Meters of fresh snow cover the Canadian Rockies each winter, a six month alpine ski season that stretches from November to May. In Canada and around the world it’s known as “Champagne Powder” – its fluffy lightness a result of dry mountain air, famous Alberta sunshine and Banff National Park’s high altitude.
Snow and weather reports in Banff and Lake Louise are updated each morning at hotels, the Information Centres and at Parks Canada. But if you’re looking for the absolute latest information with hour-to-hour updates, all three ski areas have video cameras – webcams – connected to the Internet that record the snow and weather conditions from different elevations. Here's a list of each area's primary features.
| Hours of Operation | 9:00am - 4:00pm |
| Projected Opening | November 2008 |
| Tentative Closing | TBA |
| Vertical | 991 meters (3250 feet) |
| Base Elevation | 1646 meters (5400 feet) |
| Peak Elevation | 2637 meters (8650 feet) |
| Acreage | 4200 acres |
| Average Snowfall | 454 cm (179 in) |
| Snowmaking | 40% of designated runs (over 1700 acres) |
| Trails | 139 runs + back bowls |
| Terrain | 25% Beginner 45% Intermediate 30% Advanced |
| Longest Run | 8 kms (5 miles) |
| Cumulative Length of Runs | Over 100 kms (62 miles) |
| Lifts | 1 High speed 6 Passenger Chairlift 1 High Speed 6 Passenger Gondola 2 High speed Quad Chairlifts 1 Quad Chairlift 1 Triple Chairlift 2 T-Bars 1 Carpet |
| Lift Capacity | Approximately 15,240 people/hour |
| Snow School | Group & Private Ski & Snowboard Lessons Learn to Ski & Snowboard Packages Ski & Snowboard weeks |
| Racing | NASTAR |
| Daycare | Available for children from 18 days old |
| Equipment Rentals | Available at the area |
| Hours of Operation | 9:00am - 4:00pm daily | Night Skiing | 5:00pm - 9:00pm Fridays |
| Projected Opening | November 2008 |
| Tentative Closing | TBA |
| Vertical | 503 meters (1650 feet) |
| Base Elevation | 1630 meters (5350 feet) |
| Peak Elevation | 2133 meters (7000 feet) |
| Acreage | 190 acres |
| Average Snowfall | 300 cm (120 in) |
| Snowmaking | 85% of skiable terrain |
| Trails | 28 runs |
| Terrain | 20% Beginner 36% Intermediate 28% Advanced 16% Expert |
| Longest Run | 1167 meters (3828 feet) |
| Cumulative Length of Runs | 16.4 km (10.2 miles) |
| Lifts | 1 High speed Quad Chairlift 2 Quad Chairlifts 1 Double Chairlift 1 Surface lift |
| Lift Capacity | Approximately 7,000 people/hour |
| Ski School | Group & Private Ski & Snowboard Lessons Learn to Ski & Snowboard Packages |
| Racing | Fun dual slalom |
| Daycare | Available to children 19 mths to 6 years |
| Equipment Rentals | Available at the area |
| Hours of Operation | 9:00am - 4:00pm daily |
| Gondola Hours | 8:00am - 5:30pm Mon-Thurs (weekends extended) |
| Projected Opening | November 2008 |
| Tentative Closing | TBA |
| Vertical | 1070 meters (3514 feet) |
| Base Elevation | 1660 meters (5440 feet) |
| Peak Elevation | 2730 meters (8954 feet) |
| Acreage | 3358 acres |
| Average Snowfall | 914 cm (360 in) |
| Snowmaking | N/A |
| Trails | 107 runs |
| Terrain | 20% Beginner 55% Intermediate 25% Advanced |
| Longest Run | 8 kms (5 miles) |
| Cumulative Length of Runs | Approximately 82 kms (52 miles) |
| Lifts | 1 High speed 8 Passenger Gondola 5 High speed Quad Chairlifts 2 Quad Chairlifts 1 Triple Chairlift 1 Double Chairlift 2 Surface Lifts |
| Lift Capacity | Approximately 20,000 people/hour |
| Ski School | Group & Private Ski & Snowboard Lessons Learn to Ski & Snowboard Packages |
| Racing | Dual-Slaloms |
| Daycare | Available for kids 19 months to 6 years |
| Equipment Rentals | Available at the area featuring Salomon Ski & snowboards |