Kicking Horse snow history

10 years of snow depth, snowfall and conditions at British Columbia, Canada · 1,175m to 2,453m

Over the last 10 seasons Kicking Horse, Canada has averaged 238cm of snowfall, a peak snow depth of 145cm, 0 powder days and 7 bluebird days a year, with skiable cover from around 4 November to 28 May.

Snow history & climate

10-year averages for Kicking Horse

238 cm
Snowfall / season
Nov-May total
145 cm
Peak depth
typical season high
0
Powder days
15cm+ in a day
7
Bluebird days
sun after snow
13
Rain days
1mm+ of rain
200
Skiable days
30cm+ cover

Month by month

Monthly averages

Average snowfall, snow depth, rain, sunshine and day counts by month at Kicking Horse, over the last 10 seasons.
MonthSnowfallAvg depthRainSun/dayTempPowderBluebirdRain days
Jan33 cm108 cm0mm5.0 h-7° / -15°0.00.70.1
Feb36 cm120 cm0mm6.6 h-7° / -16°0.01.50.0
Mar37 cm128 cm5mm8.5 h-1° / -11°0.01.20.9
Apr26 cm120 cm7mm10.5 h3° / -8°0.00.32.3
May10 cm64 cm38mm12.2 h10° / -2°0.00.28.6
Jun5 cm6 cm75mm12.9 h14° / 2°0.00.014.9
Jul0 cm0 cm68mm14.2 h19° / 7°0.00.012.2
Aug0 cm0 cm63mm12.2 h19° / 7°0.00.010.0
Sept4 cm0 cm52mm9.9 h13° / 2°0.00.011.5
Oct38 cm12 cm24mm7.3 h4° / -6°0.11.34.9
Nov48 cm48 cm6mm4.9 h-4° / -12°0.31.20.9
Dec48 cm86 cm2mm4.4 h-9° / -16°0.11.50.3

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
2025/26best319 cm132 cm012170
2024/25230 cm121 cm06202
2023/24256 cm129 cm06202
2022/23leanest158 cm135 cm02193
2021/22259 cm187 cm36201
2020/21248 cm147 cm012212
2019/20237 cm159 cm14205
2018/19193 cm129 cm06202
2017/18238 cm164 cm07203
2016/17244 cm151 cm05212
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 1814m, not measured at the resort. Use it to compare seasons and resorts; use the resort's own report for today's conditions.

How Kicking Horse 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
238 cm
Ahead of 38% of resortsMedian 283 cm

Total new snow between November and May.

Peak snow depth
well above average
145 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
13
Drier than 92% of resortsMedian 32

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

Skiable days
among the very best we track
200
Ahead of 95% of resortsMedian 115

Days holding 30cm or more of settled snow.

The season at Kicking Horse

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

SeptOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAug
Cover arrives
4 November
Season ends
28 May
Days of cover
207 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
128cm average depth
Most new snow
November
48cm and 0.3 powder days
Best bluebird odds
December
1.5 bluebird days, 4.4h sun a day
Wettest month
May
8.6 rain days

Is Kicking Horse a good place to ski or board?

a deep, reliable basevery little raina long season

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

Figures are modelled at 1814m from reanalysis data and describe an average year, not a forecast.

Kicking Horse snow record in detail

How much snow does Kicking Horse get?

Kicking Horse averages 238cm 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 319cm, and the leanest was 2022/23 with 158cm — a difference of 162cm between a good year and a poor one. The most recent complete season, 2025/26, delivered 319cm.

November is reliably the snowiest month, averaging 48cm and 12 days with fresh snow.

How deep does the snow get at Kicking Horse?

Snowfall totals flatter resorts that lose their snow quickly, so the more useful number is how deep the settled base actually gets. At Kicking Horse the snowpack peaks at an average of 145cm 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 128cm through the month and topping out around 140cm in a typical year.

How many powder days does Kicking Horse get?

Counting any day that delivers at least 15cm of new snow, Kicking Horse 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.

