Banff Sunshine Surpasses 10 Metres of Snow for 2025-26 Season

Banff Sunshine has recorded over 10 metres of snowfall for the 2025-26 season - its snowiest result in more than a decade.

The upper mountain crossed the milestone on May 16, finishing with a cumulative total of 1,021 centimetres for the season. That sits well above the resort's typical annual average of around 600 centimetres and reinforces its standing as one of the snowier ski areas in North America. The season wraps up on Monday May 18, with the annual Slush Cup today marking the send-off.

How the snowpack held up to the end

Even this late in the season, the numbers are solid. The upper mountain recorded 33 centimetres over the past seven days and still carries a settled base of 231 centimetres. Mid-mountain saw similar recent snowfall and retains a base of 174 centimetres. Overnight on May 16, a further 6 centimetres fell, with 15 centimetres recorded in the 24 hours prior.

For context, a settled base of over two metres in mid-May would be considered a strong result at any point during peak season at most Australian resorts - Falls Creek's season average base rarely approaches anything close to that figure.

Why Sunshine holds snow so well

Banff Sunshine sits within Banff National Park and benefits from consistently high-elevation terrain that allows it to hold snow well into spring. The resort typically remains open longer than most North American ski areas for this reason, and the 2025-26 season has been a particularly good demonstration of what that elevation advantage can deliver in a strong snow year.

A strong season by any measure

This wasn't just a strong finish - it appears to have been a strong season overall. The 10-metre mark is a meaningful threshold, and the fact that it was crossed in the final days of operations rather than weeks earlier suggests consistent snowfall throughout rather than one or two big early dumps that tapered off. For Canadian Rockies skiing, 2025-26 looks like one of the better recent vintages.