A Record-Breaking Season for Lake Louise
It's been a historic start to the season for Lake Louise Ski Resort in Banff National Park. The likes of which haven’t been seen since the 1950/51 season. With 504cm of total snowfall so far, the resort is expected to surpass its average annual snowfall by the new year (475cm-515cm), setting the stage for the heart of the season beautifully with a substantial base and healthy snowpack. As of December 30th, 2025, all lifts are spinning with 152/164 open runs and 3/5 active terrain parks.
One for the record books
To illustrate the magnitude of this season, we've gathered photos from the archive to showcase what skiing looked like last time Lake Louise saw this much early-season snowfall.
Snow Valley Skier circa (1950s)
Wooden skis with leather bindings and vintage poles. (1950)
Vintage print ad of cutting-edge ski boot tech (1950)
Human-powered snow groomers, Oregon (1951)
Banff Avenue (1951)
The original Highway 1 near Castle Mountain, Banff (1950)
More to come
Several long-range forecasts suggest a return of La Niña–like conditions this winter, typically favouring colder and snowier conditions in the northern Rockies and western Canada. These forecasts predict above‐average snowfall and below-normal temperatures through mid- and late-season months, particularly in November, early/late December, early January, mid-February, and early March.
Sources:
https://climate.weather.gc.ca/
https://www.timeanddate.com/weather/%406048483/historic
