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Latest in Alberta
Banff Sunshine Surpasses 10 Metres of Snow for 2025-26 Season
Banff Sunshine is closing out its 2025-26 season on a high note, with the upper mountain surpassing 10 metres of cumulative snowfall as of May 16. The total of 1,021 centimetres makes it the snowiest season at the resort in over a decade - well above its typical annual average of around 600 centimetres. The season wraps up on Monday May 18 with the annual Slush Cup.
Michael Fulton
Banff Sunshine Village Approaches Snowfall Record After 389-Inch Season
The Alberta resort has logged 389 inches of snow this season, 60% above its annual average, and is one decent storm away from breaking its period of record. Meanwhile, much of the western United States continues to struggle with below-average snowpack.
Michael Fulton
Banff Sunshine Named Best Overall Ski Destination in North America by OnTheSnow
Banff Sunshine in Alberta has taken out OnTheSnow's Best Overall Ski Destination award for North America, voted on by the platform's users. The award was presented at the Mountain Travel Symposium in Whistle, British Columbia.
Michael Fulton
15-Year-Old Alpine Racer Dies Following Avalanche at Nakiska
A teenage alpine ski racer has died after being caught in an avalanche at Nakiska Ski Area while bootpacking with another athlete. The incident raises questions about terrain management and decision-making at a resort that serves as a major training venue for youth racing programs.
Michael Fulton
Early Season North America: Which Ski Resorts Are Open Right Now?
The 2025-26 North American ski season is underway with resorts across Colorado, Alberta, and Vermont opening their lifts. From Keystone's surprise first-to-open move to Sunshine Village's impressive 38 runs already available, here's exactly what terrain you can access right now and which resorts are offering the best early season conditions.
Michael Fulton
Banff Sunshine Opens as First Canadian Ski Resort for 2025-26 Season
Banff Sunshine has opened for the 2025-26 season, becoming the first Canadian ski resort to spin lifts and marking the earliest opening in the resort's history. With limited terrain and reduced pricing, the Alberta resort is banking on early-season enthusiasm and a novelty Halloween promotion.
Michael Fulton
SkiBig3 Offers Free Kids' Lift Tickets and Rentals: A Critical Look
Alberta's SkiBig3 resorts are dangling free lift tickets and rentals for kids this winter, but is it truly a game-changer for family ski trips? We analyse the fine print and industry context.
Michael Fulton
Lake Louise Ski Resort Begins 200-Acre Expansion Project
Lake Louise Ski Resort has started work on a significant 200-acre expansion, including new ski runs and a chairlift at Richardson's Ridge. The project aims to enhance the resort's offerings for intermediate skiers.
Michael Fulton
Marmot Basin Ski Resort Faces 30% Visitor Decline After Jasper Wildfire
Marmot Basin ski resort in Jasper, Alberta, experienced a significant 30% drop in winter visitors following the devastating wildfire that swept through the area last summer, impacting local tourism and operations.
Michael Fulton
Castle Mountain's New Stagecoach Express Chairlift: A Nod to Cat-Skiing Legacy
Castle Mountain Resort in Alberta is set to install its first high-speed chairlift, the Stagecoach Express, expanding terrain and honouring its cat-skiing history.
Michael Fulton
Latest News
More from the SnowStash desk
Alps Snow Forecast: Up to 64 cm Headed for the High Glaciers as the Snow Line Drops
The Alps are about to swap mild, sunny October weather for something far more wintry. A cold front arrives Tuesday, and SnowStash forecasts have Monterosa Ski out in front with 64 cm over 14 days, ahead of Blatten Belalp (55 cm) and Verbier (43 cm). The snow line should fall below 2000 metres by Wednesday night, and glaciers across Switzerland, Italy and Austria are in line for the best of it. The wind will have a say too.
20 Oct 2026
Four Dead After Avalanche Near Ski Portillo in Chile
A large avalanche struck near Laguna del Inca adjacent to Ski Portillo on Saturday afternoon, killing four people and injuring four others. The group were day visitors mountaineering in the backcountry after reportedly being warned about elevated avalanche risk by resort staff.
18 Oct 2026
Europe Ski Resorts Open Now: What Is Skiable in Mid-October 2026
Europe’s ski season is open, technically. After a record-warm summer, glaciers in Austria, Switzerland and Italy are running a few pistes apiece, Sölden, Stubai and Kitzsteinhorn started late, Titlis has pushed back to 24 October, and Zermatt reopens a few lifts on 14 October after more than two months shut. Finland’s Levi and Ruka are skiing on stored snow. Here is what is open, and what you actually get at each.
14 Oct 2026
Zermatt Plans World Cup Downhill Return on the Gornergrat for 2028
Zermatt is having another crack at a World Cup downhill, and this time nobody has to cross a border. Around 13 million Swiss francs is going into rebuilding the Gornergrat piste, including a jump fed by a roughly 300-metre in-run across the roof of the Gornergrat Railway gallery, with the Matterhorn lined up behind it for the TV cameras. First men’s race is pencilled in for March 2028, pending FIS homologation.
14 Oct 2026
Mt. Rose Begins Snowmaking for the 2026-27 Season at Lake Tahoe
Lake Tahoe’s highest base elevation is paying off early: Mt. Rose has started making snow for 2026-27 after the first flurries and a cold snap. The Nevada resort is backing it with nearly US$2 million in upgrades, including a replacement snowmaking main line, a new PistenBully groomer and restraint bars on every lift. Opening day is yet to be confirmed, though Heavenly and Northstar are already eyeing 20 November.
13 Oct 2026
Utah Ski Resorts 2026-27: What’s New at Alta, Deer Valley, Powder Mountain and More
Utah is still building flat out. For 2026-27, Powder Mountain opens a steep new Skytrac chair into more than 1,000 acres of advanced terrain, Deer Valley adds 200 acres on Hail Peak, Sundance gets a new quad and Park City adds a gondola from its new parking structure. Snowmaking is expanding almost everywhere, Eagle Point stays closed after the Cottonwood Fire, and the 2034 Games are setting the pace. Here’s what’s new, resort by resort.
13 Oct 2026
Mt Hutt Invests NZ$12 Million in Base Area, Tripling Its Sun Deck
Mt Hutt is getting busier, and its base lodge is about to catch up. NZ$12 million goes into a heated sun deck roughly three times the current size (430 m² to 1,300 m²), plus a new toilet block, heated steps down to snow level, extra storage and a new food and beverage outlet. Building starts after the 2026 season, with everything due for winter 2027.
11 Oct 2026
Vermont Ski Resort Opening Dates 2026-27: Few Dates Set, Killington Waits on the Cold
Vermont's season is slow to take shape. Stratton is tentatively targeting 18 November and Sugarbush 21 November, while Pico has Friday 11 December on the calendar. Killington never sets a date and opens when the snowmaking allows, and Vail Resorts has yet to name days for Stowe, Okemo and Mount Snow. The forecasts disagree about snow, and the main El Niño worry for the Green Mountains is warmth.
9 Oct 2026