Industry News
Banff Sunshine Village, Alberta, shared images of summer snow on its social media channels on Thursday, July 10, as unseasonable flakes brought winter back to the Canadian Rockies–if only for a few hours. The midday post showed snow on the upper reaches of Goat’s Eye Mountain.
“Meanwhile on the top of Goat’s Eye…
Yep, this is a LIVE shot from our webcam taken at 12:26 on Thursday, July 10th.”
Meteorological data from Environment and Climate Change Canada had forecasted a high of 15°C (59ºF) for Banff that day, with a 30 percent chance of showers. Despite these predictions, the mountain’s elevation and localized weather patterns allowed for snow to accumulate, even as the town below remained free of frost.
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July in Banff typically brings daytime highs near 19°C (66ºF) and occasional rainfall, but snow is a rarity. While the ski season officially ended in May, Sunshine Village’s high-altitude terrain has seen summer snow before, though such events remain uncommon.
Although the ski season officially ended on May 20, and all lifts and runs remain closed to the public, Sunshine Village, situated at an elevation of 8,957 feet (2,730 meters), is no stranger to late-season snow; it snowed three weeks ago on the first day of summer, and a similar event occurred in August of the previous year.
In some years, persistent snowpack from a big winter has allowed the resort to reopen for skiing in late June and early July, notably in 2023, when surplus snow made mid-summer turns possible on Canada Day (July 1). However, resort officials advised against breaking out skis this year, as operations will not resume until the planned start of the 2025-26 season on November 8. In the meantime, it is promoting early-bird sales for its upcoming winter season passes, offering up to 40% savings and unlimited access to one of Canada’s longest ski seasons.
