Lake Louise snow history

10 years of snow depth, snowfall and conditions at Alberta, Canada · 1,646m to 2,637m

Over the last 10 seasons Lake Louise, Canada has averaged 245cm of snowfall, a peak snow depth of 147cm, 0 powder days and 7 bluebird days a year, with skiable cover from around 29 October to 11 June.

Snow history & climate

10-year averages for Lake Louise

245 cm
Snowfall / season
Nov-May total
147 cm
Peak depth
typical season high
0
Powder days
15cm+ in a day
7
Bluebird days
sun after snow
6
Rain days
1mm+ of rain
208
Skiable days
30cm+ cover

Month by month

Monthly averages

Average snowfall, snow depth, rain, sunshine and day counts by month at Lake Louise, over the last 10 seasons.
MonthSnowfallAvg depthRainSun/dayTempPowderBluebirdRain days
Jan27 cm110 cm0mm4.7 h-9° / -17°0.00.40.0
Feb34 cm121 cm0mm6.4 h-10° / -19°0.11.30.0
Mar40 cm130 cm1mm8.2 h-4° / -14°0.01.90.1
Apr30 cm129 cm1mm10.3 h0° / -10°0.00.20.1
May27 cm92 cm20mm11.8 h7° / -3°0.01.05.4
Jun20 cm22 cm58mm12.4 h11° / 1°0.21.012.8
Jul2 cm0 cm55mm13.8 h17° / 5°0.00.012.9
Aug2 cm0 cm50mm12.0 h17° / 5°0.00.211.5
Sept14 cm2 cm35mm9.6 h11° / 1°0.00.39.4
Oct41 cm18 cm9mm6.9 h1° / -8°0.11.52.7
Nov43 cm56 cm1mm4.6 h-6° / -14°0.20.90.3
Dec43 cm92 cm0mm4.0 h-11° / -18°0.00.90.0

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
2025/26best335 cm149 cm013211
2024/25188 cm116 cm04211
2023/24234 cm127 cm14202
2022/23leanest169 cm132 cm05197
2021/22286 cm174 cm24201
2020/21256 cm149 cm010212
2019/20278 cm158 cm06213
2018/19195 cm138 cm04212
2017/18262 cm174 cm09207
2016/17244 cm153 cm07212
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 2142m, not measured at the resort. Use it to compare seasons and resorts; use the resort's own report for today's conditions.

How Lake Louise 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
245 cm
Ahead of 38% of resortsMedian 283 cm

Total new snow between November and May.

Peak snow depth
well above average
147 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
6
Drier than 95% of resortsMedian 32

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

Skiable days
among the very best we track
208
Ahead of 98% of resortsMedian 115

Days holding 30cm or more of settled snow.

The season at Lake Louise

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

SeptOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAug
Cover arrives
29 October
Season ends
11 June
Days of cover
227 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
130cm average depth
Most new snow
November
43cm and 0.2 powder days
Best bluebird odds
March
1.9 bluebird days, 8.2h sun a day
Wettest month
May
5.4 rain days

Is Lake Louise a good place to ski or board?

a deep, reliable basevery little raina long season

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

Figures are modelled at 2142m from reanalysis data and describe an average year, not a forecast.

Lake Louise snow record in detail

How much snow does Lake Louise get?

Lake Louise averages 245cm 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 335cm, and the leanest was 2022/23 with 169cm — a difference of 166cm between a good year and a poor one. The most recent complete season, 2025/26, delivered 335cm.

November is reliably the snowiest month, averaging 43cm and 12 days with fresh snow.

How deep does the snow get at Lake Louise?

Snowfall totals flatter resorts that lose their snow quickly, so the more useful number is how deep the settled base actually gets. At Lake Louise the snowpack peaks at an average of 147cm 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 130cm through the month and topping out around 142cm in a typical year.

How many powder days does Lake Louise get?

Counting any day that delivers at least 15cm of new snow, Lake Louise 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, 0.2 on average.

How often does Lake Louise get bluebird days?

Lake Louise 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 1.9 bluebird days and 8.2 hours of sunshine a day.

Does it rain at Lake Louise?

At mid-mountain Lake Louise sees an average of 6 days a season with 1mm or more of rain rather than snow. That is well below average: 5% 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 5.4 rain days and 20mm on average.

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

Lake Louise typically holds at least 30cm of settled snow from around 29 October through to 11 June, which works out at roughly 227 days of skiable cover in an average year. 208 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, 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 Lake Louise are taken at 2142m. Corpus last rebuilt 2 September 2026.

Lake Louise 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.

Lake Louise in November

Base building

November is when the base starts to build, averaging 56cm and deepening towards its March peak. It is the snowiest month of the season, with 43cm of new snow on average, 12 snow days and 0.2 powder days. Average highs are -6°C and lows -14°C, with 4.6 hours of sunshine a day. Rain is rare: under two days in a typical November.

Lake Louise in December

Base building

Through December the base keeps building, to an average of 92cm. It is the second-snowiest month of the season, with 43cm of new snow on average, 11 snow days and almost no powder days. Average highs are -11°C and lows -18°C, with 4 hours of sunshine a day.

Lake Louise in January

Base building

Through January the base keeps building, to an average of 110cm. It brings 27cm of new snow in an average year, with 8 snow days and almost no powder days. Average highs are -9°C and lows -17°C, with 4.7 hours of sunshine a day.

Lake Louise in February

Base building

By February the base is close to its March peak, averaging 121cm. It brings 34cm of new snow in an average year, with 10 snow days and 0.1 powder days. Average highs are -10°C and lows -19°C, with 6.4 hours of sunshine a day and 1.3 bluebird days.

Lake Louise in March

Best all round

March is when the base at Lake Louise is at its deepest, averaging 130cm through the month and peaking around 142cm in a typical year. It is the third-snowiest month of the season, with 40cm of new snow on average, 11 snow days and almost no powder days. Average highs are -4°C and lows -14°C, with 8.2 hours of sunshine a day and 1.9 bluebird days, the most of any month. Taking cover, fresh snow, sunshine and rain together, it is the best all-round month at Lake Louise.

Lake Louise in April

Still deep

April still has a deep base, averaging 129cm — only a little down on the March peak. It brings 30cm of new snow in an average year, with 10 snow days and almost no powder days. Average highs are 0°C and lows -10°C, with 10.3 hours of sunshine a day.

Lake Louise in May

Late season

In May the base averages 92cm, past its March peak of 130cm and thinning. It brings 27cm of new snow in an average year, with 6 snow days and almost no powder days. Average highs are 7°C and lows -3°C, with 11.8 hours of sunshine a day and 1 bluebird days. Rain is a real risk: 5.4 days with rain rather than snow at mid-mountain in an average May.

How Lake Louise compares with nearby resorts

Of Lake Louise and the 4 nearest resorts with a ten-year record, Lake Louise ranks 2 of 5 for snowfall, with 245cm a season. Revelstoke gets more; Banff Sunshine, Kicking Horse and Panorama get less.

Panorama has the most powder days (1 a season, against 0 here); Revelstoke builds the deepest base (207cm against 147cm); 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 Lake Louise and the nearest resorts with a record
ResortDistanceMeasured atSnowfallPeak basePowder daysBluebird days
Lake Louise—2142m245cm147cm07
Banff Sunshine48 km2480m235cm127cm07
Kicking Horse62 km1814m238cm145cm07
Panorama108 km1788m214cm117cm15
Revelstoke149 km1370m387cm207cm115

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

More on Lake Louise

Ski resorts near Lake Louise

Distances are straight-line, not by road.