Banff National Park has three ski resorts – Lake Louise, Sunshine Village, and Mt. Norquay. These ski resorts will be fully operational this weekend with Sunshine opening its ski lifts for the first time this year.
A snow storm, on November 15, covered the Banff ski resorts with the first real snow of the season. The conditions for skiing have improved exponentially with these ski resorts getting much needed snow. Sunshine Village Ski Resort received 22 cm (9.7 in) of snow in the last 48 hours with 16 cm (7.1 in) arriving overnight. Lake Louise received 9 cm (4 in) over the past 24 hours. And, it’s still snowing with more snow expected throughout the week.
17/11/10 – Sunshine Village has officially declared that it will be opening on Friday, November 19. Sunshine will open with two lifts on Friday and on Saturday, the ski resort intends to open several more. Sunshine has been the last ski resort to open in the Banff area. “When skiers and riders get on our slopes, they’ll know it’s been worth the wait,” says Doug Firby, associate director of Communications for Sunshine. “Natural snow makes for a totally different experience.” Sunshine is offering reduced early season rates.
It’s expected that the Banff area will receive record snowfalls this year because of the La Nina effect on the weather patterns. The last seven of nine years have been a La Nina and the snowfall records have been excellent; there has been higher than average snowfall in the Canadian Rockies.
The Banff ski season is ramping up better than expected because of the new snowfall. It’s also a good time for those looking to get involved in ski/snowboarding clubs or programs, as registration is ongoing during the month of November. At Lake Louise, there are several new programs including a program targeted at young children to help them develop a life-long passion for skiing. And, there the Evolve SSX Ski/Snowboard Cross Club is unique in Canada. The training will be at the new ski/snowboard course being built at Lake Louise.
Mt. Norquay is offering pre-season race training for alpine ski racing clubs starting on November 13 – 30. The ski resort upgraded the snow making equipment, widened the course, and improved the difficulty of the course. Mt. Norquay is open on weekends only to the general public.
This week’s long term weather forecast is calling for scattered flurries between 1 – 5 cm per day until Saturday creating great conditions. The temperatures are expected to be between -12 to -17C during this period. For enthusiasts and season pass holders, the early season conditions are terrific and will remain so in the near future.
Banff Alberta Travel Guide is based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada and provides information on Banff National Park. For more information, please visit us on the Web at banff-alberta.net.
Contact Information:
Lise Pin, media relations
3514 2nd Ave, SW, Calgary, AB, Canada
Phone: 403.686.9575
banff-alberta.net