November has the most, 0.3 on average.

How often does Kicking Horse get bluebird days?

Kicking Horse 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.

December is the best month for it, averaging 1.5 bluebird days and 4.4 hours of sunshine a day.

Does it rain at Kicking Horse?

At mid-mountain Kicking Horse sees an average of 13 days a season with 1mm or more of rain rather than snow. That is well below average: 8% 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 8.6 rain days and 38mm on average.

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

Kicking Horse typically holds at least 30cm of settled snow from around 4 November through to 28 May, which works out at roughly 207 days of skiable cover in an average year. 200 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, November; for fresh snow with sunshine, December.

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 Kicking Horse are taken at 1814m. Corpus last rebuilt 2 September 2026.

Kicking Horse 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.

Kicking Horse in November

Base building

November is when the base starts to build, averaging 48cm and deepening towards its March peak. It is the snowiest month of the season, with 48cm of new snow on average, 12 snow days and 0.3 powder days. Average highs are -4°C and lows -12°C, with 4.9 hours of sunshine a day and 1.2 bluebird days. Rain is rare: under two days in a typical November.

Kicking Horse in December

Base building

Through December the base keeps building, to an average of 86cm. It is the second-snowiest month of the season, with 48cm of new snow on average, 12 snow days and 0.1 powder days. Average highs are -9°C and lows -16°C, with 4.4 hours of sunshine a day and 1.5 bluebird days, the most of any month.

Kicking Horse in January

Base building

Through January the base keeps building, to an average of 108cm. It brings 33cm of new snow in an average year, with 9 snow days and almost no powder days. Average highs are -7°C and lows -15°C, with 5 hours of sunshine a day.

Kicking Horse in February

Best all round

By February the base is close to its March peak, averaging 120cm. It brings 36cm of new snow in an average year, with 9 snow days and almost no powder days. Average highs are -7°C and lows -16°C, with 6.6 hours of sunshine a day and 1.5 bluebird days. Taking cover, fresh snow, sunshine and rain together, it is the best all-round month at Kicking Horse.

Kicking Horse in March

Deepest base

March is when the base at Kicking Horse is at its deepest, averaging 128cm through the month and peaking around 140cm in a typical year. It is the third-snowiest month of the season, with 37cm of new snow on average, 10 snow days and almost no powder days. Average highs are -1°C and lows -11°C, with 8.5 hours of sunshine a day and 1.2 bluebird days.

Kicking Horse in April

Still deep

April still has a deep base, averaging 120cm — only a little down on the March peak. It brings 26cm of new snow in an average year, with 8 snow days and almost no powder days. Average highs are 3°C and lows -8°C, with 10.5 hours of sunshine a day. Expect the odd wet day — 2.3 on average at mid-mountain.

Kicking Horse in May

Late season

In May the base averages 64cm, past its March peak of 128cm and thinning. It brings 10cm of new snow in an average year, with 3 snow days and almost no powder days. Average highs are 10°C and lows -2°C, with 12.2 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is a real risk: 8.6 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average May.

How Kicking Horse compares with nearby resorts

Of Kicking Horse and the 4 nearest resorts with a ten-year record, Kicking Horse ranks 3 of 5 for snowfall, with 238cm a season. Lake Louise and Revelstoke get more; Banff Sunshine and Panorama get less.

Revelstoke has the most powder days (1 a season, against 0 here); Revelstoke builds the deepest base (207cm against 145cm); and Revelstoke gets the most bluebird days (15 a season).

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 Kicking Horse and the nearest resorts with a record
ResortDistanceMeasured atSnowfallPeak basePowder daysBluebird days
Kicking Horse—1814m238cm145cm07
Lake Louise62 km2142m245cm147cm07
Revelstoke87 km1370m387cm207cm115
Banff Sunshine93 km2480m235cm127cm07
Panorama111 km1788m214cm117cm15

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

More on Kicking Horse

Ski resorts near Kicking Horse

Distances are straight-line, not by road.