Banff Sunshine snow history

10 years of snow depth, snowfall and conditions at Alberta, Canada · 7,316ft to 8,957ft

Over the last 10 seasons Banff Sunshine, Canada has averaged 93in of snowfall, a peak snow depth of 50in, 0 powder days and 7 bluebird days a year, with skiable cover from around November 5 to May 30.

Snow history & climate

10-year averages for Banff Sunshine

93 in
Snowfall / season
Nov-May total
50 in
Peak depth
typical season high
0
Powder days
6in+ in a day
7
Bluebird days
sun after snow
5
Rain days
0.04in+ of rain
197
Skiable days
12in+ 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
Jan8 in36 in0in5.3 h11° / -1°0.00.30.0
Feb12 in40 in0in7.1 h10° / -5°0.01.30.0
Mar16 in43 in0in8.7 h21° / 4°0.01.80.2
Apr14 in42 in0in10.5 h29° / 12°0.01.10.1
May12 in25 in0.7in12.0 h41° / 25°0.01.24.6
Jun9 in3 in2.4in12.8 h48° / 31°0.11.613.7
Jul1 in0 in2in14.0 h58° / 40°0.00.012.5
Aug1 in0 in2in12.2 h58° / 39°0.00.211.6
Sep5 in0 in1.3in10.0 h47° / 30°0.00.28.3
Oct14 in5 in0.3in7.7 h30° / 15°0.01.22.8
Nov15 in16 in0.1in5.0 h17° / 5°0.20.50.4
Dec16 in29 in0in4.2 h8° / -2°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
2025/26best119 in41 in015166
2024/25leanest66 in39 in04192
2023/2493 in49 in06181
2022/2376 in44 in05192
2021/22102 in62 in26199
2020/2192 in52 in011212
2019/20105 in55 in25210
2018/1974 in44 in02206
2017/18100 in61 in08201
2016/1799 in51 in011212
How these numbers are calculated
  • Powder day — at least 6in of new snow in 24 hours.
  • Bluebird day — sunshine for at least 60% of daylight, following at least 4in of snow over the previous 3 days.
  • Rain day — at least 0.04in of rain (not snow) at this elevation.
  • Skiable day — at least 12in of settled snow on the ground.
  • Snow depth is modelled from Open-Meteo / ERA5 reanalysis at 8,136ft, 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
93 in
Ahead of 38% of resortsMedian 111 in

Total new snow between November and May.

Peak snow depth
well above average
50 in
Ahead of 85% of resortsMedian 33 in

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 6in 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 0.04in or more of rain, not snow.

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

Days holding 12in or more of settled snow.

The season at Banff Sunshine

Typical stretch holding 12in or more of settled snow, averaged over the record.

SepOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAug
Cover arrives
November 5
Season ends
May 30
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
43in average depth
Most new snow
December
16in 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 8,136ft 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 93in 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 111in.

Season to season the spread is wide. The best of the last 10 winters was 2025/26 with 119in, and the leanest was 2024/25 with 66in — a difference of 53in between a good year and a poor one. The most recent complete season, 2025/26, delivered 119in.

December is reliably the snowiest month, averaging 16in 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 50in each season. That is well above average, deeper than 85% of 40 resorts we have analysed the same way, against a median peak of 33in.

The base is deepest in March, averaging 43in through the month and topping out around 47in in a typical year.

How many powder days does Banff Sunshine get?

Counting any day that delivers at least 6in 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 4in 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 0.04in 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 0.7in 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 12in of settled snow from around November 5 through to May 30, 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 8,136ft. Corpus last rebuilt September 2, 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 16in and deepening towards its March peak. It is the third-snowiest month of the season, with 15in of new snow on average, 11 snow days and 0.2 powder days. Average highs are 17°F and lows 5°F, 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 29in. It is the snowiest month of the season, with 16in of new snow on average, 10 snow days and 0.2 powder days. Average highs are 8°F and lows -2°F, 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 35in. It brings 8in of new snow in an average year, with 6 snow days and almost no powder days. Average highs are 11°F and lows -1°F, 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 40in. It brings 12in of new snow in an average year, with 8 snow days and almost no powder days. Average highs are 10°F and lows -5°F, 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 43in through the month and peaking around 48in in a typical year. It is the second-snowiest month of the season, with 16in of new snow on average, 10 snow days and almost no powder days. Average highs are 21°F and lows 4°F, 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 42in — only a little down on the March peak. It brings 14in of new snow in an average year, with 11 snow days and almost no powder days. Average highs are 29°F and lows 12°F, with 10.5 hours of sunshine a day and 1.1 bluebird days.

Banff Sunshine in May

Late season

In May the base averages 25in, past its March peak of 43in and thinning. It brings 12in of new snow in an average year, with 7 snow days and almost no powder days. Average highs are 41°F and lows 25°F, 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 93in 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 (58in against 50in); 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 1,640ft 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—8,136ft93in50in07
Lake Louise30 mi7,028ft96in58in07
Panorama48 mi5,866ft84in46in15
Kicking Horse58 mi5,951ft94in57in07

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.