Lake Louise Breaks Snowfall Record During Historic Winter

Historic snowfall totals at Lake Louise and Banff Sunshine Village helped extend spring skiing and accelerate terrain openings across Alberta’s Rocky Mountain resorts during the 2025-26 ski season.

The heavy snowfall arrived early and reshaped the season almost immediately.

By Dec. 31, Lake Louise had recorded 282 centimetres of snowfall during December alone, making it the resort’s snowiest December since 1970 and breaking a 75-year-old record, according to SkiBig3. By that point, the resort had already received more than double its normal snowfall for the season.

At Banff Sunshine Village, strong early-season snowfall allowed the resort to open on Nov. 2, marking its earliest opening in 40 years.

Sunshine recorded 268 centimetres of snowfall in December, making it the fifth snowiest December in the resort’s nearly 100-year history. Between Nov. 2 and Dec. 31, the resort received 416 centimetres of snowfall, one of the snowiest starts ever recorded there.

Mt. Norquay also saw a dramatic improvement compared with recent winters.

According to SkiBig3, Norquay received 156 centimetres of snowfall between opening day and Dec. 31, including 120 centimetres during December alone. That was roughly 12 times more snowfall than December 2024. By New Year’s Eve, the resort had already received nearly as much snow as it did during the entire 2024-25 ski season.

The early storms accelerated terrain openings across the region.

Lake Louise opened Richardson’s Ridge roughly three months earlier than usual, while Mt. Norquay opened its North American chairlift nearly two months earlier than the previous season.

As the winter continued, snowfall totals continued climbing toward historic territory.

Lake Louise Ski Resort finished the season with 941 centimetres of snowfall, surpassing the previous resort record of 759 centimetres set during the 2013–14 season.

“Conditions were excellent from the get-go and consistent throughout the season, truly a remarkable and memorable season,” said Emmett McPartlin, Lake Louise Ski Resort’s director of marketing and sales.

By the end of April, Banff Sunshine Village had received roughly 980 centimetres of snowfall, according to Kendra Scurfield, the resort’s vice-president of marketing, brand and communications. That placed the season among the five snowiest in Sunshine’s 98-year history.

“This winter has been a winter for our record books,” said Scurfield.

Scurfield said Sunshine received more than two metres of snowfall in both December and March. She added the resort’s high-altitude location along the Continental Divide helps funnel storm systems that often miss lower elevations.

The season also highlighted how snowfall varied across Alberta’s Rocky Mountain resorts depending on elevation, geography and infrastructure.

Higher-elevation resorts such as Sunshine and Lake Louise benefited from repeated storm cycles throughout the winter, while lower-elevation resorts like Norquay also experienced significantly improved conditions.

Resorts also reported strong skier demand throughout the season.

McPartlin said Lake Louise experienced “very high visitation,” while Scurfield said Sunshine saw an increase in international visitors, particularly from the United States.

With Sunshine remaining open until May 18, the season extended spring skiing deep into May and capped one of the snowiest winters Alberta’s Rocky Mountain ski industry has seen in years.