

Banff Sunshine in May

Late season

In May the base averages 63cm, past its March peak of 108cm and thinning. It brings 30cm of new snow in an average year, with 7 snow days and almost no powder days. Average highs are 5°C and lows -4°C, with 12 hours of sunshine a day and 1.2 bluebird days. Rain is a real risk: 4.6 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average May.

How Banff Sunshine compares with nearby resorts

Of Banff Sunshine and the 3 nearest resorts with a ten-year record, Banff Sunshine ranks 3 of 4 for snowfall, with 235cm a season. Lake Louise and Kicking Horse get more; Panorama gets less.

Panorama has the most powder days (1 a season, against 0 here); Lake Louise builds the deepest base (147cm against 127cm); and Banff Sunshine also gets the most bluebird days.

Each resort is measured at its own mid-mountain height, so part of any difference is altitude: a resort modelled 500m higher will usually hold more snow. The table shows the height each figure comes from.

Ten-year snow averages for Banff Sunshine and the nearest resorts with a record
ResortDistanceMeasured atSnowfallPeak basePowder daysBluebird days
Banff Sunshine—2480m235cm127cm07
Lake Louise48 km2142m245cm147cm07
Panorama77 km1788m214cm117cm15
Kicking Horse93 km1814m238cm145cm07

Distances are straight-line. Season averages, November to May, over the last ten winters.

More on Banff Sunshine

Ski resorts near Banff Sunshine

Distances are straight-line, not by road.