Banff Sunshine Village is gearing up for a unique summer ski season after experiencing exceptional snowfall this winter. The regular winter ski season is set to end on May 18, with plans to reopen for a 16-day summer ski season from June 20 to July 5.
Kendra Scurfield, a representative of Sunshine Village, expressed confidence in the resort’s summer plans due to the significant amount of snow still present on the mountain. She described the winter season as a “fairytale” with continuous snowfall.
During the summer ski season, the resort aims to operate the Strawberry Express chairlift and multiple ski runs. More detailed information regarding the summer operations will be revealed in the upcoming weeks.
Sunshine Village’s unique ability to offer summer skiing is attributed to its high elevation above the tree-line, allowing snow to persist longer compared to other resorts, as highlighted by Scurfield.
John Pomeroy, a University of Saskatchewan professor specializing in Rockies precipitation, supports Sunshine’s snow preservation due to the high elevation receiving nearly double the precipitation compared to lower valley communities like Banff and Canmore.
This upcoming summer ski season marks the second time in nearly 35 years that Sunshine has been able to offer this experience. Following the success of a brief opening in 2022, the resort committed to providing summer skiing whenever conditions permit.
Pomeroy noted that the current snowpack around Sunshine is well above average for this time of year, with cooler spring temperatures aiding in snow retention. However, he cautioned that warmer-than-average temperatures forecasted for May could pose challenges for maintaining adequate snow levels for the summer operations.